French-American Piano Society

in partnership with

THE CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK

presents

Nour Ayadi, Piano

“masks and dances”

2026 Fall Benefit Recital

TUESDAY, november 3, 2026 AT 6:30 PM

CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK

PROGRAM

Nour Ayadi, Piano

Performing on the James E. Sheeran Steinway Piano

Masks and Dances

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)

La Poule (“The Hen”), in G minor, RCT 5/14
from Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin (c. 1728)

Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer (1705–1755)

L’Aimable, Rondeau
from Premier livre de pièces de clavecin (1746)

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)

Étude-tableau in C minor, Op. 33, No. 3 (1911)

Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)

Novelette No. 1 in C major, FP 47, No. 1 (1927)

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

“Russian Dance” (Danse russe)
from Three Movements from Petrushka (1921)

Borowski

Miniaturen: “Game” | “Stay” |“A Different Story”

Claude Debussy (1862–1918)

“Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest” (“What the West Wind Saw”)
from Préludes, Book I, No. 7, L. 125 (117), in F-sharp minor (1909–10)

Enrique Granados (1867–1916)

El pelele (Escena goyesca) (1915)

François Couperin (1668–1733)

Les Barricades mystérieuses
from Pièces de clavecin, Book II, Sixth Ordre, No. 5, in B-flat major (1717)

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel in B-flat major, Op. 24 (1861)

French-Moroccan pianist Nour Ayadi began playing the piano at the age of six in her native country before continuing her studies in France at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and later at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where she graduated with the highest honors. She also was an Artist-In-Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and the Haute École de Musique de Genève, studying with renowned masters such as András Schiff, Maria João Pires, and Nelson Goerner.

Winner of the First Grand Prize at the SAR Lalla Meryem Competition in 2016 and the Cortot Prize in 2019, Nour was nominated for the 2024 Victoires de la Musique Classique and performs at prestigious international festivals such as La Roque d’Anthéron, the Verbier Festival, and Les Folles Journées de Nantes. She collaborates with acclaimed conductors and orchestras, including Petri Sakari, Augustin Dumay, Christophe Koncz, and Mikko Franck, as well as artists such as Gautier Capuçon. Her second album, dedicated to Schumann and Poulenc, received high critical acclaim, and a new release exploring the theme of Faust in literature and music came out this year.

Alongside her musical career, Nour Ayadi pursues a strong intellectual path, holding a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Public Affairs from Sciences Po Paris. She regularly gives lectures there and takes part in international conferences on societal issues, including the annual women’s health conference in Singapore, the Chapter54 Summit for European and African businesses, and talks at the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles in Paris. She is also deeply involved in education through masterclasses and is currently pursuing the Certificat d’Aptitude teaching diploma at the Paris Conservatory.

In 2025, she was named an ambassador of the Classeek program in Switzerland and was awarded the title of Chevalière de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.

We are grateful to our 2026 RECITAL partners:

THE YOUNG PIANISTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Young Pianists Scholarship Program, spearheaded by the French-American Piano Society, is a distinguished initiative aimed at nurturing the next generation of French piano virtuosos for U.S. audiences. This program offers exceptional young pianists an invaluable opportunity to advance their international presence and experience. Selected scholars from the Conservatoire National de Paris benefit from access to world-class performance venues at the Consulate of France in New York and the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., where they are exposed to and meet curious and supportive U.S. audiences.

THE JAMES J. SHEERAN STEINWAY PIANO

At its inaugural recital on January 16th 2018, S.E. Anne Claire Legendre, Consul General of France in New York, in the company of S.E. Bertrand Lortholary, Ambassador of France in Vietam, Former Consul General of France in New York, and S.E. Francois Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United Nation, former Ambassador of France to the USA, and former Consul General of France in New York, dedicated our Steinway concert piano to

JAMES J. SHEERAN

(1923 - 2007)

A GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT, WWII VETERAN, SON OF FRANCE, AND CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR (2006) OF THE REPUBLIC OF FRANCE

We are deeply thankful to the generous patrons

 who helped us fund our James J. Sheeran Steinway piano

CREDIT AGRICOLE CIB

NJ CURE

JCDECAUX

ALICE ROSNER FOUNDATION

COLAS, INC

COMMITTEE OF FRENCH SPEAKING SOCIETIES

CONNECTHINGS

CONSEILLERS DU COMMERCE EXTERIEUR DE LA FRANCE

MEDNEST

RATP DEV

VERONIQUE TRAVEL

and

The “88 Keys” Society Members and Patrons:

    Helene Buchen (C1#, D1#, F1&#, G1#, A1&#, F2#, G2#, A2#)

    Gilles Rousseau (G2,A2,B2,C3,D3,E3,F3,G3)

    Veronique and Pascal Carpentier (C6#, D6#, F6#, G6#, A6#)

    Ariane Daguin (B6, A6, G6, C7)

    Anne-Julia Audray (D5, F5, A4)

    Jean-Pierre Bizzari, MD (A5, B5)

    Laurence Chertoff (D2#, D3#)

    Thomas and Albane Duplan (C8, B1)

    Valerie and Gerard Duval (G7#, F7#)

    Lily Hsia (D5#, D7#)

    Susan Mackenzie (E6, C7#)

    Martha and Rick Olson (E4, G4)

    Daniel and Teresa Petitjean (F7, G7)

    Helene and Mathieu Petitjean (A0#,A4#)

    Dr. Ellie Abdi (B0)

    Catherine Munera and Alfredo Basurto (E5)

    Carey and Brett August (C6)

Veronique et Serge Banzet (A5)

    Arnaud Boyer (E7)

    Nigel Brown (G1)

    Florence and Eric Brun (G5)

    Eric and Isabelle Chaboureau (F2)

    Vésine de La Rue (D2)

    Philippe Dreano (G3#)

    Yoni Elmalem (A7#)

    Sylvie Epelbaum,MD (D4#)

    John F. Bennet, Paris-American Club (G4#)

    Bernard Frelat (F6)

    French-American Choir of New York (A4)

    Simone Galton (B3)

    Guy Geslin (D7)

    Anthony Gilroy (A3)

    Robert Gorman (D1)

    Odile Gorse (C1)

    Herve Houdre (C2)

    Laurent Kleitman (C5#)

    Remy Lumbroso (D6)

    Pierre Martin (F3#)

    Andrea Mayes (C5)

    Hanyi Meng (A7)

    Jean-Hugues Monier (E2)

    Mark Morris (A3#)

    Rick and Mary O'Connell (E1)

    Elizabeth Olson (C4)

    Claudine and Bernard Parisot (C4#)

    Joseph Patrych (G5)

    Michel and Judith Pautrat (F4)

    Jean Perrette (B7)

    Dmitry Rachmanov (F4#)

    Jerome Rose (A0)

    Sophie Schyler - Chateau Kirwan  (F5#)

    Guy Sorman (D4)

    Annaliese Soros (C2#)

    Marie-Monique Steckel (B4)

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