French-American Piano Society
in partnership with
THE CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK
and
CREDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE INVESTMENT BANK
present
Yves Henry, Piano
The Salon de Chopin: A Portrait Through Time
2026 Winter Benefit Recital
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 2026 AT 6:30 PM
CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK
PROGRAM
Yves Henry, Piano
Performing on the James E. Sheeran Steinway Piano
The Salon de Chopin: A Portrait Through Time
Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat major, Op. 51
Composed in 1842, Nohant
This lyrical and fluid work captures Chopin at the height of his maturity, combining elegant spontaneity with structural clarity — a portrait of refined improvisation shaped into perfection
Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1
Composed in 1841, Paris
Often considered one of Chopin’s greatest Nocturnes, this piece moves from solemn meditation to dramatic intensity, evoking both the intimacy of the salon and the grandeur of the concert hall.
Valse in A-flat major, Op. 34 No. 1 (“Valse brillante”)
Composed in 1835, Paris
A dazzling dance that epitomizes Chopin’s gift for blending virtuosity with elegance. This waltz radiates the brilliance and social sparkle of Parisian salon life.
Nocturne in B-flat major, Op. 15 No. 1
Composed in 1830–1831, Vienna
Written during Chopin’s early years abroad, this Nocturne alternates between serene lyricism and a restless, storm-like middle section — a reflection of youthful intensity and artistic ambition.
Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39
Composed in 1839, Nohant (after Majorca)
Emerging from a turbulent period of illness and exile, this Scherzo juxtaposes ferocious energy with moments of luminous beauty, embodying Chopin’s resilience and creative power.
Trois Études, Op. posth.
Composed in 1839, Nohant (published posthumously)
These studies, lyrical and poetic rather than overtly technical, reveal Chopin’s ability to transform the genre into profound musical expression, where pedagogy meets poetry.
Nocturne in E major, Op. 62 No. 2
Composed in 1846, Paris
One of Chopin’s late masterpieces, this expansive Nocturne offers exquisite harmonic richness and introspection — music that seems to look back on a lifetime of artistic refinement.
Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54
Composed in 1842, Nohant
The most radiant and playful of Chopin’s Scherzos, this work balances brilliance with lyricism, closing the program with a sense of joy and transcendence.
Both pianist and composer, Yves Henry was trained at the Paris Conservatoire in the 1970s-80s, where he studied with Pierre Sancan and took courses in chamber music, accompaniment and choral direction as well as classes in writing, obtaining a total of seven premiers prix by the age of 22.
The same year, after having worked with Aldo Ciccolini for three years, he won First Grand Prize at the Robert Schumann International Competition in Zwickau. He is now recognized as one of the specialists in the interpretation of Chopin and Liszt, in particular owing to his experience with instruments from the Romantic era. [1]
Professor at the Paris Conservatory and the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Paris, member of the programme committee of the Chopin Institute in Warsaw on the occasion of the Chopin bicentennial in 2010, and honorary member of the Japanese Piano Teachers Association, Yves Henry gives numerous recitals the world over, primarily devoted to composers of the Romantic era. Regularly invited for master classes at universities in the USA, Japan and China, he sits on juries of important international competitions (Monte-Carlo Piano Masters, Dvořák Piano Competition in Nelahozeves, Robert Schumann International Piano Competition in Zwickau, International Frédéric Chopin Competition in Warsaw). He also devotes himself felicitously to chamber music alongside his violinist brother and various partners (Michel Portal, Karl Leister, Ivry Gitlis, Brigitte Engerer, Augustin Dumay, Gary Hoffman, soloists of the Orchestre de Paris, Michel Lethiec, the Elysées and Modigliani quartets…) and is at the origin of several productions combining literature and music with actresses Marie-Christine Barrault and Brigitte Fossey.
In addition to his activities as a performer and teacher, he has composed several works inspired by texts of the Corsican poet André Giovanni (Les Chants Tyrrhéniens, Les Sentiers dérobés) along with chamber music pieces (Kaga Yusen for violin and piano, Suite Vénitienne for flute, cello and piano, Il soplo ligero for clarinet and piano). He recently composed a Nocturne for orchestra that was first performed in Paris and Germany in 2014. He has also made transcriptions for concert performance of works including Paul Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice, Maurice Ravel's La Valse, and Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, which will be the object of a CD release in 2015.
In January 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture, received the Gloria Artis award from the Polish government for his contribution to the Chopin Year in France, and was one of the personalities to be included in the 2010 Who’s Who in France. In January 2011, he succeeded Alain Duault as President of the Nohant Chopin Festival.
In the course of the 2015-16 season, he will give concerts in Germany, Japan, France, Poland, Romania, Hong-Kong and the United States and is invited to participate in the jury of the Schumann International Piano Competition in June 2016 in Zwickau.
Discography: from 2006 to 2009, Yves Henry has recorded, in 4 CDs, the complete works that Chopin composed or finished in Nohant (CD-book Les étés de Frédéeric Chopin à Nohant, Éditions du Patrimoine, 2010). In 2011, he released a Liszt recital. In May 2014, he released a 2-CD set devoted to the reconstitution of Chopin's last concert in Paris ('Choix France Musique’) recorded with an 1837 Pleyel piano at Chaumet jewellers, 12 Place Vendôme, the very site of Chopin's death in October 1849. In 2015, he released a double-CD set (Liszt/Schumann/Chopin). This recording is the fruit of a double confrontation: on the one hand, between Schumann, Chopin and Liszt, three giants of the Romantic generation who dedicated piano works to each other; and on the other, two piano builders, Pleyel and Erard who, at the same period, were exploring completely opposite aesthetic and technical paths. The relations between Schumann, Chopin and Liszt are discussed by Doctor Thomas Synofzik, Director of the Robert-Schumann-Haus in Zwickau
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.
=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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