Alexandre Tharaud

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  • Piano
Promotional photograph of Alexandre Tharaud
Promotional photograph of Alexandre Tharaud

About Alexandre

His extraordinary discography of over 25 solo albums, most of which received major awards from the music press, features repertoire ranging from Couperin, Bach and Scarlatti, through Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, and Rachmaninov to the major 20th century French composers. The breadth of his artistic endeavours is also reflected in collaborations with theatre makers, dancers, choreographers, writers and film makers, as well as with singer-songwriters and musicians outside the realm of classical music

A highly sought-after soloist, Alexandre performs regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras. This season, he appears with the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and the Slovenian Philharmonic in performances of Beethoven, makes his debut with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra playing Ravel, collaborates with Angélique Kidjo at the London Jazz Festival, and embarks on a European and Asian tour with long-time musical partner Jean-Guihen Queyras, celebrating 30 years of their collaboration. The duo will also give a premiere of the Oscar Strasnoy Double Concerto with Orchestre Philharmonique du Strasbourg in the Spring, followed by further performances with PhilZuid.

As a recitalist, Alexandre is a frequent guest at the world’s most prestigious venues. Highlights of the current season include solo appearances at Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Musikverein Wien, Bozar Brussels, Concertgebouw Bruges, Salle Bourgie, and Opéra de Lyon, among others.

Alexandre is an exclusive recording artist with Warner Classics. His forthcoming album Pianosong, dedicated to the French chanson, is set for release later this year. Among his recent recordings is a critically acclaimed album of Ravel’s Piano Concertos with the Orchestre National de France under Louis Langrée. Over the course of his career, he has recorded an extensive and diverse repertoire, including works by Rameau, Scarlatti, Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Italian Concerto, Beethoven’s final three sonatas, Chopin’s 24 Preludes, and the complete piano works of Ravel.

In 2024, Alexandre Tharaud featured on the soundtrack of Boléro, a biopic about the creation of Maurice Ravel’s celebrated work of the same name. For the film, which stars Raphaël Personnaz as Ravel, he recorded several of the composer’s piano pieces and appeared on screen as music critic Pierre Lalo. He is also the subject of the documentary Alexandre Tharaud, Le Temps Dérobé, directed by Swiss filmmaker Raphaëlle Aellig-Régnier, and played the role of the pianist “Alexandre” in Michael Haneke’s acclaimed 2012 film Amour.

In addition to his screen appearances, Alexandre has published two books: Montrez-moivos mains (2017), an introspective and engaging account of daily life as a pianist, and Piano Intime, co-authored with journalist Nicolas Southon.

Alexandre is based in Paris

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Contact

Rachel Bertaut

Rachel Bertaut

Senior Artist Manager
Melanie Moult

Melanie Moult

Associate Director

Representation

General Management with Askonas Holt

Partner managers:
France: Clément Ledoux, L'Agence
Germany: Carolin Traute-Breidenbach, Impresariat Simmenauer
BeNeLux: Jeroen Tersteeg, Nymus Artists
Switzerland: Carole Terrettaz, Caecilia
Italy: Mario Giovanni Ingrassia, MaMusic
Spain: Enrique Rubio, I Musica
Asia (excl. Japan): Yinghsin Chen, YH Artists
Japan: Moto Hirasa, M.HIRASA Ltd

Season Highlights

Sep 2025
Grand Théâtre de Québec
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major Orchestre symphonique de Québec Clemens Schuldt (conductor)
Oct 2025
Slovenian Philharmonic Hall, Ljubljana
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra Lucie Leguay (conductor)
Oct 2025
Wigmore Hall, London
Recital Mozart Piano Sonata in A minor, K.331 alla Turca Poulenc Hommage à Edith Piaf (Improvisation) Poulenc Les Chemins de l’amour Brel/Abdel Raman El Bacha Ne me quittes pas Pesson Noir dormant (d’après Barbara) Trénet/Jean Wiéner L’âme des poètes, Mes jeunes années Trénet/Alexis Weissenberg Monsieur, vous oubliez votre cheval Improvisations after chansons of Piaf, Barbara, Baker, Brel
Mar 2026
Lighthouse, Poole, UK
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Mark Wigglesworth (conductor)
May 2026
Couvent des Jacobins, Beaune
Poulenc: Piano Concerto Orchestre national de Bretagne Nicolas Ellis (conductor)
Jun 2026
PLT Theater Heerlen
Strasnoy: Sinfonia Concertante Philzuid Symfonieorkest Duncan Ward (conductor) Jean-Guihen Queyras (cello)

News

Press

  • Concert with the Aurora Orchestra

    Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre London
    Oct 2024
    • From the whipcrack first notes of the Allegramente, dextrous pianist Alexandre Tharaud and the Aurora players fused to give a precisely calibrated yet whimsical account of the first movement. Theraud’s keyboard virtuosity was never in doubt. Alternating between astonishingly fast runs and bluesy harmonic progressions, he captured Ravel’s constantly changing shifts of moods and themes in all their syncopated detail. The second movement, an Adagio of serene beauty flowed in an unbroken line of melody, while the third movement – a fast moving, rapid-fire dialogue between piano and orchestra – was executed with awesome speed and panache.

  • Concert with San Francisco Symphony

    Davies Symphony Hall
    Sep 2024
    • The French musical polyglot Alexandre Tharaud had grabbed his attention with a knowledgeable and vivid approach to the music of Rameau.... Lots of busy flourishes from the piano, played with vigorous expression by Tharaud, established the character of the concerto. As the final measures of the first movement died down, the slow second movement introduced greater clarity to the dense harmonies and settled into quiet floating chords with overtones of jazz textures. An oboe intoned a languid tune as Tharaud added decorative embellishments, before settling into a lovely duet with principal viola Jonathan Vinocour.

  • Recording/Orchestre National de France/Langrée (Warner Classics)

    Oct 2023
    • The performances are all that you would expect from this unfailingly stylish pianist, especially in the outer movements of the G major concerto, played with as much glitter and fizz as anyone could want.

  • Recital

    Berliner Philharmonie
    May 2023
    • One can only say about Tharaud’s “mirror images”: You have to experience it! The sovereign mastery of this world-class pianist leaves you speechless.

  • Recital: Rameau, Schubert, Tharaud

    Salle Bourgie, Montreal
    May 2023
    • La sensation dominante de ce concert d’une heure a été la verve, voire l’exubérance, du pianiste, visiblement heureux d’être là. Nous l’entendions dans Les Sauvages de Rameau en bis, non pas ciselé comme avec Bruce Liu, mais emporté et nourri de coups de patte mettant en lumière tel ou tel détail original. Cet élan avait aussi des incidences sur la Suite en la mineur de Rameau et les Impromptus op. 90 de Schubert, notamment le choix de la limite jusqu’à laquelle le pianiste oserait faire aller la dynamique sonore. Alexandre Tharaud a choisi un son très nourri, ample et généreux, même dans Rameau, se délectant notamment des variations de la « Gavotte et six doubles ». Idem dans Schubert, où le pianiste a créé beaucoup plus de juste variété, de contrastes de tourbillon et de fantaisie dans les Impromptus op. 90 que David Fray dans son Klavierstücken février dernier au même endroit. Entre Rameau et Schubert, Tharaud a joué des pièces de son cru composées pendant la pandémie. Ces études brèves portent à la fois sur le rythme, la répétitivité et les sonorités. C’est concentré, éloquent et percutant.

  • Concert with Jean-Guihen Queyras

    Salle Bourgie, Montreal
    Apr 2023
    • Après avoir débuté puissamment, comme pour étalonner leur ambitus dynamique dans le cadre de la salle, Alexandre Tharaud et Jean-Guihen Queyras naviguent à travers les danses de Marais en faisant assaut de subtilités et en ne négligeant jamais le caractère des danses. Toute leur palette est exposée, au final, dans les Couplets des Folies d’Espagne. Cette collection de 32 variations autour du célèbre thème de La Folia, d’une durée de près de 20 minutes, est d’ailleurs faite pour exposer les possibilités expressives de la viole (à l’époque) et, donc, du tandem aujourd’hui.

  • Recital

    Carnegie Hall, New York
    Mar 2023
    • And for the two encores? Mr. Tharaud played a Scarlatti Sonata with a whirling tempo, so it was almost unidentifiable. Second was “La Sauvage” by Rameau again, this time with savage fury. It would be unforgivable during the concert itself. But his grand playing, his ebullience and his pianistic personality allowed him, in these gifts to the full‑house audience, a celebration of the digital speed of light.