Wilhem Latchoumia

“Accustomed to performing programs which embrace lesser-known works, Wilhem Latchoumia, winner of the Orléans International Piano Competition in 2006, has succeeded in imposing his talent on the world of contemporary pianism. The ease with which he performs his difficult repertoires is miraculous and makes the musics of today directly accessible”. So wrote Michel Le Naour on concertclassic.com.

A champion of new music and new composers, Latchoumia is nonetheless well-grounded in the history of pianistic writing. In his recital at the Onassis Stegi, he will perform a wide range of French 20th- and 21st-century music, beginning with Debussy’s late masterpiece, the “Études” (1915), one of the great innovator’s most demanding works. A veritable torrent of a piece, “Territoires de l’oubli” (1977) by Tristan Murail, a central representative of the ‘spectral’ composition technique, is an atmospheric exploration of the piano’s resonance which is simultaneously dramatic and evocative. The program ends with works by two of France’s most dynamic, unique and inventive young composers, Gérard Pesson (b. 1958) and Christoph Yeznikian (b. 1969).

The concert will be preceded by a brief presentation of the works by the pianist.