HÀ NỘI — Acclaimed French pianist Lise de la Salle, hailed as a prodigy, will captivate audiences in Hà Nội during a concert at the Hồ Gươm Opera House on May 29.

Renowned for her profound musicianship, emotional depth and virtuosity, she will perform with the Sun Symphony Orchestra in Shades of Paris, conducted by Music Director Olivier Ochanine.

This programme will paint a vivid portrait of the elegance and refinement of French music, tracing three distinctive soundscapes from Hector Berlioz and Maurice Ravel to César Franck, each unfolding like a chapter in a larger narrative.

More than a contrast of styles, the concert explores how each work creates its own aesthetic world: youthful energy, sophisticated grace and profound symphonic architecture, together forming a journey into the heart of French musical expression.

The evening will open with Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, a dazzling orchestral showpiece that epitomises his imagination and dramatic flair. It recreates the vibrant atmosphere of a Roman festival, contrasting exuberant passages with lyrical moments, and culminating in a brilliant finale.

Next comes Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, a work that blends French classical precision with the jazz-inflected modernity of its era. Here, de la Salle will take centre stage, bringing her artistry to one of Ravel’s most dazzling creations.

The piano engages in constant dialogue with the orchestra, opening a sound world that is both strikingly modern and irresistibly graceful.

The concert concludes with Franck’s Symphony in D minor, a landmark of late 19th-century French music. Structured in his signature cyclical form, recurring themes evolve across movements, binding them into a single, flowing emotional journey.

Born in Cherbourg in 1988, de la Salle began learning piano at four, gave her first concert at nine (which was broadcast live on Radio France), and at 11 entered the prestigious Paris Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique. Her international career was launched after winning the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York in 2004, leading to debuts across the US and Europe.

She has since performed at Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Musikverein, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Berlin Philharmonie, collaborating with leading ensembles including the Boston, London and Chicago Symphony Orchestras.

The concert Shades of Paris will begin at 8pm. — VNS