A Christmas Journey Through the Music of J. S. Bach

Midway through Advent, as one of the year’s most beautiful holidays draws near, we invite you to spend an afternoon with pianist Hélène Papadopoulos and the extraordinary music of J. S. Bach.

Exploring some of the composer’s most revered works, the program invites listeners to journey inward to a space of spiritual contemplation. From the dynamic energy of the toccatas to the profound depths of the piano-transcribed „Chaconne“ and the introspective „Duetti“, each piece touches upon themes of reflection, renewal, and the transcendence of the human soul.

Hélène Papadopoulos is a pianist renowned for her intricate and sensitive interpretations, particularly of J. S. Bach, and for her multifaceted vision of music-making and performance. She completed her studies in piano, harpsichord, cello, and chamber music at the Strasbourg Conservatory and the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and earned a doctorate in computational musicology from IRCAM / Paris-Sorbonne University. She performs as both a soloist and a chamber musician across Europe and North America.

Hélène’s concert series, which features the complete works of Bach, has garnered wide acclaim, captivating audiences with its deep exploration of the composer’s spiritual and emotional dimensions. Her unique ability to bridge tradition and modernity—whether through deeply felt interpretations of iconic works like the Goldberg Variations or by commissioning living composers to create a dialogue between Bach’s music and the contemporary world—forges an experience that is at once timeless and deeply relevant today. This season she presents the complete „Clavier-Übung“ (Keyboard Partitas, Italian Concerto, French Overture, Four Duets, and Goldberg Variations) as well as the complete Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin BWV 1014–1019. Her recent honors for musical excellence include the „Culture Moves Europe“ grant and the American Bach Society’s „Scheide“ grant.

Bridging her academic research and artistic practice, the musician has published a music theory treatise by Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), accompanied by her own commentary. She is the artistic director of the „Festival aux Chandelles“ in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France: here, she redefines classical music programming, sharing the artistic research that shapes every performance. Supported by the Bach Archive in Leipzig, she is currently participating in an artist residency at CNMAT, University of California, Berkeley, delving into the legacy of American keyboardist Rosalyn Tureck for 21st-century Bach performance.

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