Musician, writer, and, of course, “the woman with the wolves”—Hélène Grimaud has interests so diverse that you occasionally lose sight of the fact that she is, above all, one of the outstanding pianists of our time. Hélène Grimaud makes several guest appearances this summer in Lucerne as our “artiste étoile."

When Hélène Grimaud was asked in an interview whether she would prefer to talk about “energy” or “discipline," she unequivocally responded: “Energy! Discipline isn’t really such a nice word. Energy suits me better than discipline.” To be sure, she would have hardly achieved what she has through a complete lack of discipline: Just witness the stupendous technical skills possessed by the 40-year-old French pianist. Yet the outstanding feature of her playing is its unique combination of emotion and reflection, along with her irrepressible temperament, which manifests itself in a deeply researched grasp of the classics of the piano literature that is second to none. Hers is moreover a temperament that presses beyond musical boundaries. In the United States, Hélène Grimaud founded the Wolf Conservation Center in 1999 to promote “the breeding and care of wolves.” She describes her engagement with this project in her autobiography, which was published as “Variations sauvages,” and which was followed in 2003 by the travel diary “Leçons particulières.”

When it comes to musical matters, too, this exceptional pianist does not allow herself to be hemmed in. She thus combines the works of Beethoven with contemporary compositions or passes over traditional boundaries of genre to trace the relationship between the artist couple Robert and Clara Schumann and the young Johannes Brahms—in their songs, concertos, chamber music, and solo pieces. Hélène Grimaud shows a special love of the German repertoire from the Classical and Romantic eras. It’s no accident that she has chosen the Piano Concerto in A minor by Robert Schumann—one of her favorite pieces—for her appearance with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra on September 8. In contrast to this dreamy, introverted composition, on August 23 she will perform Beethoven's heroic Fifth Piano Concerto, accompanied by the Sydney Symphony under Vladimir Ashkenazy: a work that is for Grimaud a “beast” that “by virtue of its overwhelming form forces the interpreter to mirror its own contradictions while shaping them in an individual way.” Powerful contrasts will also be apparent in her piano recital on August 19, which includes works by Mozart, Liszt, Berg and Bartók: Or will it be the hidden relationships between these masters, who seem so different at first glance, that she will emphasize?

It’s not only as a soloist that Hélène Grimaud’s artistry can be enjoyed this summer in Lucerne. She will also partner with baritone Thomas Quasthoff on August 18 in songs by Schumann and Brahms, while on August 22 she has designed an evening of chamber music with musicians of the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA, in which she can even be heard playing celesta. If you would like to learn more about Hélène Grimaud not only as an artist but as a person, you’ll want to attend the artist talk on August 21 and also drop by stattkino Lucerne, which will show the film portrait “My Life: Hélène Grimaud” on August 22 and 23.