Chopin: A Stranger In Paris
Emmanuel Despax with Richard Bonynge Ensemble
Celebrate the haunting beauty of Frédéric Chopin’s music through the lens of exile, identity, and artistic longing.
Internationally renowned pianist Emmanuel Despax takes centre stage in this richly evocative program tracing Chopin’s emotional and musical journey as an émigré in 19th century Paris. Though he found fame and fortune in the City of Light, Chopin remained a man caught between worlds—Polish at heart, yet deeply embedded in the Parisian artistic elite.
Joined by the Richard Bonynge Ensemble, Despax presents a deeply personal selection of Chopin’s most intimate works; from the shimmering Berceuse and graceful Barcarolle, to the powerful Sonata No. 2. The evening culminates in a rarely heard chamber arrangement of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, reimagined for piano and strings—revealing new layers of vulnerability and poetic depth.
This performance offers a rare opportunity to hear Chopin’s music in a more intimate light, unravelling the emotional depth of a composer shaped by displacement, memory, and quiet resilience.
FULL PROGRAM
CHOPIN Berceuse
CHOPIN Barcarolle
CHOPIN Sonata No. 2 in Bb minor
Interval
CHOPIN Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
(transcription for piano & string quintet – Kevin Kenner, Krzysztof Dombeck)
Cast & Creatives
Emmanuel Despax
Richard Bonynge Ensemble
- Key Info:
- Dates & Times
- Tickets
Thursday 30 October at 7pm
Book nowMeet The Cast
Emmanuel Despax has gained international recognition as an artist whose interpretations bring a rare sincerity and imagination to the music.
A remarkable performer of romantic and post-romantic music, he has been invited to give recital performances in the UK (Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Chipping Campden and Petworth Festivals, and the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, where he was appointed artistic director in 2020 of a complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle); in France (Louvre Auditorium, Salle Cort ot, Salle Gaveau, International Festival Les Nuits Pianistiques in Aix-en-Provence, L’été Musical au Poujoula, and Les Nuits du Château de la Moutte in Saint-Tropez); Benelux (Amsterdam, The Hague and the Palais des Beaux -Arts in Brussels); Cyprus (Pharos Arts Foundation); Italy (Fazioli auditorium); and in South America.
Past engagements include two tours of New Zealand, hailed by critics for his recitals in the prestigious Fazioli International Piano Series in Auckland and concerto performances with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. In the UK, Emmanuel Despax has played with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras, among others. He is also regularly broadcast on Medici TV, France Musique, BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. His work as a talented broadcaster has included presenting a probing and approachable edition of BBC Radio 3’s Inside Music, and he is already amassing an impressive, critically acclaimed discography.
Established in 2021, Richard Bonynge Ensemble aims to enrich the community through music. The ensemble performs a wide variety of repertoire, from well-known pieces to long-forgotten works deserving revival and new works by local emerging composers.
By blending the expertise of seasoned musicians and mentors with the fresh talent of young instrumentalists, the ensemble aims to cultivate a distinctive style and unique culture while nurturing the next generation of classical musicians.
Comprising some of Penrith’s finest young talents, Richard Bonynge Ensemble allows serious and skilled early-career musicians to work with industry professionals through workshops and mentoring sessions and collaborate with professional chamber ensembles to develop their performance and musicianship skills.
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