Pierre-Laurent Aimard's prodigious talent for piano emerged early. His encounter with French composer Olivier Messiaen was a defining moment. Studying under Messiaen's wife, Yvonne Loriod, Aimard developed a deep understanding of Messiaen's innovative and complex piano compositions, a repertoire for which he is still renowned today. As a pianist distinguished by his profound musical curiosity, Pierre-Laurent Aimard delves into an extensive range of pieces, from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary compositions. He possesses a vast repertoire that includes numerous premieres and often collaborates with living composers, endeavoring to execute their music with impeccable precision.

In 2022, Aimard was honoured with the prestigious Danish music award, the Léonie Sonning Music Prize. On this occasion, he expressed his passion for performing live concerts and engaging with the audience: "The concert is a place where we can hope for a kind of collective revelation – to reawaken and re-experience a mystery that we can learn from." Aimard is also not afraid to bring music into new surroundings, as when he gave a concert in the garden of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art the same year. The program featured Olivier Messiaen's Catalogue d’oiseaux, a composition that musically depicts various birds. The intriguing idea of performing this work outdoors, amidst the rustling of leaves, the gentle lap of waves, and the authentic chirping of birds, was something that naturally warranted exploration. However, within the Tivoli Gardens, Aimard will take the stage indoors at the Tivoli Concert Hall to present us with Ravel's piano compositions, Brahms' profoundly expressive Intermezzi, and Schumann's Gesänge der Frühe.

Photo: Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Credit: Julia Wesley.