The Art of Friendship: Brahms & the Schumanns

Featuring: Élisabeth Pion Music from the Romantic era’s most famous chosen family. Immerse yourself in the beautifully complex world of three extraordinary musical minds whose lives were deeply and intimately interconnected. This program features Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9 , Robert Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony, and Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto – her only multi-movement orchestral work – performed by 2025 Honens Gold Laureate Élisabeth Pion. Élisabeth Pion’s appearance is made possible in part through the support of Honens International Piano Competition Piano stored and maintained courtesy of Doctor Piano. About the Artists: Élisabeth Pion, piano A curious explorer of the piano repertoire with a rare combination of sensitivity and strength, French-Canadian pianist Élisabeth Pion is the Gold Laureate and Audience Choice Award winner of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition, where she fulfilled Honens’ vision of the Complete Artist through performances marked by passion, insight, and intellectual acuity. Named a 2024-25 Radio-Canada Breakthrough Artist, Élisabeth appears internationally as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, earning acclaim for her technical precision and deeply considered interpretations. Élisabeth has performed at major venues including Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and Sala Cecília Meireles. She collaborates regularly with leading ensembles such as the Orchestre Métropolitain, Edmonton Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roy, and has worked with conductors including Gerard Schwarz, Elias Grandy, Nathalie Marin, Kensho Watanabe, and Nicolas Ellis. Her concerto repertoire spans cornerstone masterworks and lesser-known gems, bringing them to new audiences. She has released two ATMA Classique albums— Femmes de Légende and Amadeus et l’Impératrice with Arion Orchestre Baroque and Mathieu Lussier—both Prix Opus finalists. Upcoming recordings include Beethoven’s complete piano concertos with Arion and Lussier, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major with the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières and Alain Trudel, and a solo album for Steinway & Sons. A laureate of numerous international competitions, Élisabeth was a 2025 finalist at the Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU competitions and prizewinner at the Blanca Uribe, Vigo, and Rio Piano Festival competitions, among others. Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Élisabeth studied in Montréal and London, where she now lives. She is a Guildhall School alumna and recipient of its Wigmore Recital Prize, and has also worked with distinguished mentors across Europe. Beyond music, she supports the International Liberty Association, advocating for human rights in Iran and the Middle East. Immerse yourself in the beautifully complex world of three extraordinary musical minds whose lives were deeply and intimately interconnected. This program features Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 9 , Robert Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony, and Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto – her only multi-movement orchestral work – performed by 2025 Honens Gold Laureate Élisabeth Pion. Élisabeth Pion’s appearance is made possible in part through the support of Honens International Piano Competition Piano stored and maintained courtesy of Doctor Piano. A curious explorer of the piano repertoire with a rare combination of sensitivity and strength, French-Canadian pianist Élisabeth Pion is the Gold Laureate and Audience Choice Award winner of the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition, where she fulfilled Honens’ vision of the Complete Artist through performances marked by passion, insight, and intellectual acuity.