Hélène Grimaud

H+¬l+¿ne Grimaud is a pianist who defies feminine stereotypes. Her favored repertory has been Brahms, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Schumann, and Liszt, not the less muscular music of Mozart (which she didn't perform until she was 21 or record until 2010), Poulenc, or Chopin. Grimaud's lush sound and sweeping interpretations drew comparisons to such pianists as Martha Argerich and Jorge Bolet. An "agitated and agitating" child by her own admission, Grimaud started studying the piano at nine at the Aix Conservatoire, simply as a channel for her surplus energy. After only three years...