Renaissance woman Hélène Grimaud is not just a deeply passionate and committed musical artist whose pianistic accomplishments play a central role in her life. Her multiple talents extend far beyond the instrument she plays with such poetic expression and technical control: Grimaud has established herself as a wildlife conservationist, a human rights activist and a writer, her deep dedication to her musical career reflected in and amplified by the scope and depth of her environmental, literary and artistic interests.
Hélène Grimaud was born in 1969 in Aix-en-Provence and began her piano studies at the local conservatory with Jacqueline Courtin before going on to work with Pierre Barbizet in Marseille. She was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire at just 13. Only a few years later, in 1987, she gave her well-received debut recital in Tokyo. That same year, renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris: this marked the launch of Grimaud’s musical career, characterized ever since by concerts with most of the world’s major orchestras and many celebrated conductors.
Between her debut in 1995 with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Claudio Abbado and her first performance with the New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur in 1999 — just two of many notable musical milestones — Grimaud made a wholly different kind of debut: in upper New York State she established the Wolf Conservation Center. Her love for the endangered species was sparked by a chance encounter with a wolf in northern Florida. “Few things are more fulfilling than being involved in field conversation efforts and helping put animals back where they belong,” she says. But Grimaud’s engagement doesn’t end there: she is also a member of the organization Musicians for Human Rights. Beyond that, for a number of years she also found time to pursue a writing career, publishing four books that have appeared in various languages.
It is, however, through her thoughtful and tenderly expressive music-making that Hélène Grimaud most deeply touches the emotions of audiences. In addition to collaborating with the world's leading orchestras, Hélène Grimaud delights her audiences with numerous recitals around the globe and performs chamber music at the highest level.
In the 2025–26 season, Hélène Grimaud brings her exceptional artistry to George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, performing this iconic work with prestigious orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, among others. Alongside these highlights, she embarks on a West Coast tour with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performing Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, while additional orchestral engagements underscore the rich breadth of her repertoire. Throughout the season, she continues to captivate audiences worldwide with solo recitals and chamber music performances.
Since 2002, Hélène Grimaud has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist. Her recordings have been critically acclaimed and awarded numerous accolades, among them the Cannes Classical Recording of the Year, Choc du Monde de la musique, Diapason d’or, Grand Prix du disque, Record Academy Prize (Tokyo), Midem Classic Award and ECHO Klassik.
The pianist’s latest project, For Clara, focuses on her long relationship with the German Romantics, and on the ties that bound both Robert Schumann and his protégé Brahms to pianist-composer Clara Schumann. Grimaud has revisited Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana, pairing it on her new album with Brahms’ Op. 117 Intermezzi and his Op. 32 set of songs, for which she is joined by baritone Konstantin Krimmel.
Her prodigious contribution to the world of classical music was recognized by the French government, who appointed her “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.”