Louise Cournarie
CONCERT PIANIST
About
Dr. Louise Cournarie is an internationally acclaimed French pianist and scholar, celebrated for her insightful interpretations of Baroque and Classical repertoire. She earned her PhD in performance research from the Royal Academy of Music, where she acted as a Baroque piano coach.
As a soloist, Dr. Cournarie performs extensively across Europe and Asia, including regular tours in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, often presenting up to 50 concerts per tour. Her performances have graced esteemed venues such as Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Steinway Hall, and Maison de Radio France.
Beyond the concert stage, she is a sought-after educator and adjudicator, frequently serving on international competition juries and delivering masterclasses and lectures at universities worldwide. Dr. Cournarie's multifaceted career reflects her concious commitment to both performance excellence and academic inquiry.
"Louise Cournarie skillfully brought together the shifting light and shadow of Monet’s paintings, the rhythmic lines of Eastern art, and Debussy’s classical works such as “Clair de Lune”and “Reverie” to create a dialogue across time and space, vividly interpreting the artistic essence of “the fusion of sound and painting.” Students in attendance remarked: “This was not just a music class, but an awakening to aesthetics.”
Hangzhou Daily Press
"French pianist and harpsichordist Louise Cournarie captivated the entire audience with her performance of Schubert’s Impromptus and Moments Musicaux. She conveyed the “transparent texture” characteristic of the French school through her delicate touch — especially in the upper register, where, as one audience member remarked, “it was as if fairies from a Monet painting were dancing on the keys.”
“Louise Cournarie does not shy away from using pedal effects or emphasized chords to prolong notes and sound, which the harpsichord allows much less. She doesn't distort or mistreat the music; rather, it results in a lively, joyful, and airy music that is a feast for the ears and the mind.”
La Terrasse
“Louise Cournarie advocates for the freedom to never forbid oneself from playing Baroque music on the piano and for the inspiring virtues of harpsichord practice for pianists. An audacious experience nourished by deep reflection that calls for a different listening.”
Festival International Piano a la Cour
“Louise Cournarie made a sensation during her carte blanche as a young prodigy. Intimidated by the salvo of applause and encores dedicated to her by the audience, the young pianist will keep a good memory of her performance, as will we of her performance.”