NOTTURNO

Photo: Lyodoh Kaneko

Eva Zavaro is one of the most brilliant young violinists of her generation. She has already received renown awards and has stood on stages with famous musicians. She is an artist we should keep an eye on, with a very promising start to her career.

classica.fr

“Pianist Clément Lefebvre presents a new album dedicated to Ravel. A very elegant recording which was published last month under the Label Evidence. Once again the young pianist brings his unique artistic handwriting
to the table!“.

radiofrance.fr

A whole generation lays between Gabriel Fauré and Karol Szymanowski, and yet they were also contemporaries. The composers’ works, despite being of very personal nature, were in tune with their times and can be located at the turn from the 19^th to 20^th century when the last remnants of Romanticism began dissolving. Their compositions have their own authentic style, but don’t yet show the types of modernism that were en vogue at the time. There is no clear evidence that Fauré and Szymanowski ever met each other, but on this CD by young violinist Eva Zavaro and pianist Clément Lefebvre, they do – at least musically.

When Eva Zavaro played Gabriel Fauré’s second sonata for the first time, she was rather perplexed. “There were so many elements of this style which eluded me.“ From that moment on, the music stayed with her – and soon the idea to combine Fauré with Szymanowski was born. “Out of a poetic epiphany, I recognized that these two composers have a shared sensibility, a connection based on the theme of night.“ Through the bringing together of the two composers, Zavaro also connects the best out of her two home countries, as she is at home both in Poland and in France.

Even though the two composers likely never met in person, they share many commonalities. ”They both had many similarities, their individuality notwithstanding. Their studies afforded them a solid background in old music styles and in the contrapuntal: Fauré studied at the École Niedermeyer, Szymanowski with Zygmunt Noskovski at the Warsaw Conservatory. Both then left these styles behind to develop their own personal style, in which they followed parallel, authentic paths rooted deeply in fantasy and poetry while

also remaining true to classical form and tonality. You can find the same themes of inspiration with both artists. Beyond this, their early published compositions were mainly written for vocals, and they continued writing lieder (songs) throughout their lifetimes. This lyrical handwriting is mirrored in their musical expression.“

When approaching pianist Clément Lefebvre with her idea, it turned out Zavaro was preaching to the choir. “We discovered musical affinities in our search for color, in our way of speaking through sound. I felt drawn to Fauré’s second sonata, which is much less popular than the first. When it comes to Szymanowski, who is still not performed often enough in France, the desire to dive into his music first appeared when I was listening to some of my pianist friends. When Eva told me about her project, aiming to bring both men together in a night-themed program, I found this sensual approach very convincing.“ One can describe the result of this musical cooperation as sensual, as well. Eva Zavaro and Clément Lefebvre devote themselves to the music of Fauré and Szymanowski with a contagious passion and great refinement.

“To tell a story and to move the audience,“ that is how Eva Zavaro’s musical mission can be summarized. Born into a French-Polish family in 1995 in Paris, she is among the most brilliant violinists of her generation. She is a passionate musician who “plays from the heart“ (Ivry Gitlis), has performed in many countries as soloist and chamber musician, and has shared the stage with renown artists. After her studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, she completed her education with Julia Fischer at the Hochschule für Musik (Academy of Music) in Munich, Germany. Eva Zavaro was nominated in the

category ‘Revelation’ at the Victoires de la Musique Classique 2021. In 2018, she won first prize and the Vadim-Repin-Prize for best Mozart interpretation at the international Johannes Brahms competition in Pörtschach, Austria. Additional awards include the Georges Enesco Prize (SACEM) and the Revelation prize by Fondation Engie (2023). She is also an enthusiastic interpreter of chamber music. Since 2023, she has been a member of Trio Hélios. Eva Zavaro plays an Italian violin named Le Bel Inconnu, which was created by Nicolò Amati and Antonio Stradivari and which has been generously placed at her disposal.

Pianist Clément Lefebvre has made a name for himself as an authentic personality and through his sense for poetry. His honest and stylish musical performances touch both heart and mind, and combine delicacy with conviction, dreaminess and energy in an ever-evolving musical discourse. Lefebvre has noblesse and poetry at his fingertips. The number of French festivals and concert halls where he was a guest has grown from year to year and included the Auditorium du Louvre as well as the Auditorium de Radio France, the La Roque-d’Anthéron, Opéra Lyon, L’Arsenal Metz, and La Côte-Saint-André. His concert activities are further enriched through is pedagogical experiences. Since 2023, he works as assistant professor to Marie-Josèphe Jude at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musqiue et de Danse de Paris.

evazavaro.com