1988

First performs for the pianist Dmitri Bashkirov, who becomes an important influence on her playing. Appearance at the Lockenhaus Festival at the invitation of Gidon Kremer, with whom she performs – Kremer and Martha Argerich become further important influences in her career

1990

Debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, followed by appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore and Seattle Symphony Orchestras, and soon with other leading orchestras in North America and Europe. Settles in the USA; makes her New York recital debut at the Metropolitan Museum. In Europe she makes her debut with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic under Temirkanov performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no. 2 at the Aix-en-Provence Festival

1993

Tours Germany with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under Neeme Järvi

1995

Debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Claudio Abbado performing Rachmaninov’s Concerto no. 2

1996

Highly successful tour of Spain with Jeffrey Tate and the English Chamber Orches¬tra. She performs with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra led by Claudio Abbado at the Lucerne and Pesaro Festivals

1997

Performs and records Brahms’s Concerto no. 1 with Kurt Sanderling and the Berlin Staatskapelle (Cannes Classical Recording of the Year, 1999)

1999

New York Philharmonic debut with Beethoven’s Concerto no. 4 under Kurt Masur. Grimaud and the photographer J Henry Fair establish the Wolf Conservation Center, a private, non-profit-making educational facility in South Salem (Westchester County, NY), to promote conservation of this threatened species

2000

Debuts with the Boston Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Tour of the Czech Republic; in autumn she is the soloist (along with Martha Argerich) in a European festival tour made by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. Performs Beethoven’s Concerto no. 4 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and David Zinman, and gives a solo recital in the Berlin Philharmonie which is filmed for TV broadcast

2001/02

Makes her debut in Amsterdam with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly playing Ravel’s Concerto in G major. Performs Beethoven’s Concerto no. 4 in Paris, and at the London Proms with the Orchestre de Paris and Christoph Eschenbach (the latter concert is filmed and broadcast internationally). In January 2002 she is appointed an “Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture

2002/03

Hélène Grimaud signs an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Tours Europe and Japan with the Czech Philharmonic and Ashkenazy. Gives world prem¬iere of new work by Arvo Pärt at London’s Tate Modern and performs Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Christoph von Dohnányi and the Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Festival appearances at the London Proms and Edinburgh

2003/04

Records Arvo Pärt’s Credo in the composer’s presence for Deutsche Grammophon; the recording also features Corigliano’s Fantasia on an ostinato and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Tempest Sonata (Choc du Monde de la musique, Diapason d’or, 2004). European tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. In November 2003 in Paris her book Variations sauvages is published, in which Hélène Grimaud talks about her life as a musician and her environmental work with wolves

2004

Performs Beethoven’s Concerto no. 4 in San Francisco under Ashkenazy; US tour with the Russian National Orchestra, playing Bartók’s Concerto no. 3; Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto on a European tour with Michael Gielen. Other concert engagements include the Brahms Concerto no. 1 in Stockholm and at the London Proms, Ravel’s G major Concerto in Japan and Rachmaninov’s Second Concerto in Germany and France. Recitals in Vienna, Ludwigsburg and Amsterdam, and in duo with Truls Mørk in Paris. Records the Second Sonatas of Chopin and Rachmaninov, plus Chopin’s Barcarolle and Berceuse, and Bartók’s Concerto no. 3 with Boulez and the LSO (German Record Critics Award, Record Academy Prize, Tokyo, 2005; Midem Classic Award, 2006), both released in 2005

2005

Orchestral engagements throughout the USA and Europe, including the London Proms, and an extensive European tour with the SWR Sinfonieorchester and Sir Roger Norrington. Recitals in Atlanta, London, Paris, Berlin and Munich, and a tour of Japan. This year she records Reflection: music inspired by Clara Schumann, including her husband Robert’s Piano Concerto, songs by Clara herself, and solo and chamber music by Brahms (released in 2006). Echo Award in the category “Instrumentalist of the Year”

2006

Appearances throughout the USA, Europe and in Japan, including concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, San Francicso Symphony Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Vienna Symphony and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (London Proms), as well as recitals at New York’s Carnegie Hall, with the LSO Chamber Ensemble and at festivals including the Lucerne Festival and the Musikfest Bremen

2007

Concerts include appearances in the USA, Canada and Europe with the Dallas, Chicago and Toronto Symphony orchestras, the New York Philharmonic, Russian National Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Berlin Staatskapelle. Together with the Dresden Staatskapelle (under Fabio Luisi) she performs Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto on tour throughout Europe, and also gives this work with the Strasburg Philharmonic Orchestra in France and Germany, and the Philadelphia Orchestra in the USA. Recitals in Los Angeles (Walt Disney Concert Hall), Luxemburg, Vienna (with the Hagen Quartett) and Germany (including a concert with Thomas Quasthoff in Baden-Baden). Appearances at the Caramoor Summer Festival with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Verbier Festival (with Maisky and Quasthoff), and the Salzburg Festival. Her recording of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 5 with the Dresden Staatskapelle conducted by Vladimir Jurowski is scheduled for release on CD in the autumn