Salonen Conducts Debussy & Boulez
About This Event
Conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen leads a program juxtaposing Claude Debussy and Pierre Boulez at David Geffen Hall. He is joined by pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, noted for his interpretations of both classical and contemporary repertory. The program pairs Debussy’s emphasis on timbre and harmonic ambiguity with Boulez’s postwar structural precision, reflecting Salonen’s engagement with impressionistic color and modernist clarity.
About the Artists
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish conductor and composer known for his innovative interpretations of classical music and his contributions to contemporary music.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Pierre-Laurent Aimard is a French pianist known for his interpretations of classical and contemporary music, as well as his performances with major orchestras and in prestigious venues.
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez was a French composer, conductor, and author whose work helped define postwar modernism, alongside his role in building institutions that supported new music. As a conductor, he was known for rigorous rehearsal and a structural ear that foregrounded detail over gesture.
Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy was a French composer whose music helped redraw the boundaries of late‑19th- and early‑20th‑century classical writing. He resisted easy labels, even as listeners and critics linked his work to the color and atmosphere of Impressionist painting.