A candlelit piano recital dedicated to the XIXᵉ century and the Impromptus of Schubert and Chopin.
Musician:
> Jean-Baptiste Doulcet, piano
Program:
> Franz Schubert – Impromptus, D. 899
> Frédéric Chopin – Four Impromptus, (op. 29, 36, 51 and 66)
Piano recital by candlelight – Schubert, Chopin, candles and surprises from the conductor!
Les Rencontres Musicales de Champéry offer a piano recital devoted to the XIXᵉ century, lit by candlelight. At this time of night, their soft light creates a warm, intimate atmosphere, evoking the spirit of salons and romantic concerts.
The program brings together Franz Schubert’s Impromptus D 899 and Frédéric Chopin’s four Impromptus, two major figures of 19thᵉ century piano. These works, free in form and deeply expressive, invite sensitive listening, as close as possible to poetry and emotion.
To these emblematic pages are added a few surprises, chosen by the performer, in the tradition of concerts of the time, when the unexpected was an integral part of the evening. A candlelit recital, characterized by closeness, simplicity and the pleasure of listening.
Jean-Baptiste Doulcet
A diamond with a thousand facets (Olivier Bellamy, Classica)
A musical thought in action, which goes to the very essence of the works (…).
Resolutely unconventional (Christian Merlin, Le Figaro)
In 2019, Jean-Baptiste Doulcet won the 4th Prize and Audience Prize of the Marguerite Long Competition, presided over by Martha Argerich, and the Modern Times Prize of the Clara Haskil Competition, with Christian Zacharias as President of the Jury. Jean-Baptiste Doulcet also won 2nd Prize at the 8th Nordic Piano Competition and was awarded a prize by the Charles Oulmont Foundation. He performs in France, notably in Paris (Philharmonie de Paris, Salle Pleyel, Salle Gaveau, Salle Cortot, Saison Musicale des Invalides…)….), and takes part in all the major piano festivals: La Roque d’Anthéron, La Folle Journée, les Lisztomanias, Piano en Valois, Piano Jacobins, Festival de Menton, Pianoscope, Pianopolis, Festival de Nohant… Jean-Baptiste has appeared on international stages, notably in Denmark (Aarhus Kammermusik, Copenhagen Summer Festival, Oremandsgaard), Sweden, Finland, the United States with orchestra, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Morocco and China. He also made his debut at the Philharmonie de Paris, the Granada Festival and the BBC Proms with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Klaus Mäkelä in the solo piano version of Stravinsky’s Petrouchka.
He makes his first live Beethoven/Schumann recording (Les Spiriades), punctuated by improvisations which are an important part of his activity. In 2022, he released a critically acclaimed CD with Mirare entitled “Un monde fantastique”, featuring works by Liszt and Schumann. In 2024, his third album appears: “Søleils Blancs”, an anthology of Nordic piano music (Mirare), featuring Grieg, Sibelius and Carl Nielsen. Spring 2026 sees the release of “A Film By”, a new album devoted entirely to improvisation and cinema, featuring actor Mathieu Amalric and director Bertrand Mandico. A complete musician, Jean-Baptiste Doulcet’s career is equally at home in the chamber music repertoire, with partners such as the Oistrakh String Quartet, Augustin Dumay, Alexandre Kantorow, Marc Coppey, the Quatuor Hermès, the Quatuor Arod, Lucas Debargue, Fedor Rudin, the Quatuor Hanson, Aurélien Pascal and Raphaël Sévère. As a composer, he has written no fewer than twenty works for solo instruments, chamber music or ensemble music, premiered by soloists Raphaël Pidoux and Alina Ibragimova, among others. His Passion Trilogy for ensemble of twelve cellos, based on poems by Goethe, is published by Alfonce Productions.
Trained at the CNSMD in Paris with Claire Désert in piano and chamber music, and Thierry Escaich and Jean-François Zygel in improvisation, he has also followed the advice of Emile Naoumoff, Tuija Hakkila, Dmitri Bashkirov, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Epifanio Comis, Alexey Lebedev and Michel Béroff, as well as an advanced class in Sweden with Julia Mustonen-Dahlkvist. With his wife Emilie Callesen, he co-founded the French Connection Academy, an international academy based in Denmark for young musicians from all over the world, creating a cultural bridge between France and the Nordic countries. In 2025, he was appointed Professor of Piano at the prestigious Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot.
Practical information:
> More info on rencontres-musicales.ch
Opening hours
8:30 pm: Doors open for the concert
9:00 pm: Concert begins.
Accessibility
Prestations
Cheeses
Prices
Student: CHF 30.00
Children (under 15): CHF 30.00
Festival pass 2026 :
> Season ticket Category A = CHF 264.00
> Subscription Category B = CHF 216.00
> Festival subscription includes 6 concerts (church, temple and symphony concert at the Palladium). The children's show (12.08) and the "Tree of Light" ice show (06-07.08) are not included.
Information
> Online ticketing closes at 7pm the same day.
> Tickets sold on site subject to availability.
> Only Twint and cash payments accepted.
> Free seating.
Payment methods
- Bank/credit card
- Online payment
- Twint