Monégasque pianist Stella Almondo received a standing ovation on Saturday, July 25, at the opening concert of the 39th edition of “Un Violon sur le Sable,” the renowned classical music festival held on Royan’s Grande-Conche beach, performing in front of a crowd of nearly 50,000 people.
Almondo delivered the finale of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, widely regarded as one of the most technically demanding concertos in the piano repertoire, a performance that capped off a milestone appearance for the 20-year-old.
Almondo began playing piano at the age of three and went on to appear on France 2’s talent show “Prodiges” before being admitted, at just 16, to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. Her list of accolades since has continued to grow: she won the “Best Music Talent” category at the prestigious Maria Callas Awards in 2021, took home the Premier Grand Prix at the 20th International Scriabin Competition in Paris in 2022, and was named a Young Steinway Artist in 2023.
This year, Almondo has been continuing her development through an advanced piano programme with Shani Diluka at Monaco’s Académie de Musique Prince Rainier III.
Image: Fotogriff