A double celebration evening. 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth. No other composer was so strong in evoking wondrous colors, exotic worlds and fairy-tale atmospheres. And a fairy tale come true, in the form of the brand new concert grand piano. Thanks to the heartwarming support of hundreds of donors, the NNO and SPOT Groningen raised money through a crowdfunding campaign. The result is a Steinway D, the international standard in the piano field and an absolute must for any serious concert hall with a classical program. This evening, the concert grand piano will be inaugurated by soloist Lise de la Salle during Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G.

Ravel’s music often transports you to fantasy worlds or faraway places. His palette is very French, with sultry pastel tones. At the same time, he flirts copiously with jazz, Chinese sounds and gypsy music. In his Piano Concerto, this can be clearly heard. The solo part is irresistible and merry-making, but for the orchestra, too, this piece is a party with every instrument coming to the fore. The highlight is Daphnis et Chloë, an almost cinematic ballet about the eponymous love couple from ancient Greece, exciting and sensual.

Paul Dukas’ magic is a perfect match for this program. And perhaps most quintessentially French is Francis Poulenc, the master of the light touch. His Les biches is a playful ball about frisky young ladies and gentlemen in a Parisian salon.