L’Art de Toucher 

‘delights of French keyboard music from Couperin to the present day’     

L’Art de Toucher is a programme for harpsichord and piano in celebration of the French keyboard tradition. It features Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin, alongside Baroque keyboard works performed by Grammy nominee, harpsichordist Sophie Yates. 

Introduction and evolution:  The programme highlights the historic context of Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin whilst providing an opportunity for piano audiences to have an accessible and flamboyant introduction to the harpsichord. Research in Paris led to Regis Campo; a French composer fluent in keyboard composition and receptive to the extreme idea of a commission for piano and harpsichord. The resulting work, Deux Dances, explores French keyboard idioms and historic differences in timbre and temperament between the two instruments and forms a playful finale to this recital.

L’art de Toucher has featured on BBC R3’s ‘In Tune’ and then premiered at Lichfield Festival; subsequently we have toured the UK and France. Funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and sponsored by Bonne Maman.

‘Musical highlight of the week’  – The Times.