Cover Hélène Grimaud (pictured left in the foreground) with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at Victoria Concert Hall
Hélène Grimaud (pictured left in the foreground) with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at Victoria Concert Hall
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Hélène Grimaud masterfully bridges the worlds of music and wildlife conservation, using her evocative performances and non-profit organisation to inspire a deeper connection between humanity and the natural world
At 55, French classical pianist Hélène Grimaud’s creative verve shows no signs of slowing down. She returned to Singapore in October last year for a concert with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Austrian maestro Hans Graf, performing Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. The occasion marked a full‑circle moment for Grimaud: her last visit and performance with the SSO in 2015 also featured the same concerto, under the baton of American conductor John Nelson. “When the idea to reconnect with the SSO came up and I learnt that the request was for Ravel, I was very happy. I remembered performing it here and enjoying it a lot,” she says.
Often hailed as a Renaissance woman for her multifaceted identity, Grimaud is not only a celebrated musician, but also a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation. Speaking to the media during a roundtable session, the piano virtuoso opens up about her artistry, her achievements, and how her collaboration with Rolex aligns with her values of precision and conservation. Grimaud, who considers herself a late bloomer when it comes to her musical journey (she discovered the piano when she was seven), shares that her passion for music was an “instant” revelation. “I knew I loved it, and [that a pianist] is what I wanted to [be],” recalls the self‑described loner.
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Above Grimaud has been a Rolex Testimonee since 2009
Grimaud has been a Rolex Testimonee since 2009
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Her ascent was similarly rapid—and remarkable—fuelled by what she describes as “fire”, or an innate curiosity and motivation. She was accepted into the prestigious Paris Conservatoire at just 13 and won first prize in a piano performance a mere three years later. Mentored by renowned pianists György Sándor and Leon Fleisher, she made her debut recital in Tokyo in 1987 to critical acclaim. That same year, celebrated conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris, a moment that launched her international career.
Today, Grimaud is regarded as one of the world’s most acclaimed pianists. She has graced the stage with leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and Berliner Philharmoniker, and has collaborated with iconic conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Esa‑Pekka Salonen and Yannick Nézet‑Séguin. Her extensive discography, largely under the Deutsche Grammophon label, has earned numerous accolades, including the Cannes Classical Recording of the Year and Diapason d’Or. Known for her innovative interpretations, she often pairs lesser‑known works with canonical pieces, offering audiences evocative and fresh perspectives on the piano repertoire. Grimaud’s artistry is defined by a balance of discipline—what she calls “fidelity to the material at hand”—combined with interpretive spontaneity.
A synesthete, she experiences colours in association with musical keys, a phenomenon that adds a sensory dimension to her interpretations. “I was a child practising a Bach prelude in F sharp Major. Suddenly, I had this double‑take moment where I [noticed an] orange stain moving in front of me,” she says. “For me, colours are closely associated with the tonality in which the piece is written. If it’s F sharp, it’s always this vivid sort of red‑orange. As the piece modulates, the colours change, but the dominant colours are those of the tonality.” Such experiences occur, she notes, when her mind is quieted and everything aligns in performance.
While her life is steeped in music, Grimaud’s passion for the natural world is equally profound. In 1999, she founded the Wolf Conservation Center, a non‑profit organisation in South Salem, New York, that is dedicated to educating the public about wolves and the recovery of endangered wolves, including the Mexican grey wolf and the red wolf, two of the rarest mammals in North America. “[Wildlife conservation] reconnected me to the world of the non‑spoken, which is a counterpoint to music. As a musician, it’s wonderful to evolve within an [expression] … that goes to the deepest part of your heart and soul. When you work for a cause that involves nature conservancy, it keeps you connected to something larger than our immediate world,” she reflects.
Grimaud believes that like the environment, the arts, too, requires preservation. Her dual commitment to artistry and advocacy resonates deeply with Rolex, which shares with her values of precision, passion and preservation. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative supports ocean conservation, wilderness protection and the preservation of the living world. Its Perpetual Arts Initiative, meanwhile, supports artistic excellence across generations as well as disciplines (think music, cinema and architecture to name a few), and is helping to pass knowledge to future generations via its mentoring programme for rising young talents, making a lasting contribution to culture worldwide.
“Rolex doesn’t just make watches. It nurtures what makes us human. Its initiatives are not just words on paper—they’re real and meaningful,” says Grimaud, a Rolex Testimonee since 2009, adding that when one is lucky enough to be in a partnership with the brand for close to two decades, like she has been, the relationship becomes extra meaningful. The chance to collaborate is “such an amazing opportunity that Rolex gives to so many artists and, beyond the arts, to visionary people who think about the big picture and the transmission of knowledge”.
Grimaud also sees Rolex’s initiatives as essential to the preservation of the arts and culture. “What Rolex is accomplishing through these initiatives is keeping the fire alive and also encouraging creation by giving people the tools to believe in themselves,” she posits. “That is the ultimate element of preservation … One of the worst things that could happen is if music, architecture, or anything that innovates us, become an endangered species.” As it turns out, Grimaud’s connection to the brand is personal as well. Her first Rolex watch, she shares, holds special sentimental value. “I was living in Switzerland at the time, and was given an opportunity to be an artist‑in‑residence at the Lucerne Festival, presenting five programmes. It was a magical moment because it felt like the watch was charged with this magnetism. For that reason, I have a soft spot for it,” she says.
In addition to her musical and conservation work, Grimaud has authored four books, blending autobiography and philosophical reflection to offer readers a glimpse into her inner world, exploring themes of music, nature and self‑discovery. For her, though, music remains her most profound connection to her audience—and to herself.
“Good music,” she says, “is music that has an impact on a very personal level on whoever listens to it.” Whether through her transformative performances or conservation efforts, Grimaud bridges the worlds of the arts and nature, inspiring a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of life.
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Photography: Rolex
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Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
