Mainstream media
The French pianist shines in the fleeting moments entrusted by Scriabin, delivering with clarity impressions bathed in lyricism and luminosity
Melissa Khong, Magazine Pianiste, janvier 2025
Impressive, pianist Fanny Azzuro is not afraid of challenges.
An artist to discover.
France 2 – Le Passage des arts par Claire Chazal – 16 janvier 2022
A graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, this pianist is the first Frenchwoman to record the complete set of Rachmaninoff's Preludes. A challenge suggested by René Martin, the founder of La Folle Journée in Nantes, which this passionate interpreter, trained in the Russian school, has masterfully taken on.
Jérôme Carron – Point de vue, l’élue de la semaine – 12 janvier 2022
Fanny Azzuro dares silences, 'delays,' and bursts of intensity to move, to charm, and perhaps to question? And to let the music breathe with a broad or lighter breath...
Emmanuelle Giuliani, La Croix, décembre 2024
Under Fanny Azzuro's fingers, the poignant lyricism of Rachmaninoff blossoms into a beautiful balance between passion and integrity, the intoxicating power of the piano and the clarity of the lines. The artist creates a fervent atmosphere where a sense of melancholy lingers, especially moving in the preludes with a restrained tempo or those that engage the instrument's lower register. This delicacy outlines a profound yet weightless interpretation, speaking to the listener as to a friend, a confidant (...).
Emmanuelle Giuliani – La Croix L’hebdo – 10 janvier 2022
Her debut album, Russian Impulse (Paraty), is dedicated to the music of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Kapustin, which perfectly suits her fiery temperament
TGV Magazine – Séverine Garnier – Septembre 2014
Fanny Azzuro is carving her path in France, but also in Europe, the United States, and Brazil. Passionate about Russian music and influenced by Boris Petrushansky, whom she studied with, she records the 24 Preludes of the poet of the post-Romantic Russian soul, Rachmaninoff. A work that follows in the footsteps of Chopin's 24 Preludes, his illustrious predecessor. Fanny Azzuro brings this lineage to life with brilliance and a remarkable feminine sensitivity, all while being passionately in love with... tango!
Laurent Erre – Homme Deluxe – Décembre 2021
The famous Prelude in C-sharp minor (Op. 2), which opens this magnificent journey into the world of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), reveals the key elements of Fanny Azzuro's interpretation. A playing that is both assertive and composed, deep and illuminating, a descent within oneself that uncovers a space of unlimited sharing. And above all, a clarity that does not contradict the torrent-like character inherent in the composer's expression. Under the young pianist's fingers, everything is perfectly articulated: the colored note within an aggregate, the chord unfolded to serve a melody, the voice transcended by a virtuosic outpouring. Whether captivating with fluidity (No. 1), relief (No. 2), or mobility (No. 7), the Preludes of Op. 23 achieve a perfect balance between instinctive drive and thoughtful path. With a similar magnetism, those from Op. 32 (the haunting No. 2, the dizzying No. 8, the translucent No. 12) elevate this recording to reference status.
Pierre Gervasoni – Le Monde, Sélection album de la semaine – 23 Octobre 2021
The brilliant Fanny Azzuro performs for the first time at the Roque d'Anthéron under the Provençal sky that saw her born. She shares with us her childhood dream.
In concert on August 3rd. International Piano Festival, La Roque d'Anthéron.
Sélection – Elle Culture Été – 31 juillet 2020
Radios
A pianist with many facets.
France Musique – Clément Rochefort – Octobre 2018
La pianiste Fanny Azzuro, dont la carrière de soliste est en pleine ascension
RCF Radio – Octobre 2018
Magnificent album in which the young pianist demonstrated a most touching sense of color, sensuality and expressiveness through pages of Debussy, Albéniz and Ravel; Ravel, whose scintillating Alborada del Gracioso we are listening to this evening.
Radio Classique – Laure Mézan – Novembre 2018
Specialized Press
On the other side, a range of recitals and concerts centered around classical masterpieces, particularly those of Chopin, the most universal of composers, is the main theme of this edition. This is the case for Fanny Azzuro's recital, already noted for her complete set of Rachmaninov's Preludes. She draws from the same genre to juxtapose Scriabin's Op. 11 Preludes with Chopin's immense twenty-four, from which the young Russian drew inspiration. A fascinating dialogue that highlights the resonances between these two works, each possessing an extraordinary lyricism, which the pianist delivers with a rich and expressive touch.
Melissa Khong, Pianiste.fr, Juin 2023
Fanny Azzuro's comfortable means allow her to meet the challenge of the demanding 'landscapes of the soul' that Rachmaninov's Preludes represent. The Opus 23 No. 7, lifted in a single breath, the Opus 32 No. 2 with its admirably felt singularity...
Diapason (4)- Bertrand Boissard – Mai 2022
Amid a discography dominated by the Russian school (Ashkenazy, Weissenberg, Lugansky), not to mention Moura Lympany, Boris Giltburg, and Steven Osborne, Fanny Azzuro has found her place. She is not only the first French pianist to record the complete set of 24 Preludes, but she offers a unique vision where delicacy and luminosity compete with flamboyance and virtuosity. This is evident in the most delicate Preludes, such as Op. 32 No. 11, of distinguished grace, a true dance animated by the pianist's fairy-like fingers. The subtlety of her playing and her great restraint, reminiscent of Moura Lympany (Decca, 1941-1943, then 1951), but distinguishing her from the relentless Lugansky (Harmonia Mundi, 2018, Classica No. 201), reveal the richness and nostalgia of these pages in filigree: the funeral evocation in the final prelude of Op. 32 or the macabre spirit of the famous Op. 23 No. 5. Other Preludes lean toward light, even if the darkness appears more seductive, like the first of Op. 23, a Largo taken at an agogic tempo by the pianist who strips the work of its unsettling nature revealed by Ashkenazy (Decca, 1974-1975). While the unprecedented fantasy of Lilya Zilberstein in Op. 32 (Deutsche Grammophon, 1988) and the magnetic discourse of Lugansky in his complete set set the bar high, Fanny Azzuro leaves her own imprint on these Preludes, landscapes of a tender and luminous soul.
Classica 5 * – Melissa Khong – mars 2022
A Beethoven solidly structured (Sonata Op. 109), a Ravel remarkable for precision, delicacy, and poetry (Miroirs), a selection of Rachmaninov's Preludes that are alternately powerful and mesmerizing (her upcoming CD, expected in October, which we'll certainly talk about more!). A beautiful energy from start to finish, a beautiful communion with an enthralled audience, which also benefited from Fanny's clear and insightful introductions to the works at the microphone!
Musique Classique Mag – Stéphane Martin – août 2021
Eulogy to diversity. From Bach to tango, with a strong leaning towards Russian music, Fanny Azzuro has been able to assert her radiant and curious personality among the new generation of pianists.
Magazine Pianiste – Alain Cochard – Mars-Avril 2020
Fanny Azzuro masters her craft, avoiding the pitfalls of a disjointed reading—rhythmically, she is particularly assured—and expressing herself with a lyrical and expansive touch when necessary (…) The logic of construction matters most to her. Yet, this version remains deeply musical. One might draw parallels to Lazar Berman or Nikolai Lugansky (…). A very fine debut album.
***Classica – Stéphane Friédérich – Décembre 2014/Janvier 2015
For her first solo recording, pianist Fanny Azzuro explores original repertoires. With this CD dedicated to Russian music, she tackles the formidable Variations on a Theme of Corelli by Rachmaninoff and the dazzling War Sonata No. 6 by Prokofiev, with energy, poetry, virtuosity, and a commitment at every moment. She also showcases her ability for fantasy in the Variations Op. 41 by Kapustin, recorded live, where she captures the swagger of great jazz pianists. An engaging musical personality.
Cadences – Michel le Naour – Octobre 2014
For her first solo album, the French pianist has chosen the Russian world, offering a subtle mirror game between the virtuosity of Rachmaninoff (Variations on a Theme of Corelli), the exhilarating and hallucinatory motorism of Prokofiev (Sonata No. 6), and Kapustin’s jazzy inspiration (Variations Op. 41), which draws from the initial bassoon melody of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Both homage and pretext, this theme, taken by Kapustin in a work that itself symbolizes the modernity of the early 20th century, takes on a new dimension in the style of great jazz pianists. Perfectly at ease in these three styles, Fanny Azzuro offers us a revitalizing album infused with a salutary solar energy.
Qobuz – François Hudry – Septembre 2014
Fanny Azzuro absolutely does not lack the resources to unleash this energy; on the contrary, she has it in abundance, just as she skillfully leads this well-constructed program.
Piano Bleu – Agnès Jourdain – Septembre 2014
Site web
Variant la longueur des pauses entre chaque prélude, Fanny Azzuro relève haut la main ces défis d’interprétation. (…) La pianiste exploite les innombrables possibilités d’un formidable Yamaha CFX pour multiplier les couleurs et les ambiances sonores en restant fidèle à la philosophie de chaque recueil (…) Ce qui frappe en regardant la pianiste jouer, c’est l’attention minutieuse qu’elle accorde à chaque note : concentrée sur ses doigts et sur le dosage de l’intensité qu’elle y condense, la musicienne expose clairement la structure des pièces.« Fanny Azzuro nous livre un Prélude op. 3 n° 2 puissant et ressenti » (…)
Pierre Michel, Bachtrack, novembre 2024
« La pianiste nous livrera les deux premiers préludes, superbement exécutés, expressifs, mais sans excès de pathos » (…)
« son interprétation des préludes est franche et son expressivité poignante. » (…)
« A travers les préludes de Rachmaninov, la pianiste française nous embarque dans un voyage à travers les saisons, les paysages et les émotions russes avec sincérité, passion et une remarquable maîtrise technique. Applaudie vivement par un public conquis, Fanny Azzuro nous offrira deux beaux bis ”
Hannah Starman, cult.news, Août 2023
L’on admirera tour à tour la clarté du jeu, la lisibilité des voix, la fluidité des traits, la belle sonorité du Bechstein, la puissance des basses aussi bien que la transparence impalpable des aigus, les étincelles qui fusent mais aussi la pudeur de l’expression et la capacité à créer des atmosphères inquiétantes – bref, une parfaite maîtrise du sujet.
Simon Corley, Concertonet, Juillet 2023
(…) Les affinités de la jeune pianiste avec le répertoire russe ne sont plus à démontrer, après plusieurs réussites discographiques majeures dûment fêtées en ces colonnes (notamment une superbe intégrale des préludes de Rachmaninov). Le jeune Scriabine lui convient tout aussi bien : elle égraine ces trop courts extraits avec une poésie intense, une délicatesse touchante mais jamais mièvre et un incontestable sens de la couleur : l’interprète, très probe, ne sacrifie à la moindre œillade salonarde factice, et évite fort à propos l’écueil de l’épigonal.(…)
Benedict Hévry, ResMusica, Juin 2023
Regional Press
Her fingers raced across the keyboard with speed, alternating light and forceful strikes that evoked a vast array of musical emotions.
Le Dauphiné Libéré novembre 2024
Fanny Azzuro is a superb performer, with a sensitive yet energetic playing style.
Fanny Azzuro, at the piano, exudes a rare presence: both restrained and powerful, delicate and intense. She doesn’t need ostentatious gestures or mannerisms. She is a musician who embodies the music, feeling it deeply, without needing to overdo it. Everything is within her.
Sud Ouest – Anne Quillon – Octobre 2022
Then, the famous Rhapsody in Blue was enhanced by the presence of pianist Fanny Azzuro, who made her fingers dance across the keys with such grace and talent. That was all it took to transport music lovers, who were carried away by the jazzy sounds of this concerto
S.F., Le Républicain Lorrain – Thionville, Novembre 2021
Pianist Fanny Azzuro left a lasting impression full of charm in the hearts of the audience. With her talent, freshness, and smile, she won everyone over.
Ouest France – août 2021
The young pianist Fanny Azzuro literally set the audience on fire with her interpretation of Rachmaninov.
Cécile Fourage – Ouest France – août 2021
The discerning music lovers appreciated Fanny Azzuro's fluid and passionate playing, a young, confirmed piano star, as beautiful to watch as she is to listen to. Awarded internationally, she elevated the Polys Bollénoises to new heights with Beethoven (Sonata Op. 109), Ravel (Miroirs), and Rachmaninov (Preludes). After being applauded, she returned with two encores: Chopin (Waltz) and De Abreu (Brazilian tango).
Jean Pavillet– La Provence – juillet 2021
As soon as Fanny Azzuro begins to play, it's a pure delight. Her charisma shines through. With Claude Debussy, she simply loves. She loves life, she loves nature, and she knows how to draw all the emotions contained in these "reflections in the water" and this "homage to Rameau." With Maurice Ravel, she dares. The composer of the famous "Bolero" was an avant-gardist, and Fanny Azzuro wonderfully conveys this independence and nonconformity that drives all cultures forward. Witness these "Sad Birds"... as if birds could be sad! With Rachmaninov, she unleashes herself. She harmonizes with this powerful, dominant, deep, somewhat rebellious composer. Here, it’s electrifying. Olivier Bellamy had predicted a great recital before this evening, and three encores proved him right.
Var Matin – 28 Septembre 2019
François Castang considers himself a simple music lover, yet he managed to transport the audience into an artistic world blending literature and music from that era. Fanny Azzuro, a well-rounded and curious musician, graduated from the Paris Conservatory, punctuated her narratives at the piano with great skill.
L’Union – Colette Chevalier – Septembre 2019
A recital described as sublime. To say that Fanny Azzuro enchanted a knowledgeable audience is an understatement […] and to finish with Rachmaninov, truly showcasing Fanny Azzuro's talent and her deep love for powerful, rhythmic Russian music.
Le Dauphiné Libéré – Octobre 2018
Foreign Press
Exquisite playing from Fanny Azzuro! Thank you so much Fanny for coming in and for playing Rachmaninov so beautifully! What a finish, thank you so much! That was wonderful, Fanny Azzuro playing Chopin Préludes.
BBC Radio 3 In Tune novembre 2024
The Frenchwoman acts here with virtuosity, a fine sense of sound and passion, without succumbing to pathos or becoming brutal in the dramatic and moving movements. Fanny Azzuro’s playing successfully combines French clarity with Russian passion.
Rondo Magazine novembre 2024
She calls the record The Landscapes of the Soul and she explores them with a wide-eyed curiosity and therapeutic calm.
Norman Lebrecht – Slippedisc – 28 Décembre 2021
Azzuro maintains a remarkable musical intensity in Rachmaninov's Corelli Variations and makes Kapustin's Variations swing in a captivating way
****BBC Music Magazine – Julian Haylock
La pianiste Fanny Azzuro, dont la carrière de soliste est en pleine ascension
RCF Radio – Octobre 2018
The 29-year-old French pianist Fanny Azzuro has masterfully awakened this cycle of twenty pieces and, with controlled passion and a potential for creativity and legato, has restored its intense human physiognomy, its inner fire, its agogic strength, and the dark magic so typical of Rachmaninov (...) Conclusion: A powerful start for a gifted pianist.
Crescendo – Attila Csampal – 24 novembre 2014
Ravel's 'Miroirs' are interpreted here with great finesse, in the spirit of the contemplative piece or also in a completely virtuosic manner. Under Fanny Azzuro's fingers, the 'Miroirs' sound wonderfully light, natural, and rich in color. Technically, the pianist is incredibly confident, and the virtuosic dexterity she demonstrates is truly impressive.
She explores the sonic world of Debussy with a strong sense for color and the richness of harmonies. The crystalline sound that characterizes her interpretation of Ravel's pieces softens in Debussy's three 'Images' (...) into a very warm and intimate sound.
But in the end, it is the three pieces from 'Iberia III' (…) that impress the most. Fanny Azzuro's clear and colorful playing is pleasantly fluid, combining virtuosity and poetry. The pianist reaches a level of sovereign freedom that recalls Hamelin's recording. The atmosphere of the gypsy districts of Granada is as captivating as the Flamenco echoes in 'El polo.' Particularly beautiful is the ambiance of the old Jewish quarter of Madrid in 'Lavapies,' a piece whose rare and captivating rhythmic patterns are seldom heard (…)
The French pianist Fanny Azzuro performs this Franco-Spanish program with great fluidity and imaginative delicacy. In her suppleness and transparency, she does not force the line. The Iberia III cycle by Albéniz is particularly evocative, and Fanny Azzuro imbues these short, suggestive pieces with a charming character.
5 Pizzicato – Remy Franck – 20 Octobre 2017
She is particularly at ease with the infectious Iberian rhythms, bringing a rhapsodic touch and a mischievous spirit to the irregular beats of Lavapiés. Emerging from a well-tuned Yamaha, the quality of her sound is delightfully perceptible in Debussy's Images. [...] When she tackles the intoxicating Alborada del gracioso, she is in the company of the greatest, but she also delicately plays the softer, more contemplative pieces from Miroirs, such as Oiseaux tristes and La Vallée des cloches. Carefully recorded, this album is the result of a strong concept, coupled with an impressive performance.
****Pianist magazine – Marius Dawn – Octobre/Novembre 2017
