Sandra Gaudin

It was during a meeting between the young pianist Arthur Noël and Marthe Keller, at the performance of *Who Plays Who?*—based on the work of John Cassavetes—that the desire to create this new project was born. In the same vein, the Fondation du Palace de Caux, in partnership with the City of Montreux’s cultural initiative, invited us to conceive a production for this little-known 400-seat theater, suspended between the sky and the lake.We were immediately captivated by Claudie Hunzinger’s (winner of the 2022 Prix Femina) play *Il neige sur le pianiste*. The story brings together a world-renowned young pianist who has ended up there by chance, a novelist living in seclusion in a house on the edge of the woods, and a fox cub. The author weaves a tale turned on its head, where the princess is a mature woman and the prince is a young musician held captive.It’s the perfect opportunity to bring together two unique talents: the young pianist Arthur Noël (first-prize winner at the Geneva Competition, among other accolades) and the brilliant Marthe Keller.To speak of delicacy, desire, and the slowed-down rhythm of subtlety in today’s brutal and unstoppable world seems like a challenge that goes against the grain—yet one that is essential. Indeed, as we begin 2026, I feel that we all share a deep sense of insecurity in a world where brutality and absurdity are throwing us off balance.What if beauty and attention to life itself became an act of resistance? That is what we will try to convey to the audience: a possibility of transcendence or escape through words, music, and the presence of others, which reconcile us with the human condition.‍Arthur Noël: 2025 – Paris International Piano Competition – 1st Prize; 2023 – Dominique Weber Association – Special Prize; 2022 – Lavaux Classique Piano Competition – 1st Prize; 2018 – “Merci Maestro” International Piano Competition in Brussels – Finalist


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