Alexandra Dariescu
Piano
She has actually changed how we experience piano playing and works. This has given her access to the world's biggest stages, and she is paving the way for the future of classical music.
About the Artist
Alexandra Dariescu is one of the most innovative pianists of our time. The Romanian-British virtuoso has achieved something few others have managed: uniting the concert hall tradition with new technology, thereby lifting both well-known, but especially unknown works into the spotlight.
In 2013, she became the first Romanian woman to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Four years later, she created The Nutcracker and I, a groundbreaking multimedia project that unites piano, ballet, and digital animation. Since then, she has been part of the piano elite.
But Dariescu also champions female composers who have been overlooked by history. In 2024, she established the Alexandra Dariescu Award at the Leeds International Piano Competition, the first prize in the competition's 60-year history for performances of works by female composers.
Alexandra is vitality and musical genius in a fantastic package!
The music is there, we only have to open our eyes.
Concerts
Opening Concert
Tine Thing Helseth invites you to a spectacular opening with Haydn and Schumann, among others. Welcome to Risør Chamber Music Festival 2026!
The Pioneers
Haydn and Beethoven were trailblazers, but they weren't alone in being first with new ideas and approaches. Here we celebrate those who took the leap.
Intimate with Alexandra Dariescu
World star Alexandra Dariescu as close and intimate as only Risør can offer. Come hear what happens when technique and artistry merge into a higher unity.
My choice is: ...
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson chose April, but what will this year's artists choose when asked to select their favorite composers and works?
Heart Strings
This year's closing concert is inspired by the emotional entanglements between several composers. We also invite the Festival Choir to Risør Church.
