Philip Glass - The Complete Piano Etudes (Vanessa Wagner)

Information

Composer: Philip Glass

• Etudes Nos. 1–20

Vanessa Wagner, piano

Date: 2025

Label: InFiné

_____________________

Vanessa Wagner’s complete recording of Philip Glass’s Études is both a musical achievement and a personal statement, reflecting her deep connection with this landmark piano cycle spanning the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Known for her versatility across classical and contemporary repertoire, Wagner brings the same vitality she shows in works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and modern composers like Arvo Pärt and Caroline Shaw. Her interpretation of Glass’s music is alive and expressive, exploring its rhythmic shifts, emotional depth, and meditative qualities. The result is an immersive, introspective journey that redefines minimalist music as a vibrant, contemporary art form.

Born in Rennes, France, Vanessa Wagner began piano at age seven and won First Prize at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Named “Instrumental Soloist of the Year” at the 1999 Victoires de la Musique Classique, she has since performed worldwide with renowned conductors and at major venues and festivals. Artistic Director of the Festival de Chambord since 2010 and founder of the Festival du Musée de Giverny, Wagner’s acclaimed discography spans classical to contemporary repertoire. Her recent minimalist projects, including Inland, The Study of the Invisible, and Mirrored, showcase composers like Glass, Monk, and Eno in deeply atmospheric interpretations.