“[...] She is an orchestra all by herself”
Press
For several years now, the press has been following the development of this committed pianist with her golden fingers and impeccable technique (LexNews), whose sensitivity is matched only by her mastery (Télérama) and who, according to Les Echos, embodies the free electron of the next generation of French pianists.
- February 2016
The 'Folle Journée 2016', Day 3: From Spanish Nights to the Roses of Isfahan
Culture Box – France Télévisionsread the articleOriginal version: french - 2017
Le Progrès
Le Progrès“It was a new off-site event as part of the Estival de la Bâtie. On Tuesday, the two musicians Elsa Moatti (violin) and Célia Oneto Bensaid (piano) made a stop at the Pommiers priory, a place steeped in history, both atypical and picturesque. The stones were adorned in their finest light for this talented duo, who offered a melancholic, poetic (sometimes dark), and intimate atmosphere.”
Original version: french - August 2017
Zibeline
Zibeline – Jacques Freschel“The Märchen Trio (Bertrand Laude, clarinet; Manuel Vioque-Judde, viola; Célia Oneto Bensaid, piano) presented a formation departing from the traditional violin/cello/piano trio. With artists whose personalities have an obvious aura, this ensemble left the strongest impression with the Pieces for Viola, Clarinet, and Piano Op. 83 by Max Bruch: a clarinet of rare sensitivity, a princely viola (with a promising future!), and beautiful piano playing providing the essential glue for these rich and complementary timbres.”
Original version: french - November 2017
Music Hall and Chamber Music Become One at Salle Cortot!
Bachtrack – Julien Hanckread the article“Célia Oneto Bensaïd skilfully pulls out all the stops in the Quintette. Endurance and control are the watchwords of her performance. The young pianist does not hesitate to bring out some sharp edges in her phrasing, while demonstrating remarkable stylistic homogeneity.”
Original version: french - August 2018
An Original Ensemble
ConcertoNet – Simon Corleyread the article“After the brief intermission, it was precisely Bernstein the composer whom we found again, with the Overture to his Candide (1956), impressively transcribed by Célia Oneto Bensaid.”
Original version: french - September 2018
Célia Oneto Bensaid
Mediapart – Frederick Casadesusread the article“To music lovers from France, Navarre, and the whole universe, we can only recommend American Touches, a truly great album combining Gershwin and Bernstein—a fine achievement released by Soupir éditions. Let it be known, Miss Oneto Bensaid is at the dawn of a very promising career.”
Original version: french - September 2018
In Paris, the Nuits du Piano Perpetuate the Art of the Recital
Le Figaro – Benjamin Puechread the article“Célia Oneto-Bensaïd performs electrifying pieces from West Side Story, transcribed by herself. She convinces us that there truly is something sacred passed on in classical music. The audience is swept away by the tunes of the rogue Manhattan of the 1960s composed by Leonard Bernstein. A mother muffles her son's cry, determined to show his enthusiasm as well. No matter, the evening is warm.”
Original version: french - November 2018
Revue ENA Hors les murs
Revue ENA Hors les murs“After I Got Rhythm by pianist David Lively, Célia Oneto Bensaid also decided to honor two great American composers. Indeed, for her first recording, this young pianist, with an impressive track record, offers us works by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and George Gershwin (1898-1937). While she performs pieces written for piano, she also does not hesitate, through transcriptions, to transport us into the world of West Side Story or An American in Paris. The challenge is considerable, as these works combine orchestral colors and the power of percussion.
Thus, the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story allow us to relive, to our great delight, some of the major themes from the musical. From the Prologue to the Finale, no fewer than nine musical moments unfold the various emotions of the original work. With its breaks, its gangly air, its contrasts, and its stride accompaniment, this transcription of the Prologue particularly emphasizes its ragtime influence. As for the whistle calls and finger snaps, which might seem anecdotal, they create both surprise and a vivid sense of the bustling life that runs through Bernstein's work. In the same vein, the wild Mambo is punctuated by energetic shouts of “Mambo” from Célia Oneto Bensaid, reinforcing the piano's stops. Furthermore, the Cha-cha delicately introduces the theme of Maria before giving way to a piano that gently sprinkles its notes. This is a timeless moment, filled with the grace of subtle and refined harmonies! Finally, Somewhere unfolds a symphonic piano displaying the silkiness of its arpeggios. Here, the performer plays with multiple sound layers with surprising fluidity.
Gershwin's An American in Paris is also symphonic. In this respect, legato and pedal give the illusion of hearing strings. The brilliance of the brass is achieved through remarkably precise staccato. The whole is tinged with rubato and an indescribable “swing” that radiates throughout the musical discourse with sensitivity and majesty. Moreover, Célia Oneto Bensaid masterfully balances between the music of the “piano pounders” of the saloons and the refined elegance of salon virtuosos. Ultimately, as a metaphor for this dual heritage between classical and popular music, our talented pianist includes in her program Gershwin's Three Preludes and Bernstein's Touches, a set of pieces whose elaborate language is reminiscent of Debussy or Ravel. This is undoubtedly what American touches are all about!”Original version: french - November 2018
Célia Oneto Bensaid’s Great Uncles of America
Classicagenda – Frederic Hutmanread the article“Célia Oneto Bensaid’s Great Uncles of America.”
Original version: french - November 2018
CD: 'American Touches', the Piano of Gershwin and Bernstein
On Mag – Jean Pierre Robertread the article“Celia Oneto Bensaid plays these pieces with as much conviction and zest as she displays in the art of transcription.”
Original version: french - April 2019
Burning Heart, Cool Head: Célia Oneto Bensaid at the Halle au Blé
Bachtrack – Jean Landrasread the article“'Burning heart, cool head', as pianist Heinrich Neuhaus liked to say. This is a maxim the artist of the evening could make her own. Benefiting from the fine acoustics of the venue and the instrument, Célia Oneto-Bensaid revealed her dual talent: an audacious creator of dazzling piano transcriptions of works with deeply orchestral essence, and a performer of astonishing expressiveness.”
Original version: french - August 2019
Célia Oneto Bensaid and Arcadi Volodos at the La Roque d’Anthéron Festival 2019 – American Touches and Extreme Touch – Review
Concertclassic – Gaëlle Le Dantecread the article“Célia Oneto Bensaid boldly launches her 'American Touches', an American program (Gershwin/Bernstein) from a remarkable debut recording released last autumn […] the transcriptions are truly impressive – and Célia Oneto Bensaid clearly puts a lot of herself into them […] Gershwin’s Three Preludes are sensitive miniatures that she performed magnificently, as well as Bernstein’s Touches, which inspired the title of her album and her concert.”
Original version: french - February 2020
'Getting Caught Up in the Game of Writing' at the Piano of Célia Oneto Bensaid
Bachtrack – Jean Landrasread the article“Passionate about the classical repertoire but also about creation, about both European and American music, Célia Oneto Bensaid is one of the young pianists whose career is rapidly rising. A graduate with five prizes from the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP), she is a laureate of numerous competitions and several foundations (Francis Poulenc International Competition 2013, Gabriel Fauré 2014, Piano Campus 2015, Société des Arts de Genève 2017…). She particularly stands out in the art of melody, winning the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Competition in 2018 with soprano Marie-Laure Garnier. The duo is preparing a tour in China in April… But for now, it is near Les Halles, in Paris, that I meet Célia around a brasserie table. She calmly reflects on the stages of her career and enthusiastically shares her passions and projects.”
Original version: french - June 2020
Marie-Laure Garnier and Célia Oneto Bensaid at Saint-Marcel Church – Happy Reunion – Review
Concertclassic – Alain Cochardread the article“One is captivated by the active stillness of Metamorphosis 2, during which the pianist’s very subtle sound palette works wonders. With Number 1 by Camille Pépin—a recent piece (2020) that marks the beginning of a cycle by the French composer in tribute to Jackson Pollock—the colors become much more vivid, the relief is accentuated, and Célia Oneto Bensaid suggests the bursting forth of color with perfect rhythmic acuity.”
Original version: french - July 2020
Five Classical Talents on the Road
Le Figaro – Thierry Hillériteauread the article“It is hard not to be charmed by the sunny palette of this young pianist, as enthusiastic in her playing as in her approach to all repertoires. ...”
Original version: french - August 2020
La Roque d’Anthéron: A Breeding Ground for Young Talents
Crescendo Magazine – Victoria Tomoko Okadaread the article“On Sunday morning, August 10, Célia Oneto Bensaid gave a recital entirely devoted to Philip Glass, which she herself described as a "UFO" for this Festival. She titled it "Suspended Time" and invited the audience to let themselves be carried away by a time that is not measured by our daily standards. She inserted the five Metamorphosis after Kafka between the three movements of Trilogy Sonata. These hypnotic pieces, with which the pianist immerses us in infinity—even if a piece lasts only five minutes, it could go on for eternity!—even silenced the cicadas, usually very noisy. She played four encores. First, Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) by Ligeti, in the spirit of the program, then Maple Leaf Rag by Joplin (she took the microphone to explain the origin of the Cake-walk), Number One, the first solo piano work by Camille Pépin (born in 1990), and La Tartine au beurre by Mozart. It was an original and "suspended" morning, which delighted the audience.”
Original version: french - August 2020
A Day at La Roque-d’Anthéron
La Croix – Emmanuelle Giulianiread the article“During her recital dedicated to the American Philip Glass, aptly titled Suspended Time, the graceful Célia Oneto Bensaid played the sweet enchantress, suddenly bringing forth musical tension from a bed of roses.”
Original version: french - August 2020
Interview VIVANT! Célia Oneto Bensaid, Pianist
Ouvert aux Publics – Marie Anezinread the article“Pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid brought a spring-like freshness tinged with mischievous charm to the blazing sun that dominated the 10 a.m. concert at the La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festival. With mastery and alacrity, she championed the only contemporary composer of this 40th edition: Philip Glass. Known for lending his genius to so many film scores, theater works, and pop stars like Bowie, he remains the ambassador of a repetitive and minimalist music punctuated by micro-variations. A rigor and audacity that the American composer shares with his interpreter of the day, Célia Oneto Bensaid. A sublime concert, full of melody, gentleness, and cheekiness, which was a sumptuous gift. Célia Oneto Bensaid chose a program linked to theater with Metamorphosis, written in reference to Kafka, and the Glass/Barnes Trilogy Sonata, whose first opus was presented at the Avignon Festival by Bob Wilson. Entitled 'Suspended Time,' this selection of Glass’s pieces evokes the parallel space-time into which Glass propels us and the lockdown from which we are emerging. A concert that illustrates the determined commitment of this young artist to make music in her own era and at the heart of current events. She also fervently defends the place of women in the world of classical music.”
Original version: french - September 2020
The Limited Edition of the 73rd Besançon Festival
Resmusica – Jean-Luc Clairetread the article“Far from the traditional symphonic closing concert, the festival ends with a piano recital. Camille Pépin introduces Célia Oneto Bensaid, a pianist whose commitment is immediately endearing, and who has designed a program 'From Ravel to Pépin.' The journey passes through Glass (who had been noticed the day before in The Road not taken), with Pépin belonging to this new generation of composers determined to work outside any dogma. The pianist invites Glass as a watchman, his five Metamorphosis (the moving melodic simplicity of the second always hits home) punctuating, like sonic oases, the two Pépin pieces (Number 1, inspired by Pollock, and Nighthawks, transcribed from harp, after Hopper) and Ravel's five Miroirs. These 1988 Metamorphosis, a discovery for many, are shaped, before an audience holding its breath, with a freedom and sense of nuance so unique that they almost exclude them from the composer's 'repetitive' period. Ravel, Pépin, Glass: the connections are clearly highlighted by the virtuoso and clear, untroubled playing, magnified by a piano with crystalline highs. The American composer opens and closes a concert that would have ended the festival in impressive silence, were it not for three stunningly virtuosic American encores: Joplin, Bernstein, and Glass again, with the dizzying Dance from the second act of Akhnaten.”
Original version: french - October 2020
A Thousand and One Lives
Pianiste – Alain Cochardread the article“Rhythmic and colorful, her first album around Gershwin and Bernstein highlighted the talent of a passionate and pioneering performer, equally at ease in solo, song, and chamber music.”
Interview by Alain Cochard in the magazine Pianiste, September-October 2020.Original version: french - May 2021
Célia Oneto Bensaid: Working with a Living Female Composer Is a Privilege
La Matinale de France MusiquelistenCélia Oneto Bensaid is the guest of Jean-Baptiste Urbain for the morning show on France Musique, discussing her album "Metamorphosis".
Original version: french - June 2021
Pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid Brings Forgotten Female Composers Back to Life
Affaire à suivre – France CulturelistenPianist Célia Oneto Bensaid brings forgotten female composers back to life.
Listen to her interview with Arnaud Laporte.Original version: french - February 2022
Soprano Marie-Laure Garnier, Between French Mélodies and Negro Spirituals
Le Monde – Marie-Aude Rouxread the article"The ecstatic and sensual Collier by Messiaen, a true hymn to love, will be pacified by Poulenc’s tender Anges musiciens, [...] the tragic He Never Said a Mumblin’ Word, which Moses Hogan has clothed in an operatic aura, entrusting a long introduction to the sisterly piano of Célia Oneto Bensaid. Lighter and more peaceful, the last part will celebrate the beautiful decade-long partnership of the performers: a truly beautiful Messiaen (Prière exaucée), answered by a Weepin’ Mary with 'Poulenc-like' accents. The two artists will definitively win over the audience, after a final Wade in the Water at the borders of Black vocality, with the delightful Amor by William Bolcom, in honor of Valentine’s Day."
Original version: french - March 2022
Songs of Hope, the First Album by Marie-Laure Garnier and Célia Oneto Bensaid
Radio Classique – Laure MézanlistenOn the occasion of the release of their album Songs of Hope, Marie-Laure Garnier and Célia Oneto Bensaid are guests on the Journal du Classique.
Original version: french - April 2022
Spirituals, Francis Poulenc, Olivier Messiaen – Songs of Hope
Télérama – Sophie Bourdaisread the article“[...] Marie-Laure Garnier and Célia Oneto Bensaid met in 2011 around French mélodie, and since then, they have continued to explore together the possibilities offered by the alliance of piano and voice. In the spirituals, the pianist sets the mood of the piece, playful or dramatic, and rolls out the carpet on which the powerful, warm, and caressing voice of the soprano can soar. With Messiaen, the piano fragments its discourse, and so does the singing, oscillating between vocalises and psalmody. The miniatures by Poulenc, finally, each require a particular balance. Virtuoso musicians, they adapt their instruments to the character of the pieces performed. And never forget to listen to each other.”
Original version: french - April 2022
One Day, One Voice
Téléramawatch the video“Opera singer Marie-Laure Garnier, accompanied by pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid, invites us to board the 'Gospel Train,' a train with neither first nor second class, heading toward a world accessible to all.”
Original version: french - November 2022
Album Selection: Hector Berlioz, Marie Jaëll, Nas, Stuffed Foxes, Mario Lucio
Le Monderead the article“From the very Lisztian Hell to the Paradise adorned with the freshness of Schumann or Grieg, the young Célia Oneto Bensaid magnificently champions the cause of Marie Jaëll [...]”
Original version: french - December 2022
The young pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid dedicates her third solo recording to the composer Marie Jaëll
France Inter – Classic & ColistenThe young pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid dedicates her third solo recording to the composer Marie Jaëll, specifically to her cycle “18 Pieces for Piano after Dante’s Reading.” An album that inaugurates a new label entitled “Présence compositrices.”
Original version: french - January 2023
Perpetual Song at the Opéra Grand Avignon
Olyrix – Moisés Ordóñez Alarcónread the article“The pianist’s hands join with the bows in a homogeneous, precise sound, full of contrasts and depth when the score demands it: a display of fervor and virtuosity that rewards attentive listening to this richness.”
Original version: french - January 2023
The Morning Show with Marie-Laure Garnier and Célia Oneto Bensaid
France Interlisten“The pianist’s hands join with the bows in a homogeneous, precise sound, full of contrasts and depth when the score demands it: a display of fervor and virtuosity that rewards attentive listening to this richness.”
Original version: french - January 2023
Marie-Laure Garnier and Her Chamber Music Partners at the Opéra d’Avignon
Première Loge – Sabine Teulon Lardicread the article“To believe in the expressive power of French Romantic chamber music... The young performers [...] demonstrate it with passion or subtlety on the stage of the Opéra Grand Avignon. [...] The six performers are rewarded by a LONG silence from the audience, a state of grace before the applause. Here, then, are true ambassadors of French mélodie. Generous ambassadors, since their encore treats us to a cheerful song from Gabriel Fauré’s La Bonne chanson – L’hiver a cessé.”
Original version: french - January 2023
Célia Oneto Bensaid and the Dantesque Journey of Marie Jaëll
Crescendo Magazine – Jean Lacroixread the article“In the manner of a great fresco that proves to be inspired and often exhilarating, it is truly a 'Dantesque journey' that the virtuoso invites us to, turning pages with obsessive accents like Appel, or diabolical ones like Sabbat, into ardent moments, revealing a threatening Hell, with the Dies irae theme ever-present. Purgatory, between Pressentiments, Alanguissements, or Obsession, hints at the poetic, almost philosophical inner struggle that Marie Jaëll’s creativity delivers through a dazzling technique that often cries out toward the light. This light will be fully present in Paradise, in the concluding Apaisement, Quiétude, or ecstatic Contemplation. Here, introspection prevails, with a tendency toward gentleness, even effusion, that touches the listener to the core. [...] This remarkable album, recorded in March 2021, benefits from the fervent and generous commitment of Célia Oneto Bensaid. It brilliantly inaugurates a promising catalog. We eagerly await future releases that will open the door to other feminine horizons, just as rich and fascinating.”
Original version: french - January 2023
What One Hears in Hell, Purgatory, Paradise
Télérama – Sophie Bourdaisread the article“Célia Oneto Bensaid, whose sensitivity is matched only by her technical mastery ...”
4 Ts in Télérama for the album Marie Jaëll – What One Hears in Hell, Purgatory, Paradise.Original version: french - January 2023
What One Hears in Hell, Purgatory, Paradise
Diapason – Bertrand Boissard“Anyone wishing to hear the eighteen pieces of the cycle will turn to this new version ...”
Original version: french - February 2023
What One Hears in Hell, Purgatory, Paradise
Pianiste – Alain Cochard“[...] one of today’s most pioneering French performers takes hold of the eighteen pieces of What One Hears with a sense of timbre and a suggestive power that magnify the formidable process of transmutation at work throughout the cycle... [...]”
Original version: french - February 2023
What One Hears in Hell, Purgatory, Paradise
TV5 Mondewatch the videoThe musician Célia Oneto Bensaid dedicates her new album to the composer Marie Jaëll. Its title is “What One Hears in Hell, Purgatory, Paradise.”
Original version: french - February 2023
Celia Oneto Bensaid and Marie Jaëll, Pianists in Fusion!
Classique c'est cool – Hugues Rameau-Craysread the article“[...] After a highly praised CD, the young 30-year-old pianist confirms her affinity with a repertoire she truly embodies. In the setting of Salle Cortot in Paris, she put together a demanding yet exhilarating program that captivated both music lovers and the most novice spectators.”
Original version: french - July 2023
In La Roque-d’Anthéron, Pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid Begins Her Beautiful Summer
La Croix – Emmanuelle Giulianiread the article“[...] In search of programs that 'make sense' and that she insists on presenting to listeners in a few words, Célia Oneto Bensaid wants to give every chance to classical concerts. You can count on her to make them 'welcoming, inspiring, emotionally powerful.' In a word—a word that often comes up in her speech—'galvanizing.'”
Original version: french - July 2023
Célia Oneto Bensaid, Pianist and Feminist
La Provence"[...] Célia Oneto Bensaid proved to be both virtuosic and sensitive in her interpretations and introduced us to women composers who had been portrayed as muses or teachers, erasing their creativity. [...]"
Original version: french - January 2024
'A Week in Their Life' Meets Pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid
France InterlistenDiscover four episodes of the series 'A Week in Their Life' dedicated to pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid, broadcast on France Inter.
Original version: french - April 2024
Célia Oneto Bensaid Plays Marie Jaëll and Franz Liszt
Radio Vinci Autoroutes - Charlotte Latourlisten“Pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid performs alongside the Orchestre National Avignon-Provence, conducted by Débora Waldman, the Piano Concertos No. 1 by Marie Jaëll and Franz Liszt in 'Sparklight,' her very first recording with orchestra.”
Original version: french - April 2024
Marie Jaëll Franz Liszt Sparklight • Célia Oneto Bensaid Debora Waldman
Classique c'est cool – Hugues Rameau-Craysread the article“[...] This is the second recording of the concerto (unless I am mistaken), and the interpretation by Célia Oneto Bensaid, more accomplished, seems self-evident as the pianist becomes one with the world of the composer. [...]”
Original version: french - April 2024
The National Orchestra Sheds New Light on Liszt and Jaëll
La Provence“[...] There is no doubt that the new recording 'Sparklight' will achieve just as much success, as the choice of program is so relevant and the performances by both the orchestra and pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid are particularly sublime. [...]”
Original version: french - April 2024
Marie Jaëll, Inspired Lisztomaniac
Le Figaro – Thierry Hillériteauread the article“[...] Two years after recording, for the Présences Compositrices label, Jaëll's last great piano cycle, her three Pieces for Piano after a Reading of Dante—an epic and visionary fresco, sometimes, in its almost Debussy-like harmonies—she now tackles the first concerto by the Alsatian composer. The work of a musician barely in her thirties, at times dazzling in virtuosity, at others touching in lyricism or romanticism. And Célia Oneto Bensaid and conductor Debora Waldman, at the head of her Orchestre national d'Avignon, do not hesitate to make it converse with the Piano Concerto No. 1 by... Franz Liszt! A confrontation that sparks, and recalls the eruptive personality of Marie Jaëll, who liked to describe herself as 'a volcano in eruption.'”
Original version: french - April 2024
Célia Oneto Bensaid Plays Marie Jaëll – The Inspired Explorer
Concert Classic – Alain Cochardread the article“Two years ago, Célia Oneto Bensaid delivered a striking recording (1CD Présence Compositrices) of What One Hears by Marie Jaëll (1846-1925), a late and prophetic collection inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy—and a pure example of minimalist music dated ... 1894! This time, the pianist turns her attention to the beginning of the Alsatian composer’s career with the Concerto No. 1 in D minor, performed with admirable strength and fire, in perfect harmony with Débora Waldman and the Orchestre national Avignon Provence. [...]”
Original version: french - February 2023
Culture Box the Show – Pursuit by Marie Jaëll
Culture Boxwatch the videoAppearance on the show Culture Box: interview by Raphaël Yem and Daphné Bürkliplatz and performance of the piece 'Poursuite' by Marie Jaëll.
Original version: french - May 2024
Album Selection: Célia Oneto Bensaid, Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ancelle, Fred Hersch, Clarika, Caleb Landry Jones, Quintet Bumbac
Le Monde – Pierre Gervasoniread the article"[...] Célia Oneto Bensaid displays impressive ease. 'To suggest another creation through one's own', such was, according to Marie Jaëll, Liszt's goal. The young pianist with a strong personality achieved this both in the concerto and in an anthology-worthy Méphisto Waltz No. 3."
Original version: french - May 2024
Marie Jaëll and Liszt by Pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid
France Inter – Classic & ColistenPodcast about Marie Jaëll and Liszt by pianist Célia Oneto Bensaid, broadcast on France Inter in the program Classic & Co and presented by Anna Sigalevitch.
Original version: french - May 2024
Célia Oneto Bensaid is the Guest on Journal du Classique
Radio Classique – Laure MézanlistenOn the occasion of the release of her new album dedicated to Franz Liszt and Marie Jaëll, Célia Oneto Bensaid is the guest on Journal du Classique.
Original version: french - June 2024
Sparklight according to Célia Oneto Bensaid and Debora Waldman
ResMusica – Florence Michelread the article“[...] The pianist approaches the score with a full playing style, sometimes authoritative, sometimes delicate, which is renewed with each new harmonic proposal. [...]”
Original version: french