In classical performance, the transition from prodigy to mature recording artist is rarely a linear trajectory. It demands not merely technical precision, but a distinct interpretive philosophy. On Sunday, September 20, 2026, 19-year-old Monegasque pianist Stella Almondo will present a solo recital at the Auditorium Prince Pierre inside the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, marking a major homecoming performance centered on her second studio album.
Almondo first gained national visibility in 2020 through the television broadcast Prodiges on France 2, entering the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris at age 16. Her 2024 debut album, Passion (released under Naïve/Believe), featured works by Blumenfeld, Rachmaninoff, and Scriabin, surpassing one million streams within four months of its release. Beyond solo recitals at venues like the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and Paris's Salle Gaveau, she has engaged in chamber collaborations alongside cellist Gautier Capuçon and the Quatuor Modigliani.
Scheduled for 6:00 p.m., the upcoming performance, titled Anges et Démons (Angels and Demons), centers on the music of Franz Liszt and the figure of Mephisto. Built around literary themes, folk legends, and poems that fueled Liszt’s output, the program examines the composer's interplay between spiritual light and dramatic darkness.
Photo credits: Grimaldi Forum Monaco. Stella Almondo