Named after their beautiful 1848 Pleyel piano, pianists Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya and Richard Egarr are known as Duo Pleyel. The Duo has been working for the past eight years to bring the rich and exciting repertoire for piano 4-hands to a wider public. They are particularly committed to providing mixed programmes ranging from the earliest music by Johann Christian Bach and Mozart, and lesser-known early Romantics such as Hummel and Dussek, through to the great popular works by Fauré, Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky in the twentieth century.

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Duo Pleyel records for LINN/Outhere Records, and their releases of Schubert, Dussek, J.C.Bach and Mozart have received glowing international reviews. Their latest recording, “Yuletide Treats” was BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Recording of the Month in December 2024, describing it as ‘Piano Treats that go straight to the heart’. The recording is a feast of music for the Christmas Holiday season, including Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and the Blue Danube by Strauss. Their recording project of the complete Beethoven Symphonies in extraordinary 4-hand arrangements by his undervalued student Carl Czerny continues. Symphonies 3, 5, 6 and 8 are in the can. Symphonies 1 & 2 will berecorded in October 2025; 4, 7 and 9 in 2026. These transcriptions are fascinating and hugely important for both historical and musicological  reasons, as well as from a purely musical perspective.

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Duo Pleyel is honoured and excited to collaborate with the Chris Maene Piano Collection, and uses several of its fabulous 19th century instruments.

 

Other upcoming projects include performing and recording music by Fauré, Debussy, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Mahler and Stravinsky, as well as the Yuletide Christmas programme from their last CD.

 

Born in Moscow, Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya studied piano and early keyboards in Moscow, Amsterdam and Munich. She has won top prizes at competitions held in Austria, Saint Petersburg, Prague and Leipzig. She appears regularly as a soloist and chamber partner at Festivals all over Europe, Russia and Asia. She loves playing early keyboards, particularly with her Duo partner.

 

Born in Lincoln, Richard Egarr studied piano and early keyboards in Manchester, Cambridge, London and Amsterdam. He won the top prize at the 1988 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Competition in Hamburg. He appears regularly as a conductor, soloist and chamber musician all over the planet. He loves old recordings, and

playing early keyboards, particularly with his Duo partner.

 

 

As a family, Duo Pleyel have two young daughters who enjoy playing and fighting with each other. They sometimes even play together on the piano. They love music, dancing, and ice cream.

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