A highly skilled pianist born in Aix-en Provence in 1969, Hélène Grimaud studied at the Paris Conservatory and was recording works by Rachmaninov upon graduation. From there, her career went into high gear, with Grimaud touring the world, making appearances in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. She played with a number of the world's leading orchestras, and landed a deal with leading classical label Deutsche Grammophon in 2002. Her most recent works, in 2007 and 2008, respectively, included Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 and pieces by Bach.