Almondo returns to Monaco after Diapason d'Or win
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Monegasque pianist Stella Almondo performs in the Principality on Sunday, days after winning a Diapason d'Or for her Liszt album Ange et Démon.
Stella Almondo, one of Monaco's most promising young classical musicians, returns to perform in the Principality this Sunday following one of the more striking moments of her early career. The 20-year-old was awarded a Diapason d'Or earlier this month for her debut album Ange et Démon, a recording dedicated entirely to the works of Franz Liszt. The Diapason d'Or is among the most respected critical distinctions in French-language classical music, awarded by the editorial board of the specialist magazine Diapason.
Almondo described the recognition as an unexpected pleasure rather than something she had anticipated, which makes Sunday's homecoming performance carry a particular charge. For Monaco audiences, the concert offers a chance to hear an artist at a pivotal moment, returning to the place she grew up in immediately after her international profile took a significant step forward.