Etoile Performing Arts

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Etoile Performing Arts We promote and foster cross-cultural dialogues through classical performing arts across borders.

10/18/2026

🪦Dance of Death # 1🪦

By the time Liszt finalized “Totentanz” (Dance of Death) in 1864, he had lost two of his three children to illnesses. He became even more fixated on the motif of death, retreating in 1863 into a monastery to seek answers that a superstar life could not give.

The concept “dance of death” reached a fever pitch after the plague pandemic in 14th-century Europe where 1/3 of its population perished. Often seen in allegorical arts and morality plays, Death, commonly personified as a skeleton or skeletons, led a string of humans of high and low ranks alike in a macabre yet equitable dance towards the grave.

Such obsession with life’s inevitable end drove Liszt to dramatize in “Totentanz” that relentless summon of death. Italian pianist Enrico Pace, here seen in his winning performance at the 2nd Liszt Piano Competition, delivered a most mesmerizing interpretation of this grotesque procession. He balanced driving brutality with moments of fragile beauty. The piano, used as a percussive instrument, hammered out Dies Irae — ruthless, implacable yet allowing small reminiscences of happiness — herding everyone, equally and universally, into the unknown beyond life.

📑 “Dance of Death: Liszt’s Totentanz.” By Calvin Dotsey. Houston Symphony. January 7, 2020.
📑 “History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19.” By Katherine A. Glatter and Paul Finkelman. American Journal of Medicine. September 24, 2020.
📹 Enrico Pace, piano. Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Matthias Bamert. Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht. 1989

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10/18/2026

🪦Dance of Death #2🪦

Contrary to Liszt’s 1865 “Totentanz” where Death leads people down to the grave, Saint-Saëns’ 1875 “Danse Macabre” has Death on violin calling skeletons out of the grave to dance for a night on Halloween.

Both pieces pay tribute to the Medieval “Dance of Death” tradition. Both take inspiration from another art form: “Danse Macabre” from the sarcastic poem “Égalité, fraternité…” by French physician Henri Cazalis; “Totentanz” from the 14-century fresco “Triumph of Death” at Pisa, Italy, among later artworks of similar theme.

When Saint-Saëns premiered “Danse Macabre” in its orchestral form in 1875, the audience was frightened by its demonic dissonance and distorted use of “Dies Irae.” Liszt, being a good friend that he was, quickly transcribed Saint-Saëns’ work for piano solo, thus catapulting it into a timeless classic, especially on Halloweens.

Greek pianist Vassilis Varvaresos not only accomplished the devilishly difficult fireworks written by Liszt (and later Horowitz for this version), but also recreated the ghastly scene of skeletons gleaming white under the moonlight —twirling, crackling, dancing in brotherhood and equality.

*French to English translation of excerpts from “Égalité, fraternité…” by Etoile Performing Arts.

📑”Danse macabre: a brief history of Halloween’s haunting anthem.” By Andrea Warner. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC Radio) Music. Oct. 30, 2017.
📹 “Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns. Vassilis Varvaresos, piano. On a Bechstein piano in Ärtztekammer Nordrhein, Düsseldorf. Video by Compris Artist Management. 2012

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10/17/2026

🎶🪄This is what freedom sounds like.🔥🎶

Khachaturian turns their reunion into one of classical music’s most overwhelming climaxes.

For a few minutes, the entire orchestra seems to breathe as one.
Khachaturian’s Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia is the reunion of two people separated by Rome and slavery. Its rising melody gives their love the scale of a revolution.

Credit: Aram Khachaturian, Spartacus Suite No. 2, I. “Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia”| Asian Modern Symphony | Wilson Ng |

✒️: Mariinsky Theatre. “Spartacus.” Mariinsky Theatre.

🎥Shared under fiat use / for educational purposes, commentary, and interpretation.

10/16/2026

🎹💌A public dedication to Chopin. A private love letter to Clara.💌🎹

Schumann wrote Kreisleriana in 1838, when he was 27 and Clara Wieck was 18. Clara was already an acclaimed touring pianist. Her father, Friedrich Wieck, had trained her from childhood and feared that Robert could not provide a stable future. He also feared marriage would restrict the career she had built.

Robert and Clara were kept apart. They could only write letters. In one letter, Schumann asked Clara to play Kreisleriana and wrote that it contained “a very wild love” and “your life and mine and many of your looks.”

However, the score is dedicated to Frédéric Chopin. Chopin later returned the gesture by dedicating his Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38 to Schumann.

But Kreisleriana remains deeply tied to Clara. Its eight fantasies move between agitation, tenderness, and playfulness. The final movement begins with restless energy, then gives way to an outburst Schumann marks “Mit aller Kraft”, “with all one’s strength.”

Behind the dedication to Chopin was a private message for Clara.

Credit: Yuja Wang | Robert Schumann,
Kreisleriana, Phantasien für das Pianoforte, Op. 16 |

🎥Shared under fair use / for educational purposes, commentary, and interpretation.

✒️Source: Schumann, Robert. Letter to Clara Wieck. 13 April 1838. The Complete Correspondence of Clara and Robert Schumann, edited by Eva Weissweiler, translated by Hildegard Fritsch and Ronald L. Crawford, Peter Lang, 1993.

10/15/2026

😇✨An angelic voice. Renée Fleming brings Schubert’s celestial Ave Maria straight to the heart.✨

Written in 1825, Schubert set Ellen’s prayer from Walter Scott’s narrative poem, “The Lady of the Lake”, to music. The song became Ellen’s Third Song, now widely known as “Ave Maria”. It later became closely associated with the traditional Latin Ave Maria prayer.

This performance was from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

Credit: Renée Fleming | “Ave Maria,” D. 839, by Franz Schubert | Lawrence Renes | Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra | Recorded live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, by TV4 for Nobel Media I Johanna Olofsson

🎥Shared under fair use / for educational purposes, commentary, and interpretation.

🖊️: “Renée Fleming.” Library of
Congress, 21 Aug. 2024

🖊️: Classic FM. “What Are the Lyrics to ‘Ave Maria’, and Who Wrote It?” Classic FM, 14
June 2023

08/30/2026

👉🏻Please swipe right for each interview question!

🎬BTS: Étoile speaks to choreographers Sarah J. Ewing and Ryan Bailey on guiding young dancers at CityDance through their preparation for Leonard Bernstein’s MASS. (www.mass2026.com)

🔔CityDance, a non-profit arts organization focused on dance education and outreach, has been training and spotlighting the next generation of artist-citizens. CityDance has engaged more than $14 million in community-building through the power of dance.

Please stay tuned for more selections from CityDance Conservatory x Etoile Performing Arts! 🧑‍🩰🧑‍🩰

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To my first school, where my educational journey began in my early years.Where my loving teachers showed me how empathy,...
06/19/2026

To my first school, where my educational journey began in my early years.

Where my loving teachers showed me how empathy, compassion, and kindness look like in real life.

Where I first understood that life becomes fuller when we give something back to others.

To the Canadian International School of Phnom Penh, I am deeply grateful to you for believing in me from the very beginning. Thank you for planting the first seeds of this journey. Those seeds grew into Carnegie in Cambodia and the Etoile Scholarship Fund. They now open new doors and new hope for the students in the Kingdom of Cambodia. ✨📚🙏

06/19/2026

បន្ទាប់ពីការប្រគំតន្ត្រីសប្បុរសធម៌ "Carnegie in Cambodia" ទទួលបានការគាំទ្រយ៉ាងខ្លាំងរហូតទាល់តែអស់សំបុត្រ កញ្ញា Anna Sophie Abe ស...

✨ Handover Ceremony Following the Carnegie in Cambodia Charity ConcertLast Wednesday, our students attended the donation...
06/19/2026

✨ Handover Ceremony Following the Carnegie in Cambodia Charity Concert

Last Wednesday, our students attended the donation ceremony organized by Etoile Performing Arts at CIS. Following the success of the Carnegie in Cambodia charity concert, Etoile Performing Arts raised $20,000 and generously shared the proceeds between two organizations working in education, including Il Nodo, which received a donation of $10,000.
The event brought together beneficiaries, sponsors, and distinguished guests, including H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport.
We sincerely thank Etoile Performing Arts for their trust and generous support. This contribution will help us continue creating educational opportunities for our students and investing in their future. 💙

06/13/2026

DPM Hang Chuon Naron Honours Etoile Founder Anna Sophie Abe for Outstanding Youth and Educational Support Through the Performing Arts

(Phnom Penh): In a major recognition of youth-led philanthropy, Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, formally honoured Anna Sophie Abe, Founder of Etoile Performing Arts, for her exceptional contributions and enduring commitment to supporting Cambodian youth and children through the power of music and education.

The prestigious commendation was highlighted during the Donation Handover Ceremony held in the Canadian International School of Phnom Penh on 10 June 2026. The ceremony marked the official transfer of USD 20,000 in proceeds raised from the landmark "Carnegie in Cambodia" Charity Concert to prominent local educational and vocational training initiatives.

Distributed via the newly established Etoile Scholarship Fund, the contributions will directly benefit the “Cambodia-Japan Friendship Middle and High School” to fund student scholarships, as well as the international NGO “Il Nodo” to support vital vocational training programs. These resources are designed to equip underprivileged young people with the practical skills and access required to build brighter, self-sustaining futures.

A Royal Hall, A Sold-Out Cause
The funds were generated during the highly anticipated "Carnegie in Cambodia" Charity Concert on 4 April 2026, which drew a sold-out crowd of over 1,000 attendees at Koh Pich City Hall. Driven by a shared belief in the transformative power of the arts, the evening brought together leading figures from the public and private sectors.

The event featured a captivating performance by the internationally acclaimed artist "The Pianist with the Hair." It was backed by the collective strength of Cambodian and international premier corporate sponsors, including Vattanac Brewery, OCIC, Intercare, Cellcard, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra and Singapore Airlines, whose alignment with the project underscored the nation’s growing corporate social responsibility (CSR) landscape.

Empowering the Future through Teen-Led Vision
The official commendation by the deputy prime minister underscores the profound impact of the initiative, which was entirely envisioned and teen-led by Anna Sophie Abe.

The project stands as a benchmark for youth leadership in Southeast Asia, demonstrating how strategic vision, when executed with clear purpose, can mobilize communities and bridge international support.

Commending her leadership during the ceremony, the deputy prime minister remarked, "Anna Sophie successfully mobilised elite international and Cambodian musical talents, compassionate sponsors, and dedicated volunteers. This is a perfect reflection of how one student's idea can bring an entire community together and contribute to the education of our future generations."

"An evening of music has turned into a lasting commitment to Cambodia’s next generation," said Anna Sophie Abe, Founder of Etoile Performing Arts. "We are deeply humbled by the Deputy Prime Minister’s recognition, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that music and the arts continue to open doors of opportunity and hope for youth and children across Cambodia."

Moving forward, Etoile Performing Arts plans to expand its educational outreach, establishing sustainable frameworks that ensure long-term artistic and academic development for the country’s future leaders.
=FRESH NEWS

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