Laurent Coulondre
Bitola Theatre
Jazz Factory Festival
Bitola, Macedonia
April 17, 2025

The 2025 edition of the Jazz Factory Festival in Bitola opened not with a bang, but with a delicate touch—courtesy of French pianist Laurent Coulondre, who took to the stage alone and filled the concert hall with a sound that felt at once expansive and deeply personal. It was a solo recital that unfolded like a letter written in music—tender, expressive, and full of nuance.

Coulondre began with "Pequelo Camar?o," a piece that immediately invited the listener into an impressionistic world. The opening moments were reminiscent of Debussy or Satie —gentle, cascading notes that sparkled like diamonds across a windshield, catching light at unexpected angles. His touch on the keyboard was nuanced and painterly, and the harmonies carried a pastoral calm. As the piece evolved, subtle jazz colors began to seep through, like a shift in the weather—still soft, but with the energy of movement. The piece felt like an earthbeat, quiet but insistent. It was a premiere, and it set the tone beautifully.

Throughout the concert, Coulondre showcased his gift for blending classical sensibilities with jazz fluency. In one moment, the music would recall the blues, or hint at Cuban rhythms, and the next, it would turn a corner into more harmonically complex terrain. He introduced several pieces inspired by