Nora, a 10 -year -old Ukrainian refugee in France, wins the final of the SNCF station piano competition

The prize for the final of the “You can play” competition organized by the SNCF was awarded to two young pianists on Friday.

The SNCF station’s piano competition crowned two children aged 12 and 10, on the eve of the Music Festival, Friday, June 20. Among these two big winners, Nora Kostenko, a young Ukrainian who arrived with her family to flee the war in Ukraine three years ago, impressed the jury. Twelve regional winners clashed on the forecourt of the Gare de l’Est in Paris. They had been spotted, playing on the more than 70 pianos installed in the country’s stations.

Nora’s Fluette silhouette, 10, contrasts with her determined gaze when she advances towards the piano installed on the forecourt of the East station. “For me, it’s not just competition, it is an opportunity to make my country’s voice heard”she says. Nora has been in France for only three years, she fled Kharkiv, east of the country, and war, with her family to take refuge in Vertou, near Nantes in Loire-Atlantique. “France gave me a new roof, a school, friends, a second life, explains the girl. And when I play the piano, I feel like I can speak without words, tell my memories, my fears, my dreams. “

His fingers spin on the keys, alternating sweetness and violence. In the jury, pianist André Manoukian is mouth. “What she did to us is incrediblehe says. A composer, we don’t know what’s called … “” Igor Chamo (Ukrainian composer) “replied Nora and André Manoukian assures that he will listen to him the same evening, before continuing: “When she sat down, we had the impression that we had a huge tail piano, I never saw that. And we were all super moved. I had the impression of listening to Martha Argerich (contemporary Argentinian pianist).“”

“Photo ! “” : Nora’s grandmother rushes with her phone to immortalize the moment. She is a music teacher, Nora’s father is a conductor, they are very proud, like the big sister Michelle, who also makes piano: “She is stronger than me ! “”she admits laughing. She says that the family left Ukraine by leaving their piano behind, that’s why Nora started playing in pianos of stations. “We came here with nothing. Afterwards, the school gave us an electric piano, that’s how we started, explains Michelle. Then, we made a small concert in a church church and a gentleman made a great gift for the whole family by offering us the piano with tail. And it’s really incredible because we started to make music with a professional tail piano. “

Nora loves to play in public, so even if the most important thing is the conservatory and even if she also hesitates still between music and artistic swimming, where she is also very good, she intends to continue playing in stations …