Sofiane Pamart: Cinematic Horizons with “MOVIE”

Sofiane Pamart

French pianist and composer Sofiane Pamart is redefining modern classical music for a new generation.

Known for blending high fashion,
street culture, and virtuosic piano mastery, Pamart has amassed over a
billion streams worldwide, earning him the distinction of Chevalier of
the Order of Arts and Letters in France.

He studied piano and classical music at the Conservatoire de Lille for sixteen years and the Conservatory Gold Medal at the age of 23. He also has a degree in musicology, a master’s degree in law, economics, and management, and in business administration. He is known for contributing to the French rap scene, collaborating with seveeral French and Belgian rappers.

With his latest album, MOVIE, he fuses cinematic grandeur with intimate emotional depth, bringing together seventy orchestral musicians and twenty-four choristers from the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir.

In MOVIE, the human voice emerges as a compositional instrument alongside the piano, with Latin lyrics penned by his long-time manager and collaborator Guillaume Heritier, creating a universal, timeless language. From recording in the historic Rudolfinum in Prague to premiering at Paris’s iconic Opéra Garnier, this album represents a convergence of elegance, intensity, and ambition in Pamart’s ongoing mission to bring classical music to younger audiences without compromise.

We spoke with Sofiane Pamart about the making of MOVIE, the challenges and joys of working with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, and his vision for a modern classical music that resonates across generations.

Your new album features a collaboration with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. How did this partnership come about, and what drew you to work with them?

Prague is part of my story. A few years ago, I performed there for the royal Lobkowicz family in the Royal Castle. The city has a sense of both history and cinema –it carries the weight I was looking for with MOVIE. We recorded the final sessions at the Rudolfinum: seventy orchestral musicians, twenty-four choristers. Watching my music come to life in that space was overwhelming. As a composer, I had always dreamed of experiencing that exact moment.

How was the process of recording with the choir? What was your approach to integrating them into your compositions?

The voices of the Prague Philharmonic Choir are crystalline, pure, and full of character. I didn’t want to direct them conventionally. I wanted the choir to be an instrument in its own right, not an ornament. Each voice had to carry its own weight while contributing to something larger. I approach all collaborations this way: I don’t ask the voice to serve the piano; I ask it to exist alongside it, fully, completely.

The lyrics were written by your manager, Guillaume Heritier, and are sung in Latin. Why Latin?

Guillaume and I have been building a creative universe together for years. Latin imposed itself naturally because it belongs to no contemporary territory—it predates borders and styles. It is universal. The piece is a tribute to a friend who is gone, conceived as a requiem.

Working with vocals is relatively new for you. How do you use the human voice as a compositional tool?

Every voice carries a soul. I don’t use the piano merely to support it. The piano and voice stand on equal footing, in dialogue. The voice brings fragility, presence, and character; the piano brings elevation, space, and emotion. Together, they tell a story that neither could tell alone.

You are widely recognized for redefining modern classical music. How do you define it, and does your music fit into that category?

For me, modern classical is alive. It retains the rigor and emotional depth of classical music while embracing contemporary textures and codes. My music belongs in that world, but I never start with a category. I start with a feeling, a vision, a desire to create something strong and lasting. I aim to give classical intensity a new shape, one that belongs to my time and story.

Reaching younger audiences is part of your mission. How do you achieve that?

It’s not about teaching classical music as a lesson. It’s about giving younger listeners access to emotion, depth, and intensity through the piano. If they discover a wider classical world afterward, that’s beautiful. I aim to make classical music feel alive, direct, and powerful. Albums and performances alike should speak immediately, without simplifying the emotion, showing that the piano can be magnetic, physical – even spectacular.

Your album premiere took place at Opéra Garnier. Why this venue?

MOVIE lives in a dialogue between elegance, intensity, and ambition. Garnier naturally represents that. It gave the premiere a ceremonial dimension, almost like an official entry into the world the project was meant for.

Your performances often blur classical and contemporary lines. How do you balance traditional orchestral elements with your cinematic style?

I focus on emotions rather than balance. What does the moment need to feel true? Sometimes that’s a full orchestra, sometimes a solo piano. Cinematic and classical aren’t opposites – they both aim to make you feel what words cannot. I follow that feeling wherever it leads.

Reflecting on this album and your artistic journey, what does MOVIE represent?

MOVIE is where everything converged: piano, voices, orchestra, choir, and cinema – all in the same room. If someone listens and feels less alone, or experiences music as sacred in a fast-moving world, then it has done everything I hoped for.