A Swiss-born pianist, Gilles Vonsattel, will present a solo piano recital of music by French composers in the seaside town of Rockport on Saturday evening.

He performed with violinist Tai Murray a year ago here, before a standing room only crowd of more than 300 listeners at Rockport's First Congregational Church where he will appear again.

This concert is one of the many performances of Rockport Music, which continues its tradition of presenting both emerging and established artists from around the globe.

Kristen Harrington, general manager of Rockport Music, said a Gilles performance is electrifying to watch.

"He has tremendous energy, and musical maturity way beyond his years. He is young, dynamic and approachable, and really appreciates how audiences get closely involved in his performances," she said.

In a recent talk Harrington had with Gilles about a month ago, he told her that he used to attend Rockport Chamber Music Festival concerts as a child with his family.

"And now that he is performing here again, it is even more special for him to be a part of the outstanding family of quality artists that Rockport Music continues to present," she said.

The award-winning Vonsattel shared some background on the upcoming recital.

"The music on this program shares a certain aesthetic approach. I find much of early 20th century French music to be a happy 'solution' to some of the problems posed by the extremes of Romantic Music. The music of Poulenc, Debussy, and Ravel makes no great effort to be earth shatteringly philosophical, but appeals directly to our senses," said Vonsattel.

The young pianist studied in Boston with David Deveau, the artistic director for Rockport Music. Vonsattel earned his bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Columbia University and his master's degree from The Julliard School. In 2006, he was the top prizewinner at the 2006 Geneva International Music Competition. This was one of several awards he has earned over the years. Last year, he received the Avery Fisher career grant.

Vonsattel said he learned many lessons from studying with Deveau, some which may be relevant to school-age musicians.

"When I came to David, I loved performing for the adrenaline rush it represented, and to be honest, I hated practicing. He taught me to control the 'rush,' and to reach a greater understanding of what was happening during a performance, particularly rhythmically," said Vonsattel. "This was invaluable and a huge step in my evolution as an artist. Now I like practicing."

Gilles harbors a deep commitment to the chamber music repertoire. He is a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's prestigious Chamber Music Society Two residency for young artists. His repertoire ranges from Bach's Art of the Fugue to Xenakis, a Greek modern composer. He continues to involve himself in classical music outreach by giving master classes at universities and schools in the United States.

His music has been heard frequently on National Public Radio's Performance Today and on Radio France Musique.

The pianist appears around the world, both solo, with chamber music groups, at music festivals and with orchestras. He has performed in major venues from Boston's Symphony Hall to Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and Tokyo's Opera City Hall.

His appearances include performances with the National Symphony of Ireland, and at Warsaw's Chopin Festival. He had recent debuts at the Musée du Louvre in Paris and at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

IF YOU GO

What: Rockport Music presents Swiss-born pianist in concert of French music

When: Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m.

Where: The First Congregational Church of Rockport at 12 School St. Ticket

Prices range from $21-$38. Those under 18 attend for free. Call 978-546-7391

or visit www.rockportmusic.org. Tickets are also available on the night of

the performance starting at 7 p.m. at the church.