Hania Rani & Ensemble in concert at Salle Pleyel in Paris: we were there, we tell you all about it

Published by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Photos by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Updated on April 6, 2025 at 06:10 p.m.
Bewitching, transcendent and moving. On Friday April 4, 2025, Hania Rani put in a fine performance on her second Paris date at the Salle Pleyel. The Polish singer and pianist sublimated the tracks from her album "Ghosts" with sublime arrangements, surrounded for the occasion by 7 talented musicians. Let's take a look back at this spellbinding evening.

Endowed with innate talent and incredible artistic creativity, Hania Rani caught our attention as soon as her first solo opus,"Esja", was released in 2019. Since then, the Polish pianist and singer has multiplied her albums and tours, each time with a furious desire to surprise and amaze us. Following her performances at Le Centquatre, La Maroquinerie, La Cour des Invalides, La Cigale and Salle Pleyel, Hania Rani is back to enchant her Parisian audiences with two exceptional concerts on Thursday April 3 and Friday April 4, 2025. And it's once again at the Salle Pleyel that the artist has chosen to set down her pianos and machines.

As well as being an outstanding pianist and a composer with a wealth of ideas, Hania Rani likes to set herself new challenges. So each of her tours is different. After solo shows or accompanied by double bassist Ziemowit Klimek, this time the singer is surrounded by 7 musicians (two violins, a cello, an electric guitar, two brass instruments and a double bass).

The idea for this new tour? To play his sumptuous opus"Ghosts" in its entirety, with new arrangements for the occasion. " What interests me most is the way in which something can be distributed through countless translations, losing its initial form, but transforming itself into something new through different perspectives and environments ", said the Polish artist about this European tour, simply entitled"Hania Rani & Ensemble present Ghosts".

So here we are at the Salle Pleyel, on Friday April 4, 2025, for our second Paris date, and this undisguised impatience to discover the"Ghosts" album in a new light.

At 8.35pm,Hania Rani takes to the stage at Salle Pleyel, alongside her 7 talented musicians. The artist takes center stage, between her grand piano, upright piano and synth/machine(s). With her hair tied back, green sneakers and all dressed in black, the musician opted for a beautiful opening with a striking intro followed by the track " Fall ", as graceful as it is bewitching. Accompanied on this track by two violins and a cello, it doesn't take long for Hania Rani to charm us with her soaring, ethereal voice. Then, with her back to the audience, the artist contorts her body, reminding us at times of a swan. With her head turned upside down and her eyes closed in front of her machines, she seems inhabited. It's simply beautiful, captivating and deeply moving.

The pianist and singer performs one piece after another, leaving no room for applause. Hania Rani stays focused and seems to want to tell us a story. After " Oltre Terra ", played with all the musicians, Hania Rani now bewitches us with " 24.03 ", a more electro and tormented-sounding track. The set continues with the sublimely melancholy " Dancing with ghosts ". A gentle track, carried by the artist's crystalline voice. In the hall, the silence is golden and the audience seems captivated, to the point of hearing, from the front rows,Hania Rani 's foot tapping the floor and beating time.

In just a few tracks, Hania Rani has already demonstrated a broad spectrum of her skills, her indisputable technicality, her musical sensitivity and her talent for revisiting her own songs. And this is just the beginning. Hania Rani and his cohorts continue with " Boat ", " Moans " and the hypnotic " Hello", the kind of track that stays in your head for hours.

Hania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconteHania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconteHania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconteHania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconte
© W Live

Then the music stops, giving way to the first well-deserved applause. The artist then takes a short break. Leaving her pianos and taking the microphone, Hania Rani takes the opportunity to thank the audience for this second show, and to introduce her wonderful musicians, one by one.

After a few minutes, the lights go out again. Hania Rani begins her solo rendition of " Nostalgia ". We are lulled by the soft piano notes. We are hypnotized by the visible, moving keys on her upright piano. Then the first notes of " Don't Break with my heart " ring out, much to our delight. The tracks follow one another again. " Whispering House ", " A Day in Never ", " Thin Line ", " Komeda "... with perfect mastery and brilliantly played, intelligent arrangements every time. The only downside for us was that the strings weren't strong enough on some tracks at the start of the set.

Hania Rani 's voice is more assertive than a few years ago. The artist seems to take more pleasure in singing, going so far as to use her vocal cords as a real instrument. On stage, Hania Rani has also become more confident than on previous tours. The artist now has the disconcerting ease to move from one piano to another and from one microphone to another. Hania Rani also allows herself some surprising leg movements in front of her machines.

After about two hours, the lights come back on and it doesn't take long for the audience to rise to their feet and give Hania Rani and her musicians a hearty round of applause. Special mention also to Agata Dankoswka, her loyal and talented sound engineer.

In the end, Hania Rani rose to the challenge with flying colors. We can't wait to discover what this indisputably talented and creative musician and singer has in store for us in the years to come!

Hania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconteHania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconteHania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconteHania Rani & Ensemble en concert à la Salle Pleyel à Paris : on y était, on vous raconte

Setlist:

Intro
Fall
Oltre Terra
24.03
DancingWith Ghosts
The Boat
Moans
Hello
Nostalgia
Don't Break My Heart
Whispering House
ADay In Never
Thin Line
It Don't Bother Me
Komeda
Always in the Dark
Always In the Dark Outro
Utrata

Practical information

Location

252 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris 8

Route planner

Accessibility info

Access
M°Ternes

Official website
haniarani.com

Comments
Refine your search
Refine your search
Refine your search
Refine your search