Dyade in French, or Dyad in English, refers to a pair of two individuals or things intrinsically linked, functioning as a single unit. Therefore, Dyade is an apt description of the aesthetics of French harpist Émilie Chevillard (playing a custom-made chromatic harp, developed by the luthier Philip Volant, featuring all chromatic notes on a single row of aligned strings) and pianist Peggy Buard (who also plays on a prepared piano). Dyade is the debut album of Chevillard and Buard, and one piece of it was recorded in 2022, while the other seven pieces were recorded at the studio Peninsula in Sarzeau in November 2025.

Chevillard and Buard create a suggestive and sensual, intimate music universe of their own, blurring the distinction between contemporary chamber music, jazz, improvised music, imaginary world music, and experiments with timbral possibilities with the acoustic string instruments. The eight pieces highlight the thoughtful but playful ways that Chevillard and Buard weave timbres and textures, using extended bowing and percussive techniques on the harp’s strings and inside the piano.

The atmosphere of Dyade is mostly contemplative and peaceful, reflecting the emphatic, patient, and complementary dynamics of Chevillard and Buard that let their music flow and bloom at its own pace and according to its inner logic. They often sound like an inseparable, highly resonant string entity that is in full service of its lush melodies, and the vocative harmonies of timbres.

Dyade offers a sonic haven protected from daily worries and other global crises, allowing the listener to swim and soar in dream-like mirages, surrender to weightlessness, and imagine themselves dancing with the elements.

Eyal Hareuveni

Émilie Chevillard (chromatic harp), Peggy Bourad (piano, prepared piano)