Insider Look
10 Questions with...
Anne Payot-Le Nabour, Publications Editor
Insider Look
10 Questions with...
Anne Payot-Le Nabour, Publications Editor
Do you remember the first concert you ever attended at the Philharmonie? The last one?
Despite having already spent ten years at the Philharmonie, I remember my first concert, on 01.09.15, as if it were yesterday: Daniel Barenboim conducting the Staatskapelle Berlin, so I got off to a flying start! I had just started my role as Publications Editor, and I can still see my new colleagues excitedly discovering the freshly redesigned concert programmes on that night. It was a real eye-opener to realise what exceptional evenings my new job would allow me to experience… and they have never stopped since. The most recent concert, and no less memorable, was on 31.10.25: Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducting the Luxembourg Philharmonic, which seemed truly transported by this great conductor from the North. They were joined by violinist Leonidas Kavakos in Shostakovich’s rarely heard First Concerto.
Is there a corner of the Philharmonie which you particularly like?
I can never get enough of our Salle de Musique de Chambre, a cocoon for both eyes and ears where I immediately felt at home. This was true from the day of my job interview, when I was given a tour of the house, before I even knew I was going to be chosen for the position. I was literally amazed by this little gem, which I have since experienced in many ways, as I sometimes go up on stage to host conferences and conduct interviews with artists.
It’s no surprise that its beauty has caught the eye of several filmmakers, such as in the movie Énorme, where I had the amusing surprise of discovering my colleague Anni Saedler on screen alongside French actress Marina Foïs playing a seasoned concert pianist! (laughs)
Among the many objects on your desk, tell us about one that is especially meaningful to you.
Apart from the handwritten cards, which always touch me deeply, there is a small box on my right, undoubtedly insignificant to everyone else, which brings to mind a city that is very dear to me. This container once had a piece of Sachertorte in it, sent directly from Vienna. What city in the world is more musical than the capital of Austria? And where else can one find more refined tea rooms… to enjoy the very best Sachertorte?
Which project do you cherish the most at the moment?
It is difficult to name one in particular, but we recently issued a new thematic book, designed entirely by the dramaturgy team. Starting a thematic book from scratch each season and seeing the (beautiful, and I hope you will agree that it isn’t just the Editor in me looking through rose-tinted glasses) result is always a pleasure. And it’s always with great emotion that we see it in the hands of the audience for the first time – in that instance, on the evening of Anna Prohaska’s recital back on 18.11.
What is the last thing that made you and your colleagues from the dramaturgy laugh in the office?
We were amused to see that one of our evening programmes had been used as a prop on stage during the staging of The Marriage of Figaro. Cherubino hastily opened the booklet to escape the gaze of Count Almaviva – ah, the power of theatrical illusion! Our publications enjoyed their moment of glory, basking in the limelight for a brief instant!
Tell us something about you that might surprise people…
When it comes to music, I am quite insatiable, and when I travel, my loved ones cannot escape a visit to the local opera house or concert hall (laughs). However, music is not the only thing in my life, and I am interested in many other areas. I recently enrolled as an auditor in a general introductory course on art history offered by the École du Louvre in Paris. After literally drinking in the brilliant words of doctors of oriental archaeology, seasoned Egyptologists and specialists in Byzantine art, I am now trying my best to curb the irrepressible urge to travel which exploring a new area of knowledge has sparked!
What do you like to do on a weekend or day off?
… soak up culture, actually! I love reading, going to exhibitions, listening to music. I've just reread Victor Hugo’s Hernani, which I had studied years ago in high school, and it gave me the opportunity to refresh my memory about the impact of the play’s ground-breaking premiere in 1830. I’m really enjoying revisiting the great works of French literature at the moment, which I’ve often neglected in recent years in favour of more «useful» reading.
What is your favourite time of the season at the Philharmonie?
I would say the month of December, when we start to hear about the first elements of the following season’s programme. It is always a very exciting time. It is as dynamic as it is stimulating – which isn’t surprising given the inherently changing industry in which we work.
Among the many books kept in the Dramaturgy’s office, do you have a favourite?
In L’Été, Albert Camus writes: «After all, the best way to talk about what you love is to talk about it lightheartedly». So, I reckon my love of good food will speak for itself! As I am very fond of opera and… good things, I would say that the book Die Oper kocht, in which opera singers share their favourite recipes, is one of my personal favourites. It’s a concept that I was delighted to find again in Oui, Chef!, a cookbook created with musicians from our orchestra and published in November 2025. On a more «serious» note, Christian Merlin’s Au cœur de l’orchestre presents a wealth of information in a friendly and passionate way, and I never tire of returning to it.
What have you learned about yourself over the past decade at the Philharmonie?
The last ten years at the Philharmonie have allowed me to discover so many things and areas of expertise, particularly with regards to programming and production through résonances, our curated series of talks and events around the concerts, but also in terms of repertoires and musical styles. After a decade, it is clear that my passion remains intact and I don’t see it fading anytime soon. The Philharmonie is such a beautiful venue!
Watch Anne and the Dramaturgy Team in action
The interview was conducted by email in November 2025.
