French music is about “color, mood and nuance,” observes pianist Louis Lortie.

“For me, it’s always about style,” said the Canadian-born pianist, who will appear in a French-themed program March 12, 14 and 17 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as soloist in Franck’s Symphonic Variations, under guest conductor Charles Dutoit. “There is this mixture of different styles. … How do you put all of that together and make sense of it and give it a really strong character?”

To read the full interview, from the San Diego Union Tribune, click here.