It's all in the Mind of... The Labèque Sisters

Katia and Marielle Labèque started piano lessons with their mother when they were only three and five years-old. Now, they have sharply contrasting styles (as sisters often do) but they're nonetheless a highly-communicative piano team. With a repertoire ranging from Baroque on period instruments to contemporary music, Katia and Marielle have started their own organisation - the KML Foundation - to further develop and raise awareness of the repertoire for duo piano. The sisters have also launched their own record label, KML Recordings, to provide a platform for their musical style.

Tonight Katia and Marielle make their third and final appearance at this year's BBC Proms, performing the UK Premiere of Louis Andriessen's The Hague Hacking, a piece written for them by the Dutch composer, which was partly inspired by a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

The Labèque Sisters: Proms 43 'Falla, Louis Andriessen & Ravel' 7:30pm

Katia

Q. What are you currently reading?
A. 'Senza sangue' ('Without blood'), Alessandro Baricco

Q. Who inspires you musically?
A. All the great musicians around me

Q. What's your favourite city, and why?
A. Roma for the mix of civilisation

Q. What young artists are you keeping an eye on?
A. David Chalmin and David Fray

Q. Who would you like to get stuck in an elevator with?
A. Mozart

Q. Where is the strangest place you've ever performed?
A. In a wine cellar outside Bordeaux in one of the great Chateau Margaux

Q. What piece of music can you not live without?
A. There are too many...cannot choose ! sorry......

Q. What food can you not live without?
A. Fruits and vegetable

Q. Where is your favourite spot in London?
A. Right now, Albert Hall

Q. If you were invisible for a day, what would be the first thing you'd do?
A. Live with the birds

Marielle

Q. What are you currently reading?
A. Yasushi Inoué 'Le fusil de chasse' ('The Hunting Gun')

Q. Who inspires you musically?
A. Great orchestras and operas

Q. What's your favourite city, and why?
A.  Paris and Rome because there is no limit of what you can discover everyday

Q. What young artist are you keeping an eye on?
A. Gautier Capuçon

Q. Who would you like to get stuck in an elevator with?
A. Jude Law

Q. Where is the strangest place you've ever performed?
A. In the Rock festival ATP organized by Mike Patton in Burlins Holiday resort (Minehead) "Nightmare before Christmas"

Q. What piece of music can you not live without?
A. Schubert Fantasy F minor

Q. What food can you not live without?
A. Chocolate

Q. Where is your favourite spot in London?
A. Hyde Park and the secret  gardens

Q. If you were invisible for a day, what would be the first thing you'd do?
A. To travel without going through security control ...

Find out more about Louis Andriessen>>

Listen to Katia and Marielle live on BBC Radio 3 or listen again online at bbc.co.uk/proms

Photo reproduced with thanks to Katia and Marielle Labeque, and Mark Stephen Bull Artist's Management