ANNOUNCER: International Piano Superstar Peter Bence is bringing his spectacular concert performance style to PBS.

♪ From the historic Art Deco Grand Rex Theater in the heart of Paris, Peter Bence dazzles the audience with his virtuosity.

♪ Joined on stage by cellist Luka Sulic.

they reinterpret classic songs, ♪ and pop and rock favorites.

♪ It's an evening to remember with Peter Bence, Pianosphere in Paris, now on PBS.

♪ (audience applauding and cheering) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) PETER: Bonsoir, Paris.

Merci d'être là.

Did I say that right?

(audience cheering and applauding) Thanks for coming.

(Peter laughs) Now, sorry to say I have to continue in English.

I can't speak French.

Now, you might know me doing crazy stuff to the piano.

And I actually love to experiment in my ho- home studio because I think piano is so much more than just playing the keys.

I mean, the keyboard itself, it's only like, I don't know, what, 5% of the whole furniture?

And you could do so many other things.

And I like to experiment.

So, you know, from plucking the strings, ♪ to playing percussion, (piano thuds) anything, you know, in order to sort of imitate other instruments.

And later, when I put it back together, with the help of my loop station, which I have here, it's gonna sound like a whole orchestra is playing.

So this loop station, the way it works, by the way, it's- it's incredible device.

And the way it works is if I play something, you know, and push the button, ♪ it just keeps repeating that phrase forever.

So I could go out, have a coffee.

By the time I return, the music is still playing, so it's- it's creating itself.

This is one of my favorite ways to comp- compose music or arrange music.

It's like the building blocks of music, and you can switch them off and on.

You know, it's- it's just, it's a very creative way to do anything.

And, um...

But unfortunately, you know, I'm very untalented and uninspired when it comes to giving titles to these songs.

So therefore, this one is called, are you sitting down?

"The Loop Song."

(audience laughing) (audience applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Superman, Jaws.

What is common in all those movies?

It's the magic that binds it together is the music.

And it's by one single composer.

His name is John Williams.

He's been one of my biggest inspirations throughout my career.

I started composing because of him and went to study film scoring, to Boston, because of him.

And so I really wanted to pay this homage to John Williams and his music.

And I'm sure you will recognize this song.

(audience applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) Thank you.

Merci beaucoup.

And now the next song is very special in a lot of ways.

First of all, a few weeks ago, we were in Los Angeles, and I had the privilege of playing Henry Mancini's piano, the very piano he composed the next song.

And it was such a beautiful moment and incredible honor, of course.

And so I really wanted to pay this homage and create a little nice arrangement of "Moon River," which I'm sure you're familiar with.

(audience applauding) But "Moon River" is not complete without the strings, of course.

And so tonight, and tonight only, we have a very special guest to play "Moon River" with me.

And he is the incredible cellist, Luka Sulic.

Please, ladies and gentlemen, (audience applauding) welcome Luka Sulic.

(audience applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) JOHNNYA: Peter Bence is such an amazing talent and we will be returning to the Grand Rex Theatre for the second part of the show in just a couple of minutes.

But we thought you might wanna see a behind-the-scenes look at Peter in Paris when he was getting ready for the show.

MAURA: Hello, I'm Maura Daly Phinney, I'm here with Peter Bence on a boat, on the Seine, in Paris, which is amazing.

PETER: It is amazing, how beautiful is that?

MAURA: I know our PBS audience is gonna enjoy this concert so much.

How did you put together the music for it?

PETER: I- I've selected some of my favorite songs that I- I just love to play and some of my favorite arrangements and of course, I had to include some of those arrangements that happened to be the most popular and viewed on- on the internet.

So I of course included those as well.

And so it's gonna be like a nice blend of everything.

MAURA: And the reason that we're here on a boat on the Seine of course, is we're in Paris and we've had a day, at least before the concert, to walk around and see this beautiful city.

I know you travel all over the world right now, how does traveling really influence your music?

And does it?

I would assume it would, just all these new experiences.

PETER: Of course it does, yeah.

Especially ethnic music, I would say.

But a funny thing is that I get more inspired by cuisines and the food itself because I love to cook so much and sometimes I- I get the inspiration from the- from the kitchen as well.

So it's really- it's really nice.

And what better place to be than Paris?

MAURA: Okay, well we'll have to make sure that you get some time to eat while you're here and you just don't have to work the whole time.

PETER: Oh yeah.

MAURA: All right, well thank you so much.

We're so looking forward to the show and thank you if you're a supporter of PBS, we really couldn't do it without you.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Give $10 a month as a sustainer or make a $120 annual contribution, and we'll thank you with your very own Retro PBS bluetooth speaker.

It connects wirelessly to your phone, tablet, or computer, and lets you rock out to your favorite music in style.

♪ Plus, you can enjoy the benefits of membership, including the incredibly popular PBS Passport.

With PBS Passport, you can dive into a massive library of concerts, plus arts, science, history, and drama programs that you can stream whenever you want.

You'll even be able to watch the entire Peter Bence: Pianosphere in Paris concert, which features five additional songs.

So please, make an investment in everything you love on this PBS station.

Make your contribution now.

♪ PETER: So this is the regular piano sound, of course, ♪ and with distortion, ♪ sort of guitar-ish, right?

You will see this fits perfectly into the next song, which is actually from the movie Inception.

This is "Time" by Hans Zimmer.

(audience applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) Luka Sulic, everybody.

(audience cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) PETER: Hi, this is Peter Bence in Paris and if you enjoy the show, you can make a contribution right now.

Thank you very much.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) PETER: Merci, thank you very much.

Now the question is, do you want another song?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

PETER: Yeah, I don't know.

Do you want another song?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

PETER: Do you want another song?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

PETER: And, nope, good- goodnight.

(audience laughing) (audience whistling) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience clapping in rhythm) ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) JOHNNYA: Fantastic, I feel like I've just discovered my new favorite musician.

Peter Bence can really do it all.

He's a pianist, a composer, and an amazing arranger, building on the works of legends like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Henry Mancini.

Our PBS colleague, Maura Daly Phinney was in Paris and had a chance to talk to Peter before the show.

MAURA: So, who have been some of your- the people who have inspired you?

I would guess John Williams because of Jurassic Park and all of that?

PETER: Yeah, I would have to say, of course, you know, so many people inspire me every day, but if I had to pick one, it has to be John Williams.

I mean, he is- he is... I- I dare to say he is one of the greatest living composers.

MAURA: Oh, for sure.

PETER: And- and, you know, we just grew up with all these amazing themes that just resonates with us.

You know, and it's not just the melodic features like, you know, we- we could all hum this and sing along with his songs, but also, you know, the orchestrations, the arrangement, all these fine details that you would normally find with the great composers like Bach and Beethoven.

MAURA: Mm-hmm.

Well, we think you're a great composer too, and that's why we're so happy that we can bring you to PBS, and I know the show's gonna be a success, congratulations.

PETER: Thank you very much.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Give $10 a month as a sustainer or make a $120 annual contribution, and we'll thank you with your very own Retro PBS bluetooth speaker.

It connects wirelessly to your phone, tablet, or computer, and lets you rock out to your favorite music in style.

♪ Plus, you can enjoy the benefits of membership, including the incredibly popular PBS Passport.

With PBS Passport, you can dive into a massive library of concerts, plus arts, science, history, and drama programs that you can stream whenever you want.

You'll even be able to watch the entire Peter Bence: Pianosphere in Paris concert, which features five additional songs.

So please, make an investment in everything you love on this PBS station.

Make your contribution now.

♪ (audience cheering and applauding) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering and applauding) ♪