THE PARIS CONCERTS is the story of Andrew and Margaux, two teens who meet at a Paris international piano competition. She’s sixteen and French; he’s seventeen, American, and blind. Only one of them can win, but their feelings for each other complicate the contest and their ideas of what success means.

SYNOPSIS:

THE PARIS CONCERTS

Seventeen-year-old Andrew Galway is blind…and a piano wunderkind. After two weeks of recitals in Paris’s First International Youth Piano Competition, Andrew is named as one of two semifinalists, along with sixteen-year-old Margaux Dupont-Nagahama. They will compete in two last concerts that will determine the winner. Andrew’s hopeful that a win in Paris—money, schooling, concert career—will be his freedom. His mother’s involvement has become stifling to him.

At first, Andrew politely declines Margaux’s invitation to hang out, but they end up sharing a day together in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and he warms to her. At the semifinalists’ celebratory gala on one of Paris’s bateaux-mouches, Andrew and Margaux split a bottle of champagne and lead the crowd in a rendition of a famous French pop song. The video goes viral. Andrew’s mother, Billie Galway, warns Andrew that Margaux could derail this competition for him if he spends time with her. Joséphine Bourdillon, a journalist, has been hired as the webcast host for the competition. She decides the audience needs a love story, and she will somehow extract this from Andrew and Margaux. The first concert goes well, although both Andrew and Margaux are struck by the depth and emotion in each other’s music. Andrew scores higher than Margaux, and Margaux is disappointed since she's counting on the prize money to help with family expenses. Joséphine conducts an interview with the teens, and they joke that Joséphine will have them married by the time the interview comes out.

When Andrew texts Billie to give his whereabouts, his mother appears, berating Margaux for causing psychological duress to her son. Because of this, Andrew continues to feel torn about his relationship with Margaux. Margaux invites him to go tandem biking down the Seine with her. Andrew sneaks away, and for the first time in his life, he experiences a surreal moment of happiness. Margaux reveals that she planned to sabotage Andrew during the competition, but she’s regretful and apologetic. Andrew believes she’s sincere. They share a picnic and kiss for the first time.

On the way back to the bike shop, Margaux's hand is injured on a bridge railing when Andrew reaches for his hat and upsets the bike. If she can’t play, he wins. During the concert, Andrew plays her left hand for her and forfeits his win. Neither wins, and when the audience objects, the recording executives offer both a recording contract. During the concert, Billie is surprised at Andrew's sacrifice, but she understands that her iron grip on his future has been more about her than him.

Although Andrew loses his place at The Julliard School—and hence his freedom—he marvels at what he’s gained.