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SIMONE FERRARESI AND BROOKLYN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORM RACHMANINOV'S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4
Simone Ferraresi, featured soloist in opening concert of Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra's 2008/2009 season, on October 26, will play Rachmaninov's "unknown" Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor. Don't miss a chance to hear this rarely performed masterwork by the Russian composer.
ABOUT ME:
"[...] Simone Ferraresi, whom I consider one of the best pianists of his generation, a mature artist despite his young age. I have followed his career over a long period and was always deeply impressed by his playing." - Paul Badura-Skoda, 2004
Born in Ferrara (Italy), Simone Ferraresi studied at G. Frescobaldi Conservatory of Music in Ferrara where he got his diploma in 1992 with highest honors. Afterwards he studied with pianist and musicologist Paul Badura-Skoda and specialized in classical composers interpretation at the Universität für Musik in Vienna; he successively attended Prof. Christopher Elton's Advanced Course at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music - highest examinable award given by the Royal Academy, as well as three special prizes for the best performance in the final recital: Walter Macfarren Prize, Chappel Prize, Lloyd Hartley Prize. He returned in Ferrara where he temporarily put perfomance career aside to study composition, organ, and choral conduction. He published his own pieces for Italian music publisher Bèrben and some of his works are being performed with success by Paris-based Trio Contempo.
Winner of many piano competitions, (Città di Cesenatico, Terme di Saturnia, Otello Calbi, Pausilypon-Denza, Città di Alessandria, S. Pietro in Vincoli, Camillo Milano, Carlo Vidusso, Sasso Marconi), in 1995 was admitted and took part in the prestigious Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where his performances were praised by critics and public. In July 2004 he was invited - with other eleven pianists selected among 172 from all over the world - to take part in the Sixteenth New Orleans International Piano Competition finals, held at Loyola University. In March 2005 he was a finalist in the First Iowa International Competition.
His vast repertoire spans from Bach's Goldberg Variations to Frank Martin's Fantasy, focusing especially on romantic and late-romantic composers, such as Chopin, Schumann and Scriabin; he's also very active in chamber music, often performing with violinist Kristin Lee, violinist Paolo Mancini, and as a soloist with orchestras.
He has developed an intense concert activity in Europe (Italy, United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia) and U.S.A. Recent performances were Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 with Kiev Symphony Orchestra and his acclaimed recital for national Italian classical radio RAI Radio3 at Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, broadcast live throughout Europe. In 2006 and 2007 he had a concert tour and taught master classes in Moscow, Russia. His recordings include works by Scriabin, Chopin, Liszt on CD and works by Chopin for TVP (Polish Television).
He has been a busy and requested piano teacher during the past years and now lives in New York, where he was invited to teach piano at the Piano School of New York City. He is also a visiting professor at the "Petrov" and at the "Ippolitov-Ivanov" State Music Schools in Moscow, Russia and at the "Central School of Music" in Rowland Heights, Los Angeles.
On this website you can listen to a transcription for piano duet (four hands) of Astor Piazzolla's tango La Muerte del Angel.
Please download more mp3's taken from his recitals at: SIMONEFERRARESI.COM
