Born in San Giovanni Gemini - Italy, Sandro Russo displayed exceptional musical talent from an early age. In 1995, he graduated summa cum laude from the V. Bellini Conservatory, and earned the Pianoforte Performing Diploma from the Royal College of Music in London with honors. In addition, he won top prize awards in numerous national and international competitions, including Senigallia, and the Ibla Grand Prize. As a result, Sandro Russo was invited to perform in some of the country’s most prestigious concert halls.
Soon after he came to the United States in April 2000, he won the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Competition, and performed Liszt’s A major Concerto with Maestro David Gilbert at the John Harms Center for the Arts in Englewood, New Jersey. After auditioning for conductor John Yaffé, Mr. Russo was invited to make his New York City debut performing Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto. Subsequently he was presented at Carnegie Recital Hall as a winner of the 25th Frinna Awerbuch Competition.
Early in 2002, Mr. Russo gave an acclaimed Chopin recital at the prestigious Politeama Theatre in Palermo, Italy, and later appeared at the Nuove Carriere Music Festival, a showcase for the most promising young talents worldwide. In February 2003, Mr. Russo won second prize at the Jacksonville Symphony Competition performing with the JSO conducted by Fabio Mechetti, and in 2004 he was awarded top honors at the 10th Missouri Southern International Piano Competition.
Mr. Russo’s extensive repertoire comprises well-known masterpieces of all periods as well as more obscure and challenging works of the piano literature by such composers as Medtner, Sorabji, Blumenfeld, and others. Live performances of these works are featured on various internet forums, and have been among the most viewed classical music videos. He has also premiered new compositions by Lowell Liebermann, Paul Moravec, and Marc-André Hamelin.
Highlights of recent seasons include solo recitals for the Rachmaninoff Society in London, where his rendition of the Corelli Variations Op. 42 was praised for “a complete understanding of the work combined with a flawless technique.†He also gave a dazzling performance featuring The Art of The Piano Transcription at the “Homage to Cziffra†Festival in NYC hosted by David Dubal, and performed with the Slovak Philharmonic under the baton of Tomas Hanus in the finals of the 5th Hummel International Piano Competition in Bratislava. In December 2005 he made his debut at the Salle Cortot in Paris during the Animato Festival “Revélations 2005†series, and subsequently appeared in such venues as Teatro Ghione in Rome, the new concert hall of the San Francisco Conservatory (American Liszt Society Festival), and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
In June 2007, he was heard in recital at Zankel Hall (Carnegie Hall) for a concert in honor of the Italian Consul General Antonio Bandini and “One Bright World†Foundation, and that same month he was presented in a solo recital at Carnegie Recital Hall. In recent months, he was once again invited to perform at the “Noontime Series†in San Francisco, and on November 15, 2007, the American Liszt Society - New York Chapter – presented him at the Yamaha Piano Salon for their annual concert.
Both audiences and critics have raved about the transcendental virtuosity and exquisite lyricism of these last performances: “The Grieg Ballade and Rachmaninoff Etude-tableaux were utterly ravishing and at times shockingly intense. But his transcendental account of Taneyev’s Prelude and Fugue simply left nothing to be said. It was unreal; you just had to be there.†(The Rachmaninoff Society Newsletter, 2006)
Upcoming engagements include a summer tour in Italy with the “Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana†performing Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto, and solo recitals at “The Bard Music Festival†in the Hamptons, “Concerts Grand†in San Francisco and the “Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts†in Chicago.