Event of the Piano Plus Festival 2014

Piano Recital by the Italian pianists Alessandro Marano and Margherita Capalbo

Piano Plus Festival invites you again this year to attend and participate in these music "experiences" it is presenting in Athens with artists from all over the world who will share their music and Works with our audience and music students.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Piano Recital by the Italian pianists Alessandro Marano and Margherita Capalbo

Concert hall of the Attiko Conservatory, Eratosthenous St. 8, Pagrati, 8.00p.m.

Tickets 5 Euros.

Alessandro Marano, piano

The Italian pianist Alessandro Marano studied in the Conservatory of Music “Stanislao Giacomantonio” of Cosenza (Italy) with Professor Giuseppe Maiorca where he obtained the Piano Diploma first and then the Artist Diploma as soloist with full marks and honors. Upon graduating from the Conservatory, he attended the International Piano Courses in the Hindemith Foundation in Switzerland where he spent eight years studying with such internationally renowned teachers and performers as Edith Fischer (one of the most famous Claudio Arrau’s pupil), Paul Badura-Skoda, Peter Nagy, Bernd Zack, Jorge Pepi-ALos. Mr Marano attended master-classes with Bruno Canino, again with Edith Fischer at the Centro de Estudios Musicale “A Tempo” in Barcelona and with the great Italian-French pianist Aldo Ciccolini.

Being an award winner of a several national and international piano competitions, Mr Marano keeps a busy concert schedule presenting solo recitals and collaborating with renowned musician all over Italy and abroad (Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Germany, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia). Possessing a very solid piano technique, Maestro Alessandro Marano is praised for his seriousness and sensitivity as well as for the depth of his musical interpretations. One of Mr Marano passions is his study and performance of rare work by Liszt. Last year he devoted himself to play a series of piano recitals entirely dedicated to Franz Liszt to celebrate the anniversary of the 200 years of his birth. The last concert of this tour was held in Bacau (Romania) where he played, in the Ateneu hall, the Fantasy on Hungarian popular melodies for piano and orchestra by Liszt with the Philharmonic Orchestra “Mihail Jora” under the conducting of Maestro Petronius Negrescu.

In 2011, he won the 3rd Prize in the First International Piano Competition “Aldo Ciccolini” in Rome, winner also of the Liszt Special Prize, and also the 3rd Prize in the 18th International Competition “Franz Schubert” in San Cristoforo (Italy). Recently, between March and April 2013, he won the 1st Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of a piece by Liszt in the 11th National Piano Competition “Città di San Giovanni Teatino” and 1st Prize in the 11th National Music Competition “Città di Magliano Sabina”.

Great success after his performing of Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto with the Philharmonic Orchestra “Mihail Jora” under the conducting of Maestro Ovidiu Balan at the Curci Theater in Barletta (Italy) and at the Rendano Theater in Cosenza (Italy) with the Symphonic Orchestra of the Conservatory of Music “S. Giacomantonio” with Maestro Donato Sivo.

In March 2012, he took part as a jury member in the 1st edition of the “Russian Heritage” Piano Competition in memory of pianist Elena Vladimirovna Shishko held in Saint Petersburg (Russia).

Great expectations for his next recitals and concert tours including Liszt 12 étude d’exécution transcendante.

He is the Artistic Director of the International Piano Festival in Castrolibero (Italy), President of the Amici del pianoforte “Franz Liszt” Association, piano Professor in the Secondary Schools, piano-accompanist and teacher-assistant in the Conservatory of Music “S. Giacomantonio” of Cosenza.

His playing, as well as his musical intelligence and high motivation, has been greatly appreciated by all the professors. His talent merits most certainly developing further in the best possible surroundings. We wish him the highest successes... Edith Fischer

Margherita Capalbo, piano

The Italian pianist Margherita Capalbo was born in 1988. At the age of 6 years she undertook his musical studies showing immediately great musical quality. In 2001 she was admitted to the Conservatoire S. Giacomantonio of Cosenza. Here she graduated brilliantly under the guidance of M° Antonella Calvelli in 2009; in 2012 she also graduated in Concert Piano Master with full marks and laude.

Since she was very young undertook the concerts both as soloist and in Chamber music training. She received prizes and awards in more than 40 national and international competitions. In 2006, she represented the Cosenza’s Conservatory in the piano festival "Enfant Prodige" A. Rendano Award. In 2008 she won the Erasmus scholarship to study for a quarter at the Conservatoire Royal de Brussels, where she attended the course of piano with Evgeny Moguilevsky, Alexander Moguilevsky and Olga Roumcevich, as well as the course of Chamber music with Eliane Reyes.

Her musical education and piano in particular contributors meetings with renowned pianists like: Orazio Maione and Boris Slutsky (International Music Academy 2008), Franco Medori and Boris Petrushansky (masterclasses "Musica Reservata" 2006-2008), Michele Campanella (advanced piano Master " Center Vincenzo Vitale" at the University Suor Orsola Benincasa in Naples, Accademia musicale Chigiana, 2009 where she won a scholarship reserved for the best students of the Academy) Edith Murano, Michele Marvulli, Cristiano Burato (International Piano master Courses "Città di Brindisi" 2011), Annamaria Pennella, Antonio Pompa-Baldi (Piano Master Association Napolinova Summer 2010).

Regularly she performs solo concerts and chamber music concerts. Among the latest appointments include: Napolinova Festival 2009-Sala Chopin Mastelloni Palace, Estate Musicale Chigiana 2009-Palazzo Chigi Saracini Micat in Vertice Room, Afternoon in concert "Naples" 2010-National Library of Naples, 2nd International Piano Festival of Castrolibero 2011- Auditorium Giovanni Paolo II, 11th International Piano Festival City of Taranto 2012-Wine Art Gallery, Sala Sinopoli- Villa la Torraccia Fiesole (Florence), Teatro Rendano of Cosenza, Teatro Paisiello of Lecce, Villa Rufolo per il Ravello Festival, Teatro della Cooperativa of Milan. Some future appointments are: Muisc Festival of Conservatore of Cosenza- Casa della Musica; Muisc Festival Villa Loredan Franchin di Ceggia (Venice); Muisc Festival Fausto Zadra, Abano Terme ( Padova); Muisc Festival San Donà di Piave ( Venice); Ravello Concert Society- Villa Rufolo Ravello ( Salerno), Ass. Maurizio Quintieri- Teatro Alfonso Rendano of Cosenza, Muisc Festival Conservatory of Reggio Emilia, Italian’s culture Institute- Bruxelles (Belgium).

Currently she studies with the great Italian-born French pianist Aldo Ciccolini and also with Cristiano Burato and Giuseppe Maiorca. She is Assistant Professor of piano and piano accompanist at the Conservatory of music Stanislao Giacomantonio of Cosenza.