The Italian pianist and composer Roberto Russo graduated summa cum laude from the Music Conservatory of Cosenza and then studied in Italy with Daniel Rivera and Franco Scala, and in Switzerland at the Geneva Conservatory with Maria Tipo. There he obtained the Diplome de perfectionnement (1992). He also took classes with Joerg Demus, Gherard Oppitz, Paul Badura-Skoda, and with Peter Schreier in German Lied.
Roberto started performing publicly in 1985, playing recitals and collaborating with chamber ensembles and orchestras. His tours brought him to the major cities of 12 countries, including New York, Washington, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, London, Geneva, Copenhagen, Bilbao, Rome, and Florence. His performances were reviewed by Italian and international press, and recorded and broadcast by RAI, Radio Vaticana, Radio Toscana Classica, Houston Public Radio, and Radio Televisiòn Argentina. In 2002 he recorded his first CD entirely devoted to the prelude form in the 20th century and in 2005, with Italian tenor Alessandro Maffucci, a CD devoted to Franz Liszt music for voice.
Roberto is also an accomplished composer. His music was presented at many prestigious venues and played by important ensembles. For example, his Pater Noster for choir was performed in Lyon, France, in 2006 by the Royal Chapel Choir of Copenhagen; Sonata for Viola and Piano was presented in 1995 at the Council Palace of Buenos Aires, and 12 Preludes for Piano were performed in Norway and in Krakow, Poland. The two-time winner of the Ibla International Music Competition (in 1996 as a pianist and in 1997 as a composer), Roberto Russo teaches courses and seminars at the Music Conservatories in Tromsoe, Norway; Oviedo, Spain; Bucharest and Krakow. Between 2000 and 2005 Roberto was the Artistic Director of the Liszt International Competition for Pianists and Composers in Grottammare, Italy. He currently teaches piano at his alma mater, the Conservatory of Cosenza.
We have a large selection of Roberto's performances in our library; for the playlist we selected several preludes, two of which are Roberto's own compositions. First is La sérénade interrompue, from Preludes, Book 1 by Claude Debussy, then Prelude op. 5 no. 2 by Dmitri Kabalevsky, followed by Prelude no. 4, from Five preludes without opus number, by Dmitry Shostakovich, and Para los acentos (no.1 of 12 Preludios Americanos) by Alberto Ginastera. Two preludes by Russo are: Piano Prelude in C major and Piano Prelude in G sharp minor, Homage to Dmitri Shostakovich. To listen, click here.
May 23, 2011
The Italian pianist and composer Roberto Russo graduated summa cum laude from the Music Conservatory of Cosenza and then studied in Italy with Daniel Rivera and Franco Scala, and in Switzerland at the Geneva Conservatory with Maria Tipo. There he obtained the Diplome de perfectionnement (1992). He also took classes with Joerg Demus, Gherard Oppitz, Paul Badura-Skoda, and with Peter Schreier in German Lied.
Roberto started performing publicly in 1985, playing recitals and collaborating with chamber ensembles and orchestras. His tours brought him to the major cities of 12 countries, including New York, Washington, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, London, Geneva, Copenhagen, Bilbao, Rome, and Florence. His performances were reviewed by Italian and international press, and recorded and broadcast by RAI, Radio Vaticana, Radio Toscana Classica, Houston Public Radio, and Radio Televisiòn Argentina. In 2002 he recorded his first CD entirely devoted to the prelude form in the 20th century and in 2005, with Italian tenor Alessandro Maffucci, a CD devoted to Franz Liszt music for voice.
Roberto is also an accomplished composer. His music was presented at many prestigious venues and played by important ensembles. For example, his Pater Noster for choir was performed in Lyon, France, in 2006 by the Royal Chapel Choir of Copenhagen; Sonata for Viola and Piano was presented in 1995 at the Council Palace of Buenos Aires, and 12 Preludes for Piano were performed in Norway and in Krakow, Poland. The two-time winner of the Ibla International Music Competition (in 1996 as a pianist and in 1997 as a composer), Roberto Russo teaches courses and seminars at the Music Conservatories in Tromsoe, Norway; Oviedo, Spain; Bucharest and Krakow. Between 2000 and 2005 Roberto was the Artistic Director of the Liszt International Competition for Pianists and Composers in Grottammare, Italy. He currently teaches piano at his alma mater, the Conservatory of Cosenza.
We have a large selection of Roberto's performances in our library; for the playlist we selected several preludes, two of which are Roberto's own compositions. First is La sérénade interrompue, from Preludes, Book 1 by Claude Debussy, then Prelude op. 5 no. 2 by Dmitri Kabalevsky, followed by Prelude no. 4, from Five preludes without opus number, by Dmitry Shostakovich, and Para los acentos (no.1 of 12 Preludios Americanos) by Alberto Ginastera. Two preludes by Russo are: Piano Prelude in C major and Piano Prelude in G sharp minor, Homage to Dmitri Shostakovich. To listen, click here.