Scandinavia and Italy come together on the stage of the Fazioli Concert Hall with two artists who seemingly have opposite temperaments, but are both lovers of opera, virtuosity, and humor. Stefano Bollani sees music as a vast game to be continually reinvented, drawing inspiration from masterpieces of the past while remaining attuned to the present moment. Whether collaborating with renowned artists like Chick Corea and Chico Buarque, performing with prestigious orchestras, or delving into Brazilian music, his approach remains consistent.
For Iiro Rantala, a Finnish pianist who graduated in jazz piano at the renowned Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and then in classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music, the history of music is a treasure from which to draw for his compositions. From Jazz to Classical, the most diverse influences converge in his works, whether orchestral arrangements, solo piano works or trio works.
[Bollani] knows what he’s doing like few others in the world, he knows well and sincerely loves a vast repertoire in which the Latin mood stands out and from which he makes his most beautiful flowers bloom.
Arturo Pepe
Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala simply is „a natural phenomenon on the keys.“
Jazz Thing