The Fazioli Concert Hall has announced its program for the 19th concerts season. , which will feature nine events from early November to the end of March. The concerts will take place on Friday evenings at 7:30 PM. Each of the nine concerts will emphasize the value and uniqueness of live performance and present artists with diverse backgrounds, training, careers, cultural influences, experiences, personalities, and repertoires. The lineup will focus on piano performances, with a special chamber music project and an exclusive jazz event complementing the schedule. The artists performing will include well-awaited names, rising stars, and international concert stage legends, promising an exciting journey through Great Music.
Today, the program for the 19th concert season of the Fazioli Concert Hall was unveiled in the presence of the public, journalists, and authorities. The series has been organized by Fazioli Pianoforti S.p.A. since 2005 to showcase the valuable connections the company has cultivated with pianists and musicians of extraordinary stature, thanks to its prestigious instruments now present worldwide.
“Stasera a Concerto” (“Tonight at the Concert”) is the title that defines the series, emphasizing the intention to create curiosity and anticipation at every event, not only regarding the performers and their musical programs but also the uniqueness and unrepeatable nature of each of these evenings.
«The Fazioli Concert Hall aims to be one of those places of the heart, where, thanks to its unique atmosphere, one can truly regenerate the spirit, » explains founder Paolo Fazioli. «The value of a live concert lies precisely in its precious uniqueness: each evening is shaped not only by the artist on stage but also by the audience’s energy, the environment, and the emotions accompanying us». Paolo Fazioli also recalls that since the memorable inauguration with Aldo Ciccolini in December 2005, over 500 concerts have taken place, and more than 200 notable recording projects have been hosted.
On the stage of the Fazioli Concert Hall, internationally renowned pianists have performed in both classical (from Angela Hewitt to Maria João Pires and Louis Lortie) and jazz genres, from Enrico Pieranunzi to Brad Mehldau. The audience’s response over these past twenty years has been consistently enthusiastic, a sign that “Great Music” — as it is proudly called at Fazioli — continues to be an extraordinary and unparalleled journey capable of touching the deepest chords of every individual. Paolo Fazioli continues with a wish: «We hope that attending ‘Stasera a Concerto’ will represent for our spectators a kind of escape, where each artist, with their own personality, along with elements like the voice of our piano and the ideal acoustics of our hall, contributes to shaping moments of pure magic.»
A WEALTH AND VARIETY OF SONIC EXPERIENCES
For this nineteenth season, we are once again accompanied by the colourful and ever-changing wave that characterized the graphic design of the previous series. The soundwave, a typical physical-acoustic representation, transforms and evolves “fantastically” to symbolize not just the propagation of sound over time, but the aim to immerse our listeners in a beneficial wealth and variety of sonic experiences. This symbol also suggests and encompasses the diversity of our lineup. Each “episode” of “Stasera a Concerto” is dedicated to a different performer in terms of origin, education, career, cultural influences, experiences, and personality. Even when similar repertoires are explored, every occasion will inevitably prove to be unrepeatable.
Throughout the nine concerts, we will encounter pianists whom our audience has long awaited, such as Alexander Gadjiev (November 8), one of the most prominent names on the international scene at under thirty years old, or those whose return to Sacile has been eagerly anticipated, like Benedetto Lupo (March 28), an extraordinary interpreter whose authoritative school has produced some of the best Italian talents. We will meet very young pianists who are being championed by the most respected critics, such as Sophia Liu (January 10) and Kevin Chen (January 31), and eclectic artists like Roman Rabinovich (November 22), a Russian-Israeli residing in Canada, who has been applauded in major halls across Europe and the United States. We will host two true Italian stars, with the return of Mariangela Vacatello (February 14), whose projects reveal her tireless pursuit of new ways to present great repertoire to the public, and with the Sacile debut of Saskia Giorgini (February 28), whose recordings regularly earn praise and awards from the most respected international critics. Two special projects further enrich our mosaic: a program conceived specifically for our audience by Maurizio Baglini with cellist Silvia Chiesa (December 13) and the unprecedented piano duo of Stefano Bollani and Iiro Rantala (March 14), phenomenal jazz musicians with strong classical influences.
GREAT MUSIC AND LISTENING GUIDES
The Fazioli 2024-25 calendar will focus predominantly on the great classical and romantic piano repertoire with some significant forays into 20th-century music. Each evening will begin with a brief introduction by musicologists Roberto Calabretto and Luca Cossettini, or by the performers themselves, in the case of the duo formed by Maurizio Baglini and Silvia Chiesa, to guide us to more informed listening and enhance the concert experience.
THE NINE CONCERTS IN DETAIL
The season opens on Friday, November 8, with Alexander Gadjiev, who gained prominence notably for his second prize at the 2021 Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Among his numerous accolades are victories at the Hamamatsu Competition, the Monte Carlo World Piano Masters, and the Sydney Competition. His program for the Fazioli Concert Hall, which includes works by Ligeti, Corigliano, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Scriabin, is presented as a journey from compositional fragments to structure, and from dark atmospheres to a celebration of life.
On November 22, the eclectic Roman Rabinovich will debut in Sacile. Rabinovich won the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv in 2008 and has since performed in some of the most important concert halls across Europe and North America. After studying at the Juilliard School in New York, he was selected by András Schiff for his “Building Bridges” series. Together with his wife, violinist Diana Cohen, he directs Cleveland’s ChamberFest and Calgary’s ChamberFest West. His program will range from Haydn, of whom he is a specialist, to Debussy, Beethoven, and Schumann.
On December 13, the duo formed by visionary pianist Maurizio Baglini, much loved by our audience, and refined and creative cellist Silvia Chiesa, has crafted a journey of exploration through the multifaceted musical panorama of the 20th century and contemporary times, from Castelnuovo-Tedesco to Filidei, from Gershwin to Rachmaninov. This includes solo moments dedicated to their respective instruments. Since 2006, they have given over 300 concerts, performing in about 50 countries across five continents.
January will be dedicated to the talents of the new generation, with two young candidates for the 2025 Chopin Competition in Warsaw.
On January 10, the spotlight will be on the 16-year-old Chinese-Canadian Sophia Liu, who has already garnered international acclaim for her refined interpretations and uncommon musical maturity. In 2023, she won first prize at the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition, and in October of the same year, she took second prize, the award for the youngest semifinalist, and the Audience Award at the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Competition in Brescia. Her program, endorsed by her mentor Dang Thai Son, will feature music by Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and, of course, Chopin.
On January 31, it will be the turn of 19-year-old Kevin Chen, who trained with Marilyn Engle in Calgary. The CBC included him in its “Top 30” Canadian musicians under 30 when he was less than 10 years old, and “Maclean’s” named him one of the “100 Remarkable Canadians.” His rich list of awards includes first prizes at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv in 2023, the Concours de Genève in 2022, and the Franz Liszt Competition in Budapest in 2021, to mention only his most recent successes. He is currently studying at the Hochschule in Hanover with Arie Vardi. Chopin and Liszt will be the composers featured in his recital.
If January is the month for betting on young performers, February seems dedicated to already-established Italian female musicians on the international scene.
On February 14, Mariangela Vacatello, admired in the music world since winning second prize at the Liszt Competition in Utrecht at the age of 17, will present her “Voyage dans la nuit,” a program of works by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Sciarrino, Scriabin, Ravel, and Schubert, which acquire special emotional significance within the artist’s envisioned journey. Among her latest recordings is the complete set of Scriabin’s piano sonatas, which Rai released in 2024 as an unpublished video version titled “Dieci colori per 10 Sonate”.
On February 28, Saskia Giorgini, born and trained in Turin but with a busy career in Northern Europe and Austria, where she lives, will “cross the threshold into the 20th century” with a program starting with Liszt and moving to Debussy and Enescu, the subject of one of the artist’s recordings. She first came to prominence with her victory at the Mozart Competition in Salzburg in 2016 and the special Chopin prize at the Busoni Competition in Bolzano in 2015. She has perfected her studies with Riccardo Risaliti, Leonid Margarius, Enrico Pace, Julius Drake, and Pavel Gililov. Since 2023, she has been teaching at the University of Linz.
On March 14, there will be a jazz interlude: Stefano Bollani and Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala will meet on stage at the Fazioli Concert Hall to merge their cultivated visions of virtuosity and humour in music. For Stefano Bollani, music is a game that constantly winks at masterpieces of the past while exploring the present moment. Similarly, for Iiro Rantala, a Finnish pianist who studied jazz piano at the renowned Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music, the history of music is a treasure trove from which he draws for his compositions.
The grand finale on March 28 will be a refined monograph on Ravel by Benedetto Lupo, already acclaimed at the Fazioli Hall at the beginning of our seasons. His victory in 1989, as the first Italian to win the prestigious Van Cliburn Competition, marked the start of his unstoppable ascent, leading to collaborations with major American and European orchestras, from the Boston Symphony to the London Philharmonic, under the baton of great conductors. A regular guest at major institutions, he has recorded for numerous European and American radio and television stations. He is a full member of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
In the spring and summer, as usual, the series dedicated to young pianists awarded by prestigious international competitions held on Fazioli pianos will follow. The WINNERS 2025 program is already in the works.
SUBSCRIPTION AND TICKET CAMPAIGN
Starting from October 1, subscribers to the 2024-25 season will have the chance to confirm their “old” seat simply by making a bank transfer or by coming in person on Monday, October 7, and Tuesday, October 8. Those wishing to change seats are advised not to make the transfer but to come in person on Thursday, October 10, when a more up-to-date seating map will be available (it is also possible to confirm by email or phone your intention to renew your subscription).
New subscriptions will be available online from October 14 or in person on October 17.
For the purchase of individual concert tickets, to encourage online purchases, a more favourable price will be offered for all types of seating compared to in-person purchases, which will still be possible on the evening of the concert, even by booking via email or phone. A different price is set for the jazz concert on March 14. Reservations open on the Monday before each concert. For example, for the concert on Friday, November 22, reservations can be made by email starting Monday, November 18 (the “in-person” rate will apply).
Online ticket purchases will be available from October 28 for all concerts in the season.