August 09, 2007
The very young Leonora Armellini
And his romantic piano at asiagofestival. Asiago, Church of San Rocco, August 21, 2007.
ASIAGO
FESTIVAL 41st Edition
THE YOUNG LEONORA ARMELLINI AND HER ROMANTIC PIANOFORTE AT ASIAGOFESTIVAL
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 9 p.m.
A young, very young romantic pianist at AsiagoFestival. The brilliant 15-year-old from Padua Leonora Armellini will be on Tuesday, August 21 (9 p.m.) at the Church of San Rocco in Asiago for a new appointment with the Asiago Festival, which continues
to record important attendance and acclaim from the public and critics. A Festival, accustomed to investigating between the folds of tradition but also “looking beyond” established patterns to propose great and new musical emotions – as it was for the inaugural concert entrusted to the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra – that for this its fifth appointment offers the listening of one of the most extraordinary young Italian musicians, who at only 12 years old graduated in piano with honors and at 13 won the prestigious Venice Prize, continuing now to engage as much in a disciplined “normal” school life as in an intense concert activity.
The young Leonora, who prefers the Romantic repertoire and especially the music of Schumann, will open the program precisely with her favorite composer, whose Carnival of Vienna she will perform. This will be followed by six of the precious piano miniatures that Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (to whom AsiagoFestival is dedicating many parts of its rich program) collected under the name of “Romanze senza Parole,” as well as the Rondò Carpiccioso, which, composed in 1827, remains a piece of surprising modernity but also of great virtuosic commitment.
But Armellini, who is not afraid of virtuosity but, above all, never approaches it as just that, will also offer some pages by Chopin that will further highlight his great gifts both technically and interpretively: from the fulminante Andante spianato and Grande Polacca brillante to the sober and refined Scherzo No. 4, and the solemn and energetic Polacca “Eroica.”
Free admission subject to availability of seats. Info: www.asiagofestival.it
ASIAGOFESTIVAL is organized by the Cultural Association “Friends of Music of Asiago” – “Fiorella Benetti Brazzale”, in collaboration with the Parish of St. Matthew, with the contribution and collaboration of the City of Asiago, Department of Tourism and Culture. Fundamental is the support offered by Banca Popolare di Vicenza, Burro delle Alpi – Alpilatte, Gran Moravia, Bassan Bernardo and Sons, and Rigoni di Asiago
Tuesday, August 21 – 9 p.m.
ASIAGO – San Rocco Church
piano: Leonora Armellini
Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Vienna Carnival op. 26
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847): 6 Romances without Words op. 19
Rondo capriccioso op. 14
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849): Andante spianato and Grande Polacca brillante op. 22
Scherzo No. 4 op. 54 in E major
Polonaise op. 53 in A bem. Major “Eroica”
Leonora Armellini was born in Padua in 1992. At the age of four she began studying piano with Prof. Laura Palmieri, under whose guidance she obtained her Piano Diploma with a grade of ten with honors and honorable mention, in September 2004, when she was only twelve years old.She has participated in master classes with Maestros Lilya Zilberstein, Elissò Virsaladze, and Marian Mika. Since January 2007 he has been studying with Maestro Sergio Perticaroli at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He attended the middle course of Composition in the Conservatory “C. Pollini” in Padua under the guidance of M° Giovanni Bonato and the 5th Ginnasio at the Liceo Classico Statale Tito Livio in Padua. From the age of six, she won the absolute first prize in her category in the national and international competitions of Verbania, Cesenatico, Gussago, Manerbio, Salsomaggiore Terme, Camaiore, Albenga, Brescia, Grosseto, and Feltre.
In September 2000, as the only Italian pianist selected, she participated in the famous television program “Bravo Bravissimo,” managing to earn full marks in the international final.
His most prestigious achievements in competitions include: the special prize named after Franco Margola as part of the “Camillo Togni” competition in Gussago; the unanimous “City of Sestri Levante 2001” absolute prize in the 16th National Piano Competition “J.S.Bach” in Sestri Levante; the “Curci Prize,” the first prize “Young Talents” and the “Febo Villani Trophy- I edition,” the most prestigious of the entire event, at the 2002 “City of Cesenatico” competition; the 1st Absolute Prize as part of the 6th Seiler Prize in Rome (2002); the 1st Absolute Prize in the whole “Muzio Clementi” Competition in Lastra a Signa (FI), with the awarding also of the “Reggioli Prize” for the best performance of a piece by Clementi (February 2004); the 1st Prize in the “Marco Bramanti” Competition in Forte dei Marmi 2004.
She is the winner of the Ninth Musical Review “Italy’s Best Graduates of the Year 2004, held in Castrocaro Terme in the summer of 2005, with the recording of a CD distributed by the magazine “Suonare News,” and the awarding of the “Salsubium Prize- I edition.”
In November 2005, in the La Fenice Grand Theater, she won the XXII “Venice Prize” by unanimous vote of the technical jury, chaired by Maestro Roman Vlad, and the popular jury. She received the 2006 Innerwheel Prize for Women “in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of cultural arts,” the Adriano Lincetto Prize as “best emerging talent,” and, in October 2006, the “Pentagramma Prize.” He has given solo recitals in numerous Italian cities (Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Milan, Rome, Mestre (VE), Pistoia, Mantua, Palermo, Asolo (TV), Bologna, Trieste, Bassano (VI), Jesi (AN), Catania, Lucca, Belluno, Cagliari, Spoleto (PG),…) and in London.
He gave a solo recital in the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Italian Republic. At the invitation of the “F. Venezze” Music Association of Rovigo, he performed the complete Album for Youth by R. Schumann in March 2006, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his death.
He has also played as a soloist with major orchestras (Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Kronstadt Philharmoniker, Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Orchestra del Tigullio, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Orchestra Filarmonica di Chioggia, Orchestra Sinfonica del Friuli Venezia Giulia) under the baton of Maestri Maffeo Scarpis, Damian Iorio, Pietro Perini, Paolo Paroni, Stefano Trasimeni, Daniele Giorgi, Christopher Franklin, Zoltan Pesko and Anton Nanut.
He made a live recording for the Velut Luna record company with the Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maestro Anton Nanut, a CD containing Concerto No. 2, Andante spianato and Grande Polacca brillante (with orchestra) and Chopin’s Scherzo No. 4.
He also devotes himself to chamber music, playing a wide repertoire from duo with cello and quintet with strings.
Press info: 335.8223010 (Marina Grasso)