25 / 56
Philippe Bianconi, the poetic piano
Since winning at the Van Cliburn International Competition in the 1980s, Philippe
Bianconi has been leading an international career, pursuing his musical itinerary and
patiently carving out his path far from the media hype.
Bianconi has been hailed as a pianist whose playing is“
always close to the soul of the music, filling
the space with poetry and life
” (Washington Post) ; (“…
powerful playing that makes the piano sing
with force and virtuosity… very colorful sound”
(Le Figaro); and whose playing is an
“extraordinary
exhibition of musicianship and technical control lends the music a freshness, immediacy and conviction
one all too seldom encounters.”
(The Times - London )
Born in Nice in 1960, he attended the
Conservatoire de Nice
where he studied with Simone
Delbert-Février. Bianconi is the sole major French pianist who entered international
competitions without first attending the
Conservatoire de Paris
.
His awards at the
“Jeunesses Musicales”
International Competition in Belgrade, the Robert
Casadesus International Competition in Cleveland and notably the Van Cliburn Competition
launched a brilliant performing career in the United States for Bianconi. He performed at
Carnegie Hall in New York in 1987, then played with leading North American orchestras,
including Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Montreal.
France has been a latecomer in recognizing him, but his career has gained international
stature, and fromBerlin to Sydney, Beijing to London, Paris to San Francisco, he is hailed for the
poetry of his playing and the beauty of his tone.
Bianconi has a great passion for chamber music and has played with prestigious partners,
including Jean-Pierre Rampal, Janos Starker, PierreAmoyal, Gary Hoffman,Tedi Papavrami, the
Guarneri String Quartet and the Talich Quartet. He loves vocalists as well (opera?) and from
1983 to 1990, had an exceptional experience when baritone Hermann Prey, at the peak of his
gargantuan career, developed a predilection for collaborating with the young pianist. They
performed several concerts together and released three major Schubert Lieder Cycles—
La Belle
Meunière,Voyage d’Hiver
, and
Le Chant du Cygne
—on Denon.
25