P R O G R A M S

Andrea PADOVA 

Andrea Padova first achieved critical attention when he won the First Prize at the “J.S.Bach International Piano Competition” in 1995. Since then he has concertized throughout the world,appearing in such major venues asCarnegie Hall in New York, Washington Performing Arts Society, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Gasteig in Munich, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Accademia di S.Cecilia in Rome.

He has been called "one of the most interesting figures of contemporary piano scene" by the magazine Insound that in 2008 awarded him as best Italian pianist.

Considered as one of the most innovative Bach interpreters by the authoritative musicologist Harold C. Schonberg (who acknowledged him "a strong personality, conviction, freedom, style") Andrea Padova is as well at ease as an interpreter of the classical and romantic repertoire, and his repertoire includes sixty concertos for piano and orchestra, from Bach’s complete concertos to the twentieth century. 

In addition he worked as an interpreter in the field of contemporary music collaborating with composers such as Pierre Boulez (Festival d’Avignon – Radio France, 1988) and Leonard Bernstein (with Orchestra Nazionale di S.Cecilia, 1989) and he is himself a composer awarded in many international competitions (Wiener Wettbewerb für neue Musik, “A.Casella” of the Accademia Chigiana di Siena, Wiener Masters, “Malipiero”, “G.Contilli”, “MusMA, Music Masters on Air”).

Andrea Padova recorded for the labels Stradivarius, Ewe, Limen Music. His recording of Bach’s Fantasias was considered by the magazine “CD Classics” as one of the best piano CDs of 1997, together with Schiff and Perahia. 

In 2005 his cd dedicated to Ferruccio Busoni received acknowledgements, between the others, by the authoritative review “Gramophone” that wrote: “He creates some of the same dark, sustained, organ-like tone that marks Rubinstein’s hypnotic 1934 recording. An ideal advocate for Busoni”.

In 2009 was released his cd dedicated to rare works and masterpieces by Robert Schumann, for which the critic recognized to Andrea Padova an “unsurpassed mastery” (MF).  

His long-awaited cd with Bach’s Goldberg Variations (Stradivarius, 2015) recorded during tour in Japan, received enthusiastic approval: “beautiful tonality and emotionally sensitive playing… ornamentation is unfussy, elegant, and natural sounding… superb poise of the interpretation”(Fanfare). About his live performance of this masterpiece, the Washington Post wrote that he "conveys the sense of successfully exceeding the limits of human possibility." 

Following the release of the CD / DVD dedicated to Mozart's Quartets with piano, recorded for the Limen label together with the soloists of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he is currently engaged in the recording of Mozart's Complete Piano Sonatas. for the same label.

He is Professor of Piano and Historical Piano at the "A.Boito" Conservatory of Parma. Often invited to give piano and composition master classes all over the world, he has been President of the Jury or Juror at the "J.S.Bach International Piano Competition", “S.Thalberg” (Naples) “E.Porrino” (Cagliari) “Liszt-Zanfi” (Parma) “Città di Osimo” International Piano Competitions. 

www.andreapadova.com