Artur Pizarro in the Piano Cycle at the Palaces of Sintra

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

• 8 pièces brèves, Op. 84 (1. Capriccio; 2. Fantaisie; 3. Fugue; 4. Adagietto; 5. Improvisation; 6. Fugue; 7. Allégresse; 8. Nocturne)

Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973)

• Risonanze (1. Calmo; 2. Fluido; 3. Non troppo mosso; Agitato, non troppo)

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

• Balad, Op. 19

INTERMISSION

Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000)

• Sonatina (1. Allegretto; 2. Lento muy expresivo; 3. Presto)

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)

• Le Stagioni, Op. 33 (1. "inverno" – Andantino; 2. "primavera" - Rapido e leggero; 3. "estate" - Vivo e luminoso; 4. "autunno" - Tranquillo e ondulato; "epilogo" - con malinconia (quasi recitativo)

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)

• Tres Piezas, Op. 6 (1. Cuyana; 2. Norteña; 3. Criolla)

Born in Lisbon in 1968, Artur Pizarro performed in public for the first time at the age of three and, just a year later, performed on RTP alongside Professor Campos Coelho, on the Histórias da Música programme with Victorino d’Almeida. His first steps on the piano were overseen by his material grandmother, the pianist Berta da Nóbrega, and by Professor Campos Coelho. Later, between 1974 and 1990, Artur Pizarro studied in Portugal and the USA with Sequeira Costa. For a year, he also attended Aldo Ciccolini’s class, at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris and received lessons from Bruno Rigutto. Artur Pizarro has won three first prizes in international competitions: the Vianna da Motta Competition, in 1987, the Greater Palm Beach Invitational Piano Competition, in 1989, and the Leeds International Piano Competition, in 1990, which truly launched his impressive international career.

Artur Pizarro regularly performs solo, in piano duets and in chamber music concerts. He also performs with the most prestigious orchestras in the world, directed by conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Philippe Entremont, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Sir Andrew Davis, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Martyn Brabbins, Tadaaki Otaka, Tugan Sokhiev, Yakov Kreizberg, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Libor Pešek, Vladimir Jurowski, Ion Marin, Julia Jones and Sir Charles Mackerras. His recordings appear in the catalogues of Collins Classics, Hyperion Records, Linn Records, Brilliant Classics, Klara, Naxos, Danacord, Phoenix Edition, Capriccio, and Cavi, as well as Odradek Records, with whom he recently recorded the complete works for piano by Sergie Rachmaninoff and Beethoven’s 5 concertos for piano and orchestra, with the Wuppertal Symphony directed by Julia Jones.

In his home country, in recognition of the significance of his art, Artur Pizarro has been awarded the Bordalo Prize, the SPA Prize, the City of Funchal Cultural Merit Medal of the City and the Cultural Merit Medal of Portugal. He currently teaches in his studio in Oeiras, where he gives private lessons. Artur Pizarro frequently offers masterclasses in various international locations.