Francesco Nicolosi facts for kids
Francesco Nicolosi (born December 7, 1954) is a talented pianist from Italy. He is known for his amazing performances and recordings of classical music.
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About Francesco Nicolosi
Francesco Nicolosi was born in Catania, Italy. Since 1973, he has lived in Naples, Italy, where he studied piano with Vincenzo Vitale.
He is the president of the Sigismund Thalberg International Study Centre. This center helps people learn more about the famous composer Sigismund Thalberg. In 1998, Francesco Nicolosi started the Franz Liszt Piano Duo with another pianist, Vittorio Bresciani. They wanted to share Liszt's big orchestral pieces, played on two pianos.
Francesco Nicolosi also helps organize music events. He is the Artistic Director of the Sigismund Thalberg International Piano Prize. Until 2015, he was the Artistic Director for many important summer music festivals in Italy. These included "I concerti d’Estate a Villa Guariglia" and "Jeux d'art a Villa d'Este." He also directed the International Piano Masterclass in Naples and Rome.
He is often asked to be a judge for music competitions. From 2015 to 2019, he was the Artistic Director of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania. Currently, he leads the music advisory group for the Italian Ministry of Culture.
His Music Recordings
In 1989, Francesco Nicolosi started recording music with Naxos Records. He recorded many pieces by Sigismund Thalberg, including Thalberg's "Paraphrases" based on Italian Opera music. He also recorded Thalberg's Piano Concerto. In total, he released 8 full CDs of Thalberg's music. His last Thalberg recording was made in 1995.
His recordings also include works by other famous composers like Mozart (all his piano variations), Rachmaninoff, Clara Schumann, Scarlatti, and Paisiello (all his piano concertos).
Awards and Honors
Francesco Nicolosi has won several awards for his musical talent:
- 1980: Third Prize at the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition.
- 1980: Second Prize at the Concours International d'Exécution Musicale in Geneva.
- 1994: The "Gold Bellini" Prize. This award has also been given to other famous artists like Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti.
- 2012: "Note nell'Olimpo" Prize.
- 2012: "Domenico Danzuso" Prize.
- 2013: "Cosimo Fanzago" Prize.
- 2017: Sergei Rachmaninov International Award (for a special project about Rachmaninov).
- 2021: "Pietro Golia" Prize.
Performances Around the World
Francesco Nicolosi has performed as a soloist and with famous orchestras in many of the world's top concert halls. Some of these include:
- Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall in London.
- Victoria Hall of Geneva.
- Salle Gaveau in Paris.
- Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
- Teatro di San Carlo in Naples.
- Kennedy Center in Washington.
- Megaron in Athens.
He has traveled to many countries for his concerts, including Iceland, the United States, Argentina, Russia, Japan, China, Canada, and Singapore. He is also a regular guest at major music festivals, such as the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, the Rossini Opera Festival, and the Ravenna Festival.
A well-known music critic, Paolo Isotta from the newspaper Corriere della Sera, once wrote about Nicolosi's playing. He said that Nicolosi's sound is very bright and clear. He also praised Nicolosi's ability to make the piano sing, like a beautiful song. Isotta believed that Nicolosi is one of the greatest living pianists.
