Francesco Nicolosi facts for kids
Francesco Nicolosi is a talented Italian pianist. He was born on December 7, 1954. He is known for his amazing piano playing around the world.
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About Francesco Nicolosi
Francesco Nicolosi was born in Catania, a city in Italy. Since 1973, he has lived in Naples, Italy. There, he studied piano with a teacher named Vincenzo Vitale.
His Work with Music Centers
Since 1996, Mr. Nicolosi has been the president of the Sigismund Thalberg International Study Centre. This center helps people learn about the famous pianist Sigismund Thalberg. In 1998, he started the Franz Liszt Piano Duo. He created this group with another pianist, Vittorio Bresciani. Their goal was to share the music of Franz Liszt, played on two pianos.
Leading Music Events
Mr. Nicolosi is also the Artistic Director of the Sigismund Thalberg International Piano Prize. This is a special award for piano players. Until 2015, he helped organize many big 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 "Roccaraso in Musica" and piano masterclasses in Naples and Rome.
He often serves as a judge for music competitions. From 2015 to 2019, he was the Artistic Director of the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania. This is a very important theater. Today, he is the President of the Advisory Commission for Music. This group advises the Italian Ministry of Culture on music.
His Music Recordings
In 1989, Francesco Nicolosi started recording music with Naxos Records. He recorded all of Sigismund Thalberg's "Paraphrases" on Italian Opera. These are special piano pieces based on famous opera songs. He also recorded Thalberg's Piano Concerto and "Soirées de Pausilippe." He made eight full CDs of Thalberg's music. The last Thalberg recording was made in October 1995.
Awards and Honors
Francesco Nicolosi has received many 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: "Gold Bellini" Prize. This award was also given to 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. He was recognized for a "Special Project in the name of Rachmaninov."
- 2021: "Pietro Golia" Prize.
Performances Around the World
Francesco Nicolosi has played piano concerts in many famous places. He has performed in concert halls like Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. He also played at the Victoria Hall of Geneva and the Salle Gaveau in Paris. In Italy, he performed at Teatro alla Scala in Milan and Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. Other famous venues include Herkulessaal in Munich and Kennedy Center in Washington.
He has traveled to many countries for his music. These include Iceland, the United States, Argentina, and Japan. He has also toured in China, Canada, and Singapore. Mr. Nicolosi is often invited to play at big music festivals. Some of these are the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto and the Rossini Opera Festival. He has also played at the Ravenna Festival and the Festival di Ravello.
What Critics Say
A well-known music critic, Paolo Isotta, wrote about Nicolosi's playing. He said that no one else can play with such clear and bright sound. He also praised Nicolosi's ability to make the piano "sing." Isotta called him "one of our greatest living pianists." He compared Nicolosi to the great pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
His Recorded Music
Mr. Nicolosi's recordings include music by Sigismund Thalberg and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He has recorded all of Mozart's piano variations. He also recorded works by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Clara Schumann. His recordings also feature music by Domenico Scarlatti and Giovanni Paisiello. He recorded all of Paisiello's piano concertos. You can find a full list of his recordings on his website.
