MANILA, Oct. 27 (PNA) — Internationally famous Italian pianist Christian Leotta who is hailed as one of the major Beethoven soloist of our time will perform at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino in Pasay City.
This time, Leotta will regale the Filipino audience with “An Evening With Christian Leotta: From Bach to the Romantic Piano of Schubert, Rossini and Beethoven.
Leotta’s program consists of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettismo BWV 992 (Capriccio on the departure of his most beloved brother), Franz Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A minor Opus posth. 143, 0784, Gioachino Rossini’s Memento homo and Une caresse a ma femme, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op. 57 “Appassionata.”
Leotta has been roundly praised by international media because of his complete recording of the 32 Piano Sonatas as “a major addition to other sets currently available, according to “Fanfare, USA.”
Leotta has been defined by the legendary Rosalyn Tureck as “an extraordinary talent with a beautiful innate musicality” and praised by the great Karl Ulrich Schnabel for “his respect of the indications of the Classical and Romantic composers as perfect and their understanding considerable.”
The Whole Note of Toronto said “his prodigious technique used to better express the poetry of Beethoven’s music and “his capability of really seizing your attention at unexpected moments” by All Music Guide, USA and La Presse Montreal’ wrote on him as ”gaining a reputation as a pianist of the highest order: technician, musician and interpreter all at once,” is a testimony of his unusual talent.p>The Catanian-born Leotta is an award-winning Italian virtuoso pianist. He has a vast repertoire and is now recognized for being the youngest pianist since Daniel Barenboim to perform and record all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas.
He began his study of piano at the age of seven, furthered his studies at the Milan Conservatory under Mario Patuzzi and is a former pupil of the acclaimed pianist Karl Ulrich Schnabel.
He also studied at the Theo Lieven International Piano Foundation and also with Rosalyn Tureck at the Tureck Bach Research Foundation at Oxford, England.
Likewise, he took up Literature and Philosophy faculty of Milan State University and officially began his career in 2002 in Montreal, Canada at the age of 22 when he began to perform the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, which he completed in a period of less than a month.
Leotta has worked with major orchestras such as the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Kammerorchester, the Italian RAI National Television Orchestra, the Milan’s Symphony Orchestra “Giuseppe Verdi,” regularly performing in important theaters and concert halls such as the Philharmonie at the Gasteig in Munich, the Konzerthaus of Vienna, the Tonhalle of Zurich, the Sala Verdi and the Auditorium of Milan, the Salle Claude-Champagne of Montreal, the Great Hall at the Bunka Kaikan Theatre of Tokyo.
The exciting event will be presented by the Embassy of Italy in Manila, the Philippine Italian Association and the Cultural Center of the Philippines in cooperation with Furnitalia and with the support of Trevi Foundation Phils. Inc., Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate, SSI Group Inc., Diamond Hotel, Shopwise, Global Executive Solutions Group and Lombardi’s Authentic Italian Restaurant for the benefit of the Philippine Italian Association Endowment Fund.
Further details can be obtained at the CCP Box Office (832-3704), Ticket World (891-9999) or the Philippine Italian Association (815-1310).
Ticket prices are P1,000 and P800, with a 20 percent discount to senior citizens and persons with disabilities. (PNA)