BIOGRAPHY

ANDREA BONATTA was born in Bolzano. Major influences in his musical development were studies with Paul Badura-Skoda in Vienna, Nikita Megaloff in Geneva, Stefan Askenase in Bonn and Wilhelm Kempf in Positano. He has often been defined as a 'poet of the piano'. At his most recent recitals in Rome, Berlin and Moscow critics acclaimed him as a 'perfect stylist' as well as one of the last truly romantic pianists. Last appearances includes the Smetana Hall in Prague, the Grand Theatre in Shanghai, the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, the Great Hall of the Vredenburg in Utrecht, the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza and the Salle Gaveau in Paris.

He has recorded on CD Brahms' complete works for piano as well as several other CD's dedicated to Liszt and Schubert, getting top critical reviews: Choc/Le Monde de la Musique; ffff/Telèrama, best CD of the year/Neue Musikzeitung.

His book on Brahms' piano work is considered a milestone in this field and has already been translated into German.

Andrea Bonatta is the Artistic Adviser of the 'Feruccio Busoni' International Piano Competition in Bolzano and of the 'Franz Liszt' Piano Competition in Utrecht. He has also been the Vice President of the World Federation of International Music Competitions of Geneve. He has held Master Classes in the major music centers, in Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Utrecht, London, Prag, Hannover, Seoul, Shenzhen etc.

He has played in practically the whole of Europe, in North and South America, in Australia, in Korea, China and South Africa, and is often a member of the jury at the most important international competitions (Bolzano, Weimar, Vercelli, Utrecht, Dortmund, Terni, Pretoria, Ettlingen, Moscow, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Hilton Haed, Seoul, Taipei, Cleveland etc.). He very much likes chamber music and plays as a duet with pianists such as Paul Badura-Skoda and Valentin Gheorghiu or violinists such as Domenico Nordio and Sergej Krylov.

Andrea Bonatta is piano Professor at the Conservatory in Bolzano, Honorary Professor at the Shanghai Conservatory as well as founder and director of the Piano Academy-Eppan.

Besides his activity as a soloist, he recently started a very successful activity as a conductor in the USA, Italy and China, conducting Concertos from the piano as well as symphonic works with orchestras such as Shenzhen Symphony, Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza and Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra (Seoul).