Enrico Elisi

Biography

Enrico Elisi regularly performs to acclaim throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In Italy he has appeared in prestigious venues such as La Fenice Theatre, Venice; Palazzo Vecchio, Florence; Bibbiena Theatre, Mantua; Pavarotti Opera House, Modena; Teatro Comunale and Sala Bossi, Bologna. Recent North American performances include recitals at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, and the New York Public Library. In Asia, he performed in South Korea (Seoul, Busan, Daegu), Taiwan (Taipei, Tainan), and China (Shanghai, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Fouzhou). Elisi has also given recitals in Germany (Hamburg, Bonn, Wolfsburg, Kiel, Heiligenhafen), Slovak Republic (Piešťany), Spain (Gijon, Candas), and Peru (Lima).

Over the last seasons, Elisi has appeared with the Florence Symphony, Italy; Orchestra Classica de Porto, Portugal; Bay Atlantic Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, Penn State Philharmonic, Penn’s Woods Orchestra, UNLV Chamber Orchestra and Johns Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, USA. He debuted as soloist/conductor with the Green Valley Festival Chamber Orchestra (2007).

Among Elisi’s awards are top prizes in the Venice Competition and the Oporto International Competition—which led to a concerto broadcast for Portuguese national TV. After winning seven first prizes in national competitions in Italy and a number of other top prizes, Elisi received the La Gesse Foundation Fellowship and performed in Toulouse, France, and New York’s Weill Recital Hall.

Via Classica, a German radio station, offered a two-hour broadcast of Elisi’s live recital with an interview (2008). Additional radio broadcasts include Montebeni Classica FM (Italy), WCLV Cleveland, UNC, KCNV Nevada Public Radio, and KGCS (USA). He also appeared in a TV broadcast for WPSU.

An active chamber musician, Elisi has performed at the Taos and Ravinia Festivals, as well as other US venues and has given chamber recitals in China, Korea, France, and Peru. In addition, he collaborated with principal players from the Baltimore, Chicago, and American Symphony Orchestras.

As a champion of new music, Elisi has commissioned works from composers of many nationalities. He premiered Paul Chihara’s Two Images, at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall and has subsequently recorded it for Albany Records. His vision for contemporary music led to his founding and directing an international composition competition, Musica Domani Prize (2010).

A frequent guest at music festivals, Elisi regularly appears in such settings as the Chautauqua Institution, Texas State International Festival (USA), Associazione Umbria classica, and Grumo Festival (Italy).  Moreover, he has been the artistic director of the Piano Institute of the Las Vegas Music Festival as well as the co-founder/artistic director of the Green Valley Chamber Music Festival, in Nevada.

Elisi has given countless performances, master classes, workshops, and lectures at colleges and conservatories throughout the world including the University of Michigan, USA; University of British Columbia, Canada; National Conservatory of Lima, Peru; Accademia delle Marche, Italy; Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan; Academy of Performing Arts, Hong Kong; Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, Singapore; Yonsei, Hanyang, Ewha Woman’s, Dankook, Sangmyung, Pusan National, Kyungsung, Catholic, and Keimyung Universities, as well as Sunhwa Arts High School, South Korea. Elisi also held a two-year guest professorship at the China Zhejiang Art School in Hangzhou, China.

He has been a jury member for the Tremplin International and the Concours de Musique du Canada, the Iowa Piano Competition, the Peabody Yale Gordon Competition, Fite Young Artist Competition, Nevada, Maryland, and Virginia State Music Teacher Associations.

At Leon Fleisher’s invitation he performed at the World Piano Pedagogy Conference in a joint recital with his mentor (2007). The American Liszt Society Bicentennial Festival (Athens, GA) invited Elisi to perform as the President of the Pennsylvania Chapter he established (2010).

Elisi joined the piano faculty of the Eastman School of Music as an Associate Professor in 2011, having previously taught at the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In his native Italy, Elisi studied with Giuseppe Fricelli in Bologna and earned diplomas from the Conservatory of Florence (summa cum laude) and the world-renowned Incontri col MaestroInternational Piano Academy of Imola, where he worked extensively with Lazar Berman, Boris Petrushansky and Alexander Lonquich as well as Joaquín Achúcarro and Franco Scala. Elisi earned MM and DMA degrees with distinction as a student of Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University while serving as his assistant. Among other musicians who have contributed to his musical growth are Maurizio Pollini, Jörg Demus, Murray Perahia, Louis Lortie, Peter Lang, and Rudolf Firkušný.

Elisi’s latest CD, Mozart Piano Works, was released in 2011.

More information on Enrico Elisi can be obtained at www.EnricoElisi.com.

Media

Latest CDs:

• Mozart Piano Album
• Love Music — Paul Chihara Album on Albany Records

Engagements / Professional Activities

Calendar of Events and Latest News (Enrico Elisi’s Personal Website)

Press Quotes

“Musical fireworks were presented at the end of the concert, where the hands of the pianist flew. The enthusiasm of the public was so great that they allowed the pianist his farewell only after three encores.”

– Angelika Kannenberg, Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung

“Enrico Elisi revealed remarkable sensitivity, imagination and polish. He brought clarity and subtlety to Bach, considerable eloquence to Mozart and his phrasing of two Mazurkas and the G minor Ballade by Chopin contained uncommon rhythmic elasticity and poetic refinement..”

– Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun Music Critic

“The Schumann was one more confirmation of Elisi’s dexterity as well as his mature sensitivity. The applause surged with the last note. Elisi’s debut recital in Germany was a success. It is to be hoped that we will have many more opportunities to hear and experience him.”

– Wolfsburger Nachrichten, Germany

“Elisi’s playing offered a balance between a brilliant technique and a lyric singing quality of tone. A true musician, Elisi is a master of elegance, refinement and fantasy..”

– La Nueva España, Spain

“Mr. Elisi’s playing shows a refined sense of style and noble personality.”

– Lazar Berman, pianist

“Mr. Elisi is an artist whose strongly individualistic playing is driven by an unusual mixture of passion and idealism.”

– Robert McDonald, pianist 

“Mr. Elisi never lost a beat. He navigated the [Rachmaninov second] concerto’s complexities and subtle nuances without ever descending into the mere piano pounding that heralds an inferior performer. Mr. Elisi’s interpretation was impeccable.

 – Cape May Star Wave

Enrico Elisi proved to be a fine player with a natural sense of drama and line. The cadenzas [to the Rachmaninov second concerto] were flawless and his stage persona was intent yet not overly intense.

 – Classical New Jersey Society Journal