Christopher Falzone – 2010

A “brilliant and intense” young pianist “with a profound love and understanding of music,” Christopher Falzone has received critical acclaim and numerous national and international awards including the Gilmore Young Artist Award, an Award from the Davidson Institute “to recognize the musical genius’ life-work.” He is an outstanding Winner (Grand Prix Blanche Selva and Laureate of the Dimitri Shostakovich special distinction Prize) of the International Piano Competition of Orléans (2010), Martha Argerich 2009: « Les Virtuoses du Futur » in Switzerland; Russian Music in California, just to name a few.

He has frequently appeared on television and radio programs nationally and abroad, as well as having been an artist-in-residence on numerous occasions. Known as an improvising-composing child-prodigy at age six, Christopher also made his solo debut on Vladimir Horowitz’s legendary “Steinway” piano.

His orchestral debut in Los Angeles occurred when he was eight with Disney’s Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, astonishing all who heard him – in person or on national television – with his extraordinary performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Two years later, he returned at the Hollywood Bowl with Rachmaninoff Concerto No.2, and since then he has been hailed as one of the premiere young pianists of today, pursuing a strenuous performance schedule as a solo recitalist, orchestral soloist, chamber ensemble player and composer-improviser.

Mr. Falzone has appeared in concert with Michael-Tilson Thomas in Los Angeles, Leonard Slatkin in Chicago, in tribute of his teacher, Leon Fleisher in Washington D.C, and in a New York telecast in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Also he was invited to perform in international festivals such as the Gilmore, Ravinia, Banff, Hilton Head, and in Switzerland at “Les Sommets du Classique” or prestigious Festival in Lugano: “Martha Argerich Progetto” and “Une Fête de la Musique” in France, Ars Antonina in Monaco, and many more.

He has performed at major American venues such as the Isaac Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, and on nearly every continent as soloist with orchestras including the Odessa Philharmonia, Milano Pomeriggi Musicali, New Japan Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Amadeus (Mexico), La Filarmonica di Bacau (Italy), New Millennium (Spain), Transylvanian Philharmonic, Orléans symphonic orchestra, and more.

In 2011, two world-premieres highlighted commissions by the Gilmore Festival and the Orleans International Competition. They were Yevgeniy Sharlat’s Sonata (2008) and Martin Matalon’s …Del Color a la Materia… premiered with Les Percussions de Strasbourg and performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, Théâtre d’Orléans, and  Martha Argerich’s Project  in Lugano Festival.

Mr. Falzone graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with the Festorazzi Prize in piano performance, where he studied for five years with Leon Fleisher and Claude Frank and with Gary Graffman.

Christopher Falzone released in November 2011 his first recording dedicated to works by G. Enesco and the Sonata by Y. Sharlat (Distributor : Abeille Musique/Label : Sisyphe).