Audio links
Rachmaninov - piano concerto n. 1
Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major
Dvořák: Klavierkonzert g-Moll op 33
Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Excerpt)
Rota Prelude 13 bis
An "exceptionally fine pianist ... who has a remarkably fine touch
and beautiful tone control" (The Oregonian).
Hailed by international critics as one of the most superb and interesting talents of his generation, Benedetto Lupo gained worldwide recognition in 1989 after winning – as the first Italian – the bronze medal in the Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
His success immediately led to critically acclaimed debuts with several major American and European orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Montreal Symphony, London Philharmonic, Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin, Orquesta Nacional de España, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, and Bergen Philharmonic. He has established special collaborations with leading conductors including Yves Abel, Ed Gardner, Gian Carlo Guerrero, Vladimir Jurowski, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Bernard Labadie, Louis Langrée, Marko Letonja, Nicholas McGegan, Juanjo Mena, Kent Nagano and Xian Zhang, among others.
In 2018, Benedetto Lupo’s return to the London Philharmonic was highly acclaimed and his performance of the Ravel left hand Concerto was called “the stand out performance of the evening” (Bachtrack). Extremely keen on French music, in 2018 Benedetto Lupo celebrated Claude Debussy (1862-1918) one hundred years after his death with a series of all-Debussy concerts in Europe and North America. Le Devoir in Montreal said, “Lupo’s Debussy recital was an absolutely exceptional experience, both musical and sensuous,” while the Washington Post said, “Lupo has two key attributes shared by outstanding Debussy interpreters: a seemingly infinite variety of touch and dynamics and a full to overflowing imagination. These, coupled with an infallible Italian instinct for the perfectly balanced singing line, are what make Lupo’s Debussy both authoritative and compelling […] Lupo’s interpretations, free of anything predictable or routine, are entirely his own, thoughtful and fresh. Throughout, the audience listened in that rapt silence reserved for the best music-making.”
In his busy concert schedule Benedetto Lupo is a regular guest in major concert halls all over the world, including Alice Tully Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Bruxelles Palais des Beaux Arts, and the Salle Pleyel in Paris and in prominent festivals such as the Tanglewood Festival, the Istanbul International Festival, the Enescu Festival, and the Tivoli Festival in Copenaghen.
In his native Italy he has played with every major orchestra, including the Academy of Santa Cecilia Symphony in Rome, the RAI National Symphony in Turin and the Maggio Musicale in Florence, as well as in all major concert venues including La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, the San Carlo in Naples, and La Fenice in Venice.
Benedetto Lupo’s recordings include an acclaimed version of Nino Rota’s Concerto Soirée on Harmonia Mundi which received several prizes, including the Diapason d’Or. Rota mentored Lupo, following him closely during his early training at the Piccinni Conservatory in Bari. Along with Peter Maag and the OSI Orchestra, Benedetto Lupo recorded the complete Schumann piano works with orchestra for ARTS label.
Benedetto Lupo is the head of piano master courses at the world-renowned National Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome, where in 2015 he was designated “Active Academician of Santa Cecilia”. He has won numerous other international competitions and awards, including the Terence Judd Award in London, and gives master classes worldwide for prestigious institutions.
2019
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