Every year the San Francisco Chopin Foundation celebrates Chopin's birthday with a special concert. In the past they’ve had such distinguished prize-winning pianists as Jon Nakamatsu, Gabriela Montera, Ning An, Claire Huangci and Eric Zuber, among many others. This year the Foundation brings pianist Enrico Elisi out from Toronto to perform.
Enrico Elisi has established himself as one of the most passionate Italian pianists on the concert scene today and has been hailed for his mastery of elegance, refinement, and fantasy (La Nueva España). He regularly performs to acclaim throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia and his interpretations reveal “remarkable sensitivity, imagination, and polish,” (Baltimore Sun). He has appeared in historical settings such as La Fenice Theatre, Venice; Palazzo Vecchio, Florence; Bibiena Theatre, Mantua; and Pavarotti Opera House, Modena. Recent engagements include the Banff Centre for the Arts, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York Public Library, New York’s Morgan Library, Washington’s National Gallery of Art and the Italian Embassy, as well as the Centro Cultural de España in Lima, Peru. He performed with several orchestras in the US, Italy, Portugal, and as a chamber musician, at the Taos and Ravinia Festivals. Elisi’s recitals have been broadcast on radio and TV programs in the US and Europe. Among his awards are top prizes in the Premio Venezia (Italy) and the Oporto International Competition (Portugal). A champion of new music, Elisi has commissioned works from many composers and premiered Paul Chihara’s Two Images, at Weill Hall (subsequently recorded for Albany Records). He recently released an album of Mozart sonatas and shorter compositions. A new recording of Bach’s selected Partitas and Preludes is forthcoming. Elisi is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and was on the faculty of the Eastman School among other institutions. He conducted a myriad of master classes around the world and is sought-after at many music festivals and as an adjudicator. The rich tradition of his musical roots can be traced to the Conservatories of Bologna and Florence, the renown Imola International Academy, in Italy, and the Peabody Institute, in the US. His teachers included mentors such as Leon Fleisher, Lazar Berman, Alexander Lonquich, Boris Petrushansky, Franco Scala, and Giuseppe Fricelli. Enrico Elisi is a Steinway Artist.