Tour Dates: 2005

Fabrizio von Arx - violin
Roberto Prosseda - piano

Fabrizio von Arx

The Italian violinist  was born in Naples. He started studying violin at the age of seven under the tuition of Maestro Leone and immediately manifested a great artistic talent which was furthermore revealed when he won various national violin competitions for young musicians at the age of ten.

After obtaining his diploma at the “San Pietro a Majella” Conservatory in Naples, he perfected his technique wish further studies abroad and won prestigious awards: his virtuosity diploma (first classified) in Geneva under the guidance of Corrado Romano, as well as the “Performer” award in the USA, where he was taught by Franco Gulli and Nelli Skolnikova at the school of Music of the University of Indiana in Bloomington. He is currently working under the guidance of Salvatore Accardo.

Fabrizio von Arx started performing in public at a very early age and made a significant debut at the age of sixteen with the Scarlatti Orchestra of Naples. Since then, he has performed under the direction of many great artists like Franco Petracchi, Alexander Vedernikov and Peter Maag.

Fabrizio von Arx is now a very busy performer with national and international concerts. He participates in the “Serate Musicali” in Milan, in the Automn Festival in Como (Italy), in the Primavera Viottiana in Vercelli (Italy), in the “Concerts de Montebenon” in Lausanne, in the Chamber Concert Season of the Swiss Radio (Radio Suisse Romande), in the Cité de la Musique in Paris and in Grenoble Chamber Season (France); he also played with Symphonic Orchestra of Zurich at the “Tonhalle”.

During this season he has been the protagonist of the season debut of the prestigious “Tonhalle” in Zurich, where he performed accompanied by the “Symphonisches Orchester Zürich” and of a memorable concert where he was accompanied by the Prague Chamber Orchestra. Regarding chamber music, one must mention his now consolidated and long-lasting collaboration with Bruno Canino.

In his first CD published under the label Nuova Era of Turino, in which Antonio Valentino accompanies him on the piano, he recorded the complete works for violin and piano by Sergej Prokofiev. He has received the highest praise from specialized critics.

His engagements in the next few months include collaborations with the “Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto”, with Yuri Bashmet’s Moscow Soloists, as well as with a series of summer concerts (Estate Fiesolana Summer, Emilia Romagna Festival, and etc.).

The CD recorded under the label Dynamic in which Fabrizio von Arx performs with Bruno Canino will be realeased in 2005, works by Schumann.

Roberto Prosseda

Roberto Prosseda has recently actracted the interest of many important musicians for his original and strong artistic personality: "I recommend Roberto Prosseda for his deep musicianship, his excellent technical mastery of the piano and his markedly lyrical style. I have always been impressed by his originality and his ability to rethink pieces of music familiar to all of us. His playing is always profoundly serious, and yet it gives musicians great pleasure both for its sensuous qualities and its conviction. I know of no young pianist I could recommend with greater enthusiasm". Charles Rosen.

"Roberto Prosseda is a fine musician and a wonderful pianist with an exquisite imagination, refined sound and a wonderful feeling - never vulgar - for freedom of phrasing." Dmitri Bashkirov.  

“He is an outstanding musician with special feelings for Chopin. I recommend him wholeheartedly” Fou Ts’Ong.

Born in Latina, Italy, in 1975, Roberto got his diploma at the Respighi Conservatory with Annamaria Martinelli and Sergio Cafaro, then he studied at the Accademia Pianistica "Incontri col Maestro" of Imola with Alexander Lonquich, Boris Petrushansky and Franco Scala. Subsequently he took courses at the International Piano Foundation in Cadenabbia and in Sermoneta with Dmitri Bashkirov, Leon Fleisher, William Grant Naborè, Charles Rosen, Karl Ulrich Schnabel, Fou Ts’Ong.

After winning  major prizes in several important piano competitions, including the “U. Micheli” in Milan, "F. Schubert" competition in Dortmund, the "A.Casagrande" competition in Terni and  the 7. "W.A.Mozart" piano competition in Salzburg, Roberto Prosseda has performed with success in more than 40 countries in Europe, Australia, Asia, North and South America. His recent engagements include Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro alla Scala and Serate Musicali in Milan, Festival Pianistico di Bergamo e Brescia, Settembre Musica, Festival Pontino, Mozart Festival in Washington, International Piano Festival in Istanbul, Teatro El Circulo in Rosario, Teatro Nacional in S. José, International Piano Festival in Mexico City. He has also given lectures and master classes in important Universities and Conservatories (Georgetown University in Washington, Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, Haverford College, British Columbia University in Vancouver, Xing Hai Conservatory in Canton).

He has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras, like Filarmonica della Scala, Philarmonie der Nationen, Bochumer Symphoniker, Oriol Ensemble, Mozarteum Orchester, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Kammerakademie-Potsdam, Filarmonica di Torino, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti di Napoli, performing with famous conductors, such as Justus Frantz, George Pehlivanian, Dennis Russel Davies, Steven Sloane.

His interest for the contemporary music led him to record Goffredo Petrassi’s complete piano works (Fonè) and Luigi Dallapiccola’s complete piano works (Naxos).

Last December 3rd he performed a full solo recital in Teatro dal Verme, Milano, presenting Felix Mendelssohn’s piano works in world premiere. Other Mendelssohn’s world premieres are scheduled in 2005 in New York, Beijing and in many European cities. Last January Roberto Prosseda recorded his first Cd for Decca, “Mendelssohn Discoveries” (Decca 476 3038), with the First World Recording of Mendelssohn’s unknown piano works.