Francesco Attesti Benefit Concert

Francesco Attesti (Cortona, June 6, 1975) is an Italian pianist of international acclaim. Among his generation of musicians, he is considered one of the finest interpreters of the Romantic and early Twentieth Century Repertoire.

The funds from Attesti’s concert on February 16, 2012 will go towards funding the Knights In Training Foundation, or KIT, in support of character education programs for K-8 grade students in the Klein Independent School District.

KIT is an independent, nonprofit Foundation that raises funding for elementary and middle schools interested in implementing the EarlyActFirstKnight program, created and operated by Knights of The Guild.  Based on the theme of gallant knights, chivalry and Rotarian service, EarlyActFirstKnight (or EAFK) is a daily, research-based character education program for elementary and middle schools that, for the first time, puts Rotary into daily, mainstream public education. EAFK was designed to be a service outreach for Rotary Clubs, and helps schoolchildren grow up to be not only smart, but noble, service-oriented people.  There are over 70 Texas schools in the program serving more than 70,000 children.  The program was first implemented in Klein ISD in January 2011, with 6 schools slated by 2012.

To learn more about EarlyAct FirstKnight, click here.

The KIT Foundation has been created to help you and your Rotary Club get involved with EAFK and offer scholarships to underwrite the cost of bringing the program to worthy schools in your area.

Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts & Community Enrichment (FACE) will be ticketing this event.  It is not part of our concert series, but we are proud to assist the Rotary Club and KIT. 

Francesco Attesti Bio & Program

Francesco Attestic began practicing the piano at the age of 6 and gave his first concert at 11, performing a transcription of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach.

When Francesco was 16, he met Sergio Perticaroli who, impressed by the youth’s capabilities at the piano, invited him to attend the Summer Masterclass at the Mozarteum of Salzburg. There, Francesco was immersed in the Romantic repertoire, particularly the works of Chopin and Liszt. He continued to study with Maestro Perticaroli for several years in Rome, refining his skills and winning several national and international piano competitions, including: Ibla Grand Prize International, F.I.D.A.P.A. Competition, Città di Racconigi, Migliori Diplomati d’Italia, Rovere d’Oro, Città di Cesenatico.

In 1998, studying with Maestro Luigi Tanganelli at the “L. Cherubini” Conservatory of Florence, Francesco earned the highest grades in piano bestowed by that institution. Soon thereafter, he attended master classes with Jacques Rouvier (1998) and Hector Moreno (1999, 2000). With Maestro Moreno, he explored the chamber repertoire for piano, as well as several contemporary composers.

Francesco’s first opportunity to record a CD came in 1998 when the “Rugginenti Editore” label asked him to record contemporary music ,the text being Edoardo Sanguineti’s poetry. Since then, there have been many recordings on several labels, such as “Agorà”, “Max Research”, “Drycastle”.  Some have been collaborations with such contemporary composers as Silvia Bianchera Bettinelli, Biagio Putignano, Raoul De Smet.

The epitome of Francesco’s collaborative work to date is his performance with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague, performing the Italian premiere of “Chiavi in Mano” by the Pulitzer Prize winning composer Yehudi Wyner. The
pianist and Mr. Wyner also enjoy a sincere friendship and congenial professional relationship.

In 2007, together with organist, colleague and friend Matteo Galli, he published the first recording of Verdi’s Requiem, transcribed for piano and organ, on the “Le Voci della Citta” label. At the beginning of 2008, Francesco produced a CD on the “Drycastle” label called “Feeling Chopin”. That work was devoted entirely to the great Polish composer.

Always drawn to the perfection of phrasing and the sound of the instrument, he has developed very special and unique expressions. Maestro Perticaroli himself has said, “Francesco Attesti’s piano playing is unusual. Everything that happens in the sound, in the phrasing, and in the musical conception, starts from an aesthetic and musical conviction and it brings the performance out of every formal and consumistic prevision.”

Currently, Francesco Attesti performs regularly in internationally prestigious concert halls like: Philharmonia Hall of Saint
Petersburg, Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow, Mozarteum of Salzburg, Philharmonie Essen, International Piano Festival of Warsaw, Sarajevo Winter Festival, Cambridge University, Leicester University, Columbia University in New York, Denver University in Colorado, and the Conservatory “G. Verdi” in Milan.

[htpp://www.attesti.com]

Program USA 2012

J. S. Bach (1685 – 1750)/F. Attesti: Air (from the Orchestral Suite n. 3)

F. Schubert (1797 – 1828): Impromptu Op.90 n. 2 in E flat major

L. van Beethoven (1770 – 1827): Sonata Op.109 in E major

- Vivace ma non troppo
- Prestissimo
- Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo

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F. Chopin (1810 – 1849): Sonata in B minor Op.35 in B flat minor

- Grave – doppio movimento
- Scherzo
- Marche funébre
- Presto

G. Gershwin (1898 – 1937): 3 Preludes

- Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
– Andante con moto e poco rubato
– Allegro ben ritmato e deciso