Ciccolini, Aldo

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Ciccolini, Aldo

Ciccolini, Aldo, distinguished Italian pianist and pedagogue; b. Naples, Aug. 15, 1925. He began piano lessons at a very early age, and at age nine he was granted entrance to the Naples Cons., where he studied piano with Paolo Denza, taking first prize in 1940. He also took first prize in composition there in 1943. In 1941 he made his debut as soloist in Chopin’s F minor Concerto in Naples. In 1947 he became a prof, of piano at the Naples Cons. He was co-winner of the Grand Prize in the Long-Thibaud Competition in 1949. On Nov. 2, 1950, he made his U.S. debut as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the N.Y. Phil., and subsequently pursued a notable international career. He was a prof, at the Paris Cons. (1971–88). Ciccolini maintains a comprehensive repertoire, which extends from Bach to contemporary composers. His virtuoso technique is enhanced by a particularly refined lyricism.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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