Castrianni Pianoforti and Alfredo Conte: Italy between Craftsmanship and Young Talent
Thursday 13 October, 6.30 pm
We are pleased to introduce the first event of a series of concerts “Young Music Italy” aimed at showcasing the best of Italian craftsmanship and the most promising Italian musical talents.This first event will weave these two aspects of the Made in Italy together, through a first introductory conference by the siblings Francesca and Alessandro Castrianni, followed by a piano concert by the young pianist Alfredo Conte. The talk will shed light on the history of the pianoforte within the framework of Italian excellence in piano craftsmanship. It will be curated by the Castrianni family who, for over 70 years, has been at the forefront of setting up and tuning high end pianos, including those of the historic Italian brand Fazioli. Maestro Francesca Castrianni will open the evening with a brief history of the instrument and will talk about the family’s direct experience in the field, while Alessandro Castrianni will speak more in detail about the technicalities of the instrument and the tuning technique. Later, a concert by young pianist Alfredo Conte will take the audience through several seminal pieces of classical music from the 18th to the 21st century, including, among others, Beethoven’s Grande Sonate Pathétique and Hosokawa’s étude no.3 ‘calligraphy’.
Castrianni Pianoforti started in 1946 when the young Adolfo Castrianni began studying the profession of piano technician and tuner with Maestro Riccardo Orsini, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli’s personal technician. In the mid-fifties he opened his own shop in Rome becoming, over the years, a reference point for the piano industry of the city and beyond. His professionalism and competences have been inherited by the second generation, which continues to carry out the founder’s values of competence, quality and courtesy. Castrianni has worked with several famous musicians and companies, including, to name one, Maestro Morricone. They collaborate with institutions such as the national broadcasting company RAI, Quirinale, Camera dei Deputati, Senato della Repubblica, Zetema and many more.
Alfredo Conte (Nice, 2002) began studying the piano when he was seven, later studying at the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello in Venice, the Conservatorio Giuseppe Tartini in Trieste and the Conservatorio S.Cecilia in Rome, where he is currently attending his last year. While studying at the conservatorio, he is also a student at the music department of King’s College London and he is completing a course in advanced piano performance at the Royal Academy of Music. Conte has attended several masterclasses with the likes of Maestro Bogini and Maestro Pérez de Gùzman and has performed at several prime Italian venues like Ateneo Veneto (VE), Palazzo Albrizzi (VE), Teatro Miela (TS), Teatro Ristori (UD), Auditorium S.Domenico (PG).
The Italian Cultural Institute will not admit anyone showing covid-19 symptoms such as a continuous cough, a cold and a temperature. You are strongly invited to wear face covering during events, maintain social distancing and use wall-unit sanitizers, as a matter of courtesy to the clinically vulnerable. We keep windows open whenever possible to ensure ventilation and thoroughly clean our rooms before and after each event. Thank you for your co-operation.
We reserve the right not to admit any late comers.