Orazio Sciortino is a  pianist and composer born in Syracuse (Sicily) in 1984. 

The recent CD recording  “Wagner & Verdi piano transcriptions by Liszt & Tausig,” a double CD Sony Classical, has received prestigious awards from the critics and, among others, the Five Star of the magazine “Musica”. 

His concert performer pianist activity, both as a soloist and with orchestras, has led him to perform in internationally reputed contexts: the Milan Sala Verdi (promoted by Società dei Concerti), Ravello Festival, Ferrara Musica, Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna, Teatro Rossini di Pesaro, Teatro Politeama in Palermo, Teatro Dal Verme (Serate Musicali), Parma Teatro Regio (Verdi Festival),  Greek Theatre in Syracuse (Sicily), Reate Festival, MiTo SettembreMusica (2012, 2013, 2014), I Concerti del Quirinale Rai 3 broadcast, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, Perugia Classica, “Giuseppe Verdi” Symphony Orchestra of Milano, Sagra Malatestiana of Rimini, Festival Pergolesi-Spontini of Jesi, Scarlatti Society in Naples, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Bologna Festival, Orchestra Filarmonica del Teatro Regio di Torino etc.. He  also performed concerts in Poland, Germany (Berlin Konzerthaus, Braunschweig and Wolfsburg Festival etc.. ), Austria, Canada (Orford Festival and Ottawa Chamber Music Festival by invitation of Louis Lortie), Switzerland (Semaines Musicales de Crans Montana, Montreux Jazz Festival), as well as in Kenya, Malta, France (Salle Molière in Lyon, Rencontres artistiques de Bel Air etc..) , Spain, Serbia, Scotland, Lebanon, Jordan, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Brasil (Sala Cecilia Meireles), Peru, Uruguay etc.. 

He received the Audience Award at the 2014 Bologna Festival.

 

As composer is “Cadenzas for Mozart piano concertos” were published by Universal-Ricordi in 2007. Some of his compositions have been played in Italy and abroad during major festivals and venues such as: Portogruaro International Festival, Cantelli Orchestra (Serate Musicali di Milano in Teatro Dal Verme), Bonn Beethoven Festival, Barge Music Festival of New York, I Cameristi della Scala, Beijing Modern Music Festival, Geneva Conservatory, Cantiere Internazionale  d’arte di Montepulciano, Teatro alla Scala, Ensemble Musagète, “Giuseppe Verdi” Symphony Orchestra of Milan, Sentieri Selvaggi Ensemble, Ankara Chamber Music Festival, Turin Philarmonic Orchestra, Philharmonisches Orchester Görlitz etc.

 

He has recorded for RAI Tre, Radio Tre, Radio Classica, the Italian Swiss Radio and for record labels such as Dynamic (“Franz Liszt, An orchestra on the piano”),  Bottega Discantica (Adolfo Fumagalli 1828-1856, “piano works”), Limen Music (Ciurlionis european artist). Recently the double CD “Wagner&Verdi (1813-2013) – Complete Piano Transcriptions by Tausig and Liszt”, is released by Sony Classical.

He has collaborated with the publishing houses Mazzotta and Skira on projects related to the relationships between music and visual arts. He has been dealing with the disclosure of Music as a lecturer and pianist, offering listening guide courses and lecture-concerts.

Born in Siracusa, he completed his piano studies with Boris Petrushansky, Michel Dalberto and Louis Lortie, and he studied composition with Fabio Vacchi at the Milan Conservatory.

He now lives in Milan. Among his upcoming projects, his opera “La Paura – The Fear”, about the First World War, commissioned by  Teatro di Novara (Italy), and which will be presented in the 2015/2016 season.