Benedetto Lupo
“Accademico di Santa Cecilia”, the most prestigious italian recognition, and one of the most interesting and complete talents of his generation, Benedetto Lupo came to the world’s attention with his success in 1989, as first Italian, at the prestigious Van Cliburn International Competition, the prelude to a brilliant career that has made him one of the most refined and sought-after pianists on the international music scene.
Considered by international critics as one of the most interesting and complete talents of his generation, Benedetto Lupo came to the attention of the musical world with his success in 1989, first Italian, at the prestigious Van Cliburn International Competition. This led to collaborations with American and European orchestras, such as Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston and Chicago Symphony, LA Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Seattle Symphony, London Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, at the invitation of conductors such as Yves Abel, Vladimir Jurowski, Bernard Labadie, Juanjo Mena, Kent Nagano, to name but a few.
His intense concert activity sees him as regular guest at major international concert halls and festivals including the Lincoln Center in New York, the Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, the Tanglewood Festival, the ‘Enescu’ Festival in Bucharest and the Tivoli Festival in Copenhagen.
Highlights of recent seasons include the debut with the National Orchestra of RTVE in Madrid, the tour with the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova, the returns to the Società del Quartetto in Milan, in Rome with the Orchestra Nazionale dell’Accademia di S. Cecilia and in London with the London Philharmonic, as well as monographic recitals dedicated to Debussy, in Italy and abroad, including at the National Gallery in Washington on the centenary of the composer’s death (‘Benedetto Lupo’s Debussy recital was an absolutely exceptional musical, sensual and sonorous experience’ Le Devoir – ‘Lupo’s interpretations, free from any predictability and routine, are entirely personal, thoughtful and fresh. During the entire concert, the audience listened to him in that rapt silence, reserved for the best way of making music’ Washington Post).
In addition to recordings for numerous European and US radio and television stations, Benedetto Lupo has made recordings for TELDEC, BMG, VAI, NUOVA ERA, as well as the complete Schumann piano compositions for ARTS. In 2005, a new recording of Nino Rota’s Concerto Soirée was released for Harmonia Mundi, which won numerous international awards, including the ‘Diapason d’Or’.
Born in Bari, Benedetto Lupo began his musical studies in his hometown, later perfecting his skills with Sergio Perticaroli, Aldo Ciccolini and Murray Perahia. After making his debut at the age of thirteen with Beethoven’s First Concerto, he went on to win numerous international competitions, including the ‘Cortot’, ‘Robert Casadesus’, ‘Gina Bachauer’ and in 1992 the ‘Terence Judd’ Prize in London.
A pianist with a vast repertoire, Benedetto Lupo also has an important chamber music and teaching activity to his credit; he holds master classes at important international institutions, is often invited to the juries of prestigious international piano competitions and, since the academic year 2013/2014, has held the chair of piano in the specialisation courses at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, an institution of which, since December 2015, he has been a full Academic.