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The Italian pianist, Luca Ballerini, studied music first at the G.B. Martini Conservatory of Bologna, where he graduated with honors in the class of Gino Brandi. From 1986 to 1989 he studied at the Geneva Conservatory with Maria Tipo in the courses of Perfectionnement et Virtuosité where, in 1989, he won “Premier Prix de Virtuosité avec distinction” and the Georges Filipinetti special prize. During these formative years he participated in several competitions, winning many awards. He won First Prize at the 16th International Piano Competition in Sentgallia, at the same competition being awarded a special prize for the best chamber music performance. He won 2nd Prize at the G.B. Viotti International Competition in Venecelli in 1991, was finalist in the 44th F. Busoni Competition in Bolzano in 1992, and in 1994, won 3rd prize at the Concours Géza Anda in Zürich, whose jury was headed by Sándor Végh. After the award at Géza Anda", he recorded a CD for the Naxos record label dedicated to piano music by Alfredo Casella.
Luca Ballerini has appeared in both solo and chamber music. He has given recitals in Italy, Switzerland, France and Germany. He has collaborated with well known Italian and foreign orchestras, including the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (with whom he performed the integral of Mozart’s piano concerts in 1991), Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Orchestra da Camera di Bologna, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Orchestra del Conservatorio di Ginevra (Orchestra of the Conservatory of Geneva), and Orchestra del Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania. In chamber music he has collaborated, among others, with the Quartet of Fiesole, and, in recent years, with the Russian cellist Vadim Pavlov, principal cello of the Orchestra del Teatro Massimo, with whom he has performed a major part of the duo repertoire.
Apart from his concert activity, Luca Ballerini teaches for many years at the Istituto Musicale Pereggiato V Bellini of Catania, where he holds the chair of piano. |
