On November 22nd, young Italian pianist Michele Garzo conquered the audience at the National Opera Center in New York City. Garzo, 23, is an artist on the rise among the up-and-coming pianists in the panorama of classical music. He recently won the first prize at the Elite International Music Competition with the jury praising his “very impressive” technique. The competition will allow its winners to perform in the upcoming season of the prestigious Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall of the Kauffman Center.
Mr. Garzo made his way to New York City to attend the Aaron Copland School of Music in order to get a Master Degree in Piano Performance; he already had a Master Degree in Musicology and Performing Arts back in Italy.
At the National Opera Center, Garzo played for about 2 hours with a brief intermission, with a challenging, diverse program prepared with professionalism and precision, dazzling to hear and to watch, showcasing his agility, a charismatic stage presence and his unique interpretative vision. He spanned from Liszt to Prokofiev, from Bach to Scriabin and Chopin and Rachmaninoff, to delight his audience. The whole recital spoke of a felicitous marriage of technical mastery, colorful interpretation and emotional intensity. Garzo tended to choose very aggressive tempos whenever it came to quicker passages and pieces, but the music never got away from him.
The Italian received thunderous applause from a packed house, thanking the audience with three encores which proved to be a show within a show in terms of quality and variety. Michele Garzo played brilliantly, full of passion and style as well as a vitality and imagination that inspires. After the concert, he took photos with fans in the audience and his longtime friends.
