Sandro de Palma

Visionary, eclectic, creative, considered by Guido Zaccagnini “one of the most
important and original exponents of Italian pianism by his special treatment of sound
and through his depth and vision of interpretation”.
He made his recital debut at the age of nine playing works by Bach, Chopin and Schubert.
During his career, Sandro De Palma has played worldwide. In 1983, his performance of Chopin’s 24 Etudes at the 20th Brescia and Bergamo
International Piano Festival prompted a prominent Italian music magazine to
comment: “He hasn’t many rivals in his rendering of the Etudes: no more than can be
counted on the fngers of one hand, perhaps less.” (Piero Rattalino) In 1998 he
obtained a brilliant success at the Wigmore Hall in London with the 24 Preludes by
Chopin. Invited by Yuri Temirkanov at St. Petersburg in 2000, he performed the
Concerto n. 1 by Franz Liszt with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic.
In October 2001 he played for the frst time, with Andrea Bocelli and Ilia Kim and under
the direction of Donato Renzetti, “…malinconia, ninfa gentile” by Azio Corghi for voice,
two-piano concerto and string orchestra.
In February 2004 he played the Franck’s Quintet at Kammermusiksaal der Philarmonie
in Berlin with Amarcorde Quartet, members of Berliner Philarmoniker.
In 2004, 2005 and 2006 he played at famous Festival “La folle journée de Nantes”, at
the International Piano Festival “La Roque d’Anteron”, at the Beethoven Festival in
Bonn and at the Chopin Festival in Marienbad.
In 2006 he also played at “La folle journée” in Tokyo, at “Piano en Valois” and at
“Piano au Jacobin” at Expo in Shangaj.
In October 2008 opened the Piano Festival “Piano en Valois” and in January 2009 he
performed the Concerto in do maggiore by Antonio Salieri with the Arena di Verona
Orchestra.
He achieved great success in April 2010 at the Musikverein in Wien, playing the
Brahms’ Concerto n.2.
In July 2010, he gave three concerts at the Shangaj Universal Expo and in October
2010 he was awarded the prize “Cimarosa”. In October 2012 he made an important
tour in China for the Festival Piano aux Jacobins.
Sandro De Palma has also a special predilection for chamber music. He performed all
Beethoven Sonatas for violin and piano and all Brahms chamber works.
He played with Boris Belkin, Domenico Nordio, Ilja Grubert, Pierre Hommage, Andrea
Noferini, Tatiana Vassilieva, Vincenzo Mariozzi, Wenzel Fuchs, Giampiero Sobrino. He
collaborated with Berliner Philharmonic strings and winds, the Prazak Quartet, the
Ebène Quartet, the Quartet Amarcorde.
At the age of sixteen, Sandro De Palma made his frst recording of works by Liszt and
participated in the world’s frst recording for Fonit Cetra of Clementi’s Gradus ad
Parnassum – a recording which won the 20th Italian Critics Award. He has also
recorded works by Cilea and Brahms.
Always been in the world of music and theater, as performer and as manager, he
integrates artistic sensibility with organizational and managerial skills. He has a
holistic view of the most critical issues pertaining the artistic director of a theater.
Always looking for “unknown treasures” (see programs of the 56th and the 57th
edition of the Spoleto Festival, where he proposed the rare authors such Decaux and
Filtsch), during his career, he has been able to balance original programs with the
needs of public involvement.
From 1999 to 2010 he was Artistic Director of Festival Maggio della Musica di Napoli.
He is President and Artistic Director of the Associazione Musicale Muzio Clementi, that
he founded in Rome in 2000 and since 2017 organizes the Festival “I Bemolli sono Blu”
in Viterbo (Italy).