Historical background of
the International Piano Academy
Lake Como
Ever since the great Artur Schnabel and his equally great son, Karl Ulrich took refuge on the shores of Lake Como in the 1933 and continued teaching there during the summers (together with his wife, Therese Behr-Schnabel and the violinist, Szymon Goldberg) outstanding results have followed: Carlo Zecchi, Lilly Kraus, Leon Fleisher and Rudolph Firkusny in the first flush and since 25 years an equally glorious second revival has been established more than 50 years afterwards!
Karl Ulrich Schnabel was still there for a time but other great teachers have followed: Leon Fleisher, Claude Frank, Menahem Pressler, Andreas Staier, Charles Rosen, Fou Ts’ong, Alicia de Larrocha, Dimitri Bashkirov and now William Grant Nabore, Malcolm Bilson, Peter Frankl, Tamas Vasary, Dang Thai Son, Kathrien Chi, Wladimir Michouk, Dag Achatz and Stanislav Ioudenitch who are forming a whole new generation of great young pianists, the “creme de la creme” of young pianists today.
In the meantime, the International Piano Academy Lake Como is now universally recognized as one of the the finest piano academies in the world today. This Festival will be the occasion to verify the results! The programs will be an illustration of five centuries of the best keyboard with a nod to Franz Liszt who composed his “Apres une lecture de Dante” in the gardens of Villa Melzi in Bellagio on Lake Como.
These recitals will be performed in the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia in Griante Cadenabbia and in the Theater Carducci in Como. As a prelude to these performances , there will also be concerts in Dongo with students of the Summer Piano School where young pianists are given the opportunity to learn from the hands of the masters.
This is a unique occasion to hear some of the most exciting and original pianists of today.
Villa del Vescovo
Villa Vescovo, or Palace of the Bishop was built in the 17th Century by the family of Marquis Cossoni. It was acquired by the bishop of Como in 1854 and about 100 years later by the town of Dongo, who undertook the complete renovation with financial support of the Comunita Montana Valli del Lario e del Ceresio. It became the home of the Civic institute of Music of Alto Lario and since end of 2003 also of the International Piano Academy Lake Como.
Via Statale, 14 – 22014 Dongo (CO) – Italy
Villa Mella
The handsome Villa Mella was constructed in the early twentieth century by Amilcare Mella, a renowned civil engineer from Milan.
Griante (CO) – 22011 Italy