2005
International Web Concert Hall Competition (Honorary Mention)
Fabrizio Chiovetta (Piano) -
Swiss / Italian
Tell us about your
musical background.
I began taking piano lessons when I was 7. However, at the time, I loved
spending long hours at the piano improvising and producing all sorts of
melodies that I had listened to. I studied with my initial professor for
a long time until I was admitted into professional classes at the
Conservatory of Geneva. I have always been interested in music theory
and I obtained several diplomas in writing classes. In addition, I have
been intensively active in improvisation and playing in various jazz bands. I
then pursued my training at the Tibor Varga Superior Conservatory and
Academy in Sion, Switzerland, where I was honored to study with Dominique
Weber, and where I received the Soloist Diploma. I regularly took lessons from
John Perry and Paul Badura-Skoda and I followed master classes with Marc
Durand.
Is there any other member in your family who may be musicians? How
did you choose to select the instrument?
No one in my family is a musician. My older brother took piano lessons
but I spent more time on the instrument than he did. I attempted to play
the melodies that he practiced. I then chose the piano.
Tell us about your teachers?
The professor who had the strongest influence on me was undoubtedly
Dominique Weber. He was taught by Eduardo Vercelli and Leon Fleisher,
where he also served as an assistant at the Peabody Conservatory of
Music in Baltimore, the United States of America. His instinct
and his musical intelligence make him an extraordinary pianist and
outstanding pedagogue. During my 4-year studies with him helped me
consolidate my technique and develop my sense of structure, rhythm and
beauty of sound. He taught me to be fully involved and more
communicative in my musical expression. He was an ideal professor.
Dominique Weber’s recitals, which I am delighted to listened to, have
been unforgettable moments in my life as musician.
I often played for Paul Badura-Skoda, the most illustrious
representative of the Viennese tradition. With him, I had an opportunity
to study works of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert on original
instruments. His open mind and his interest in extra-musical element
have enriched his understanding of art, which was a major source of
inspiration for me.
I also have regularly taken classes with John Perry in Germany. John
Perry is one of the most talented musicians I have met. His knowledge of
the repertoire is impressive. He is a magnificent artist, able to deeply
move his audience as he sits at the piano. He can draw out the best out
of each student while respecting their own personality.
Tell us about your practicing strategy... and selecting your
repertoire
I don’t follow a particular methodology. I swing from one work to
another depending on the mood of the day. I spend time reflecting on the
work without playing it in order to elaborate a musical framework. Long
before I actually begin to practice a piece, I take time to read and
absorb the score as much as possible. I let the work rest and grow within
and try to digest as I understood. I also have studied numerous
pieces the sake of my pleasure, without planning to play them in public.
This enables to broaden my repertoire as well as broadens the horizon of
my view about the music.
In your opinion, what is your strength in your playing? And why do you
think so?
I believe this if for the public to decide. I am often praised for the
quality of my sound and for my sense of understanding the architecture
of work I perform. And these are the most important aspects for me when
I play. I am also recognized for being communicative and for being able
to capture the audience.
Do you like any other forms of art? such as painting? a favorite
writer? Tell us about it.
I often visit contemporary art exhibitions. I also read a lot. My
favorite authors are Milan Kundera and Stefan Zweig.
Do you have a management now? If so, can you tell us who and what is
your concert schedule may be in the next 2 years?
I don’t have a manager at present. I have several concerts scheduled in
Europe and in Canada next year as well as a few recordings (two pianos
and solo piano).
What do you do for hobby, if any?
I like reading, going to movies and listening to all sorts of concerts.
I often play in jazz jam-sessions. I have a huge collection of CDs,
hundreds of which I haven’t had time to listen to yet.
In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a good performer?
How do you judge a good performance?
From a performer, I expect musical honesty and respect for the work. The
performer should always provide the musical structure intelligently and
be able to communicate fluently. Sound is most important. It is the
ingredient of all.
Do you believe a performer must attend conservatory? What is your
opinion on this?
I do not believe that it is indispensable. Studying with the right
professor at the right time is more important than the institute chosen.
However, I believe that contact with other instrumentalists, made
possible at the conservatory, is often beneficial for the learner’s
growth overall.
Thank you for the interview
and all the best wishes for your career.
Interviewed by
MusicalOnline on August 2005
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