Fabrizio Chiovetta
After winning an impressive range of prizes during the first years of his career, Swiss pianist Fabrizio Chiovetta has issued a series of critically acclaimed recordings. Chiovetta was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His older brother played the piano, and he took naturally to the one in the house. Enrolling at the Superior Conservatory of Geneva, he majored in piano and music theory but also studied Italian literature, mathematics, musicology, and the Latin language before settling on the piano as a career. Winning the city of Geneva's Adolphe Neumann Prize, Chiovetta went on for further study at the Tibor Varga Academy in the Swiss city of Sion, graduating with highest honors. His teacher for four years was Dominique Weber, who, he told the Cross Eyed Pianist, "helped me consolidate my technique and develop my sense of structure, rhythm and beauty of sound." He has also studied with Paul Badura-Skoda (becoming his privileged disciple) and John Perry, focusing on historical Viennese instruments as well as works for the modern piano. His soloist appearances have taken him across Europe, Middle-East, North America, and Asia. He is also much sought-after as a chamber musician. He performs with partners such as Henri Demarquette, Patrick Messina, Corey Cerovsek, Sarah & Deborah Nemtanu, Camille Thomas, Werner Güra, Sophie Karthaüser, Benjamin Appl and, notably, under the conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy. In 2009, Chiovetta released a recital of Schumann piano works on the Palexa label that earned raves in both Europe and the U.S., and he was signed to Switzerland's Claves label. He released a recording of Schubert's Piano Sonata in B flat major, D. 960, in 2013. He has also recorded Haydn for Claves, Bach and Mozart for the French label Aparté, and in 2018 he appeared in a trio with Patrick Messina and Henri Demarquette for an album of contemporary works by Henryk Gorecki, Arvo Pärt, and Jaan Rääts. His talent as an improviser has led him to work with artists of varied backgrounds. He currently teaches piano at the Geneva University of Music (Haute école de musique de Genève).