Christian Leotta

Legendary pianist Rosalyn Tureck once remarked that Christian Leotta possessed an “extraordinary talent displaying beautiful innate musical inventiveness.” In the same spirit, the great Karl Ulrich Schnabel praised Leotta for “his perfect respect for the indications of the Classical and Romantic composers” and his “very deep understanding” of their works.

Born in Catania and now residing in Como, Italy, Christian Leotta studied at the Milan Conservatory with pianist and pedagogue Mario Patuzzi, then at major institutions such as the Theo Lieven International Piano Foundation on Lake Como and the Tureck Bach Research Institute in Oxford, England.

In Montreal in 2002, at only 22 years old, Christian Leotta became the youngest pianist since Daniel Barenboim to perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas in a single series of recitals presented over less than one month. Following this milestone, he has since presented the complete cycle 20 times to great acclaim in major musical centres including Madrid, Mexico City, Montreal, Lima, Vancouver, Venice, Quebec City and Rio de Janeiro. As recognition for these achievements, the President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, awarded him the prestigious Presidential Medal in 2004.

After the extraordinary success of his Beethoven cycles, ATMA Classique signed him in 2007 to record the complete set of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. Issued in five volumes between 2008 and 2014, this recording cycle has earned international critical praise. He has been hailed as “one of the foremost Beethoven interpreters of our time” (Pizzicato, Luxembourg), and critics have noted that “this complete cycle stands as a major contribution among existing recordings” (Fanfare, USA). The German magazine Rondo recently wrote: “this cycle reveals a Beethoven interpreter who cannot be compared to any other pianist of his generation.” In April 2014, Gramophone wrote: “Volume V of these five double discs completes Christian Leotta’s cycle of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. Soon he will have performed this cycle 15 times in concert: and even in this highly competitive field, his contribution shines with exceptional musicality.”

Christian Leotta’s strong affinity for Beethoven’s music has been unanimously recognized: critics have emphasized “his prodigious technique used to express in the best possible way the poetry of Beethoven’s music” (The WholeNote, Canada), as well as “his ability to capture attention where one does not expect it” (All Music Guide, USA), earning him the reputation of “a pianist of the first rank — technician, musician and interpreter all at once” (La Presse, Montreal).

In a recent performance of the complete cycle of the five piano concertos and the Choral Fantasy by Beethoven at the magnificent Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara, Leotta demonstrated once again his ability to move and captivate audiences and critics alike. El Informador wrote: “Christian Leotta was sublime: he displayed energy, agility, and a cascade of lyricism… In the Andante con moto of the Fourth Concerto, the performer literally hypnotized the audience, almost forcing them to stop breathing, making every note eternal.”

Christian Leotta has performed with major orchestras such as the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Kammerorchester, the Orchestra Nazionale Sinfonica della RAI, and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, and has appeared in prominent theaters and prestigious concert halls, including the Philharmonie am Gasteig in Munich, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Verdi Hall and Auditorium in Milan, Salle Claude-Champagne in Montreal, and the Great Hall of the Bunka Kaikan Theatre in Tokyo.

Highlights of his current concert season include engagements across five continents. Beginning in 2017, he will be performing the complete cycle of Schubert’s piano sonatas in Italy, Japan, and several other countries.