Massimiliano Pitocco – accordion, organ (Rome, Italy)
About
Professor of the Rome Conservatory “Santa Cecilia”
Massimiliano Pitocco started to study the Bayan with Professor Alessandro Di Zio and subsequently with Professor Max Bonnay in Paris; he graduated at the Superior National Academy of Music of Paris in 1992, at the Academy of Music "Ville de Paris" in 1993 and in the same year, at the Ile de France regional competition, winning everywhere the first prize with Gold medal. Then he graduated with honours in Organ in Pescara with Professor Giovanna Franzoni in 1992 and in Accordion as well in Bari, again with honours in 1994. He also studied Composition with Professor Edgar Alandia.
Then he specialized in Bajan too with F.Lips, W.Zubitsky, J.Mornet, M.Ellegaard, and in Organ with T.Kopman, D.Roth, L.Rogg and with M.Radulescu in Cremona where he studied for two years.
He won a lot of Bajan international competitions, like the first prize in Castelfidardo (1986 and 1988) and the second prize at the "World cup" held in Switzerland (1989).
He is often invited to conferences and seminars, as well as presiding over the juries of the most important international contests as Castelfidardo and Klingenthal competitions.
He played all around the world in the most important theaters such as Monaco, Frankfurt, the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, Lisbon, Belgrade, Vienna, Paris, Lyons, Luxembourg, Budapest, Berlin Konzerthaus , the Tonhalle in Zurich and Lucerne , Mexico City, Sydney, Tokyo, Yokohama, EAU, Marocco, Brasil, USA, and in the most important theaters in Italy too, such as Parco della Musica in Rome, Venice, the Bellini in Naples, the Politeama in Lecce, the Verdi in Trieste, the Pergola in Florence, the Verdi in Milan, the Massimo and Biondi in Palermo, the Piccinni in Bari, the Comunale in Bologna etc.
He also plays the Bandonion and he has been interested in tango music, particularly in A.Piazzolla's music and in 1998 he founded the Four for Tango quartet, in 2000 the TrisTango and later in 2006 the Sextet “Viento de Tango”.
In Switzerland, in 2002 he played and conducted the opera "Maria de Buenos Aires" by A.Piazzolla – H. Ferrer, winning an outstanding success both from public and critics.
He cooperated and still cooperates with great musicians and actors such as Milva, Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Ivan Fedele, Sylvano Bussotti, Gidon Kremer, Nicola Piovani, Vinicio Capossela, Michele Placido, Sebastiano Lo Monaco, Leopoldo Mastelloni, David Riondino, Adolfo Margiotta. He recorded a lot of movies and Tv soundtracks as well as lots of compact-discs for record companies like Dynamic, Wergo, Sculture d'aria, Riovalto-Ducale, Wide, Azzurra and MAP.
He holds the chair of Bajan at the "Santa Cecilia" Academy of Music in Rome and he has been giving masterclasses at Portogruaro Festival and Pescara Music Academy.
His students, Cesare Chiacchiaretta, Dario Flammini and Walter Di Girolamo, Angelo Miele, Saria Convertino, etc, have been winner of the best Accordion Competitions in the world and work as “Professors” in different Music Conservatories.
http://www.massimilianopitocco.com/