Konstantin
Ishkhanov
President
Of ClaviCologne International
Piano Festival
Dear Friends,
I am incredibly proud to welcome you all to the wonderful Italian city of Pescara for the 11th edition of the much beloved ClaviCologne International Piano Festival.
Last year, in 2023, this festival celebrated its 10th anniversary edition with a six-day event that left us all breathless, winning plaudits from students, pedagogues, and critics alike, and marking a fitting culmination of a consecutive decade of hard work, determination, and stunning successes.
Now, as we launch the beginning of a new era for this enterprise, we are bringing the festival to Italy for the first time, the birthplace of classical music, and one of the primary music centres of the world to this very day. Taking place from the 30th of July to the 7th of August, this iteration of ClaviCologne will be hosted in Pescara, a historic gem located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea that effortlessly merges past and present within its hallowed streets.
Having long been associated with some of Italy’s biggest musical events, Pescara serves as the perfect backdrop to ClaviCologne, and we too will be working to add to its rich culture in our own small way with a run of masterclasses specialising in the school of piano for this 2024 event.
Led by some of the most acclaimed professors and pedagogues in the contemporary music world, these courses will offer young musicians from all around the globe the opportunity to participate in what we hope will prove to be an illuminating and potentially life-changing experience for them as they continue advancing on their musical journey.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the people and institutions who have helped bring this project to fruition, and in particular to our Artistic Director Giuliano Mazzoccante, whose wisdom and experience have been invaluable, and who has been, and is still, providing a very steady hand at the tiller.
I hope everyone will enjoy what we have prepared for you, and wish you all a very pleasant and profitable time here in Pescara.
Giuliano
Mazzoccante
Artistic Director
of ClaviCologne International
Piano Festival
Dear friends,
It's my deepest pleasure to welcome you to the 11° edition of the ClaviCologne International Piano Festival, which for the first time will be held in Abruzzo, in the city of Pescara. Over the years the Festival has grown considerably, showing an extraordinary ability to involve more and more international artists and attract an ever-increasing number of students.
The aim of the ClaviCologne Festival has always been that of promoting and supporting young pianists from all over the world by giving them the opportunity to deepen their interpretation and refine their piano technique through masterclasses with some of the most famous musicians in the world.
The Festival will be hosted in the splendid setting of the “Luisa D'Annunzio” State Conservatory of Music in the centre of Pescara. Attendees will be based in a strategic location, on the shores of the Adriatic coast and within a short distance from the mountains and the important historical centres. You will be amazed by the natural beauty of the landscape which offers many opportunities not only for culture, but also for leisure. Beauty, history, culture, art, charm… and delicious food! All this is Pescara.
The ClaviCologne Festival brings its energy to a territory ready to welcome artists of all nationalities with open arms, who will find the best conditions to live an educational experience at the highest level with joy, enthusiasm and professionalism.
It is not easy to create all this, but for us it represents a real mission to support the young generation of artists.
My deepest gratitude in all this goes to the Conservatory “L. D'Annunzio" of Pescara, the official partner of this edition of the ClaviCologne Festival. I invite you to participate and join us in this true celebration of music and art and I am sure that you will have a unique and engaging experience.
About ClaviCologne
The 11th ClaviCologne Festival will be arriving in the wonderful city of Pescara, Italy, in summer 2024, for an unforgettable 5-day celebration of piano mastery, including a series of inspiring masterclasses and a riveting piano competition.
Taking place at the Conservatory of Music Luisa D'Annunzio from the 30th of July to the 7th of August, ClaviCologne 2024 will feature some of the most acclaimed pedagogues and professors in the contemporary music world, gathered together from more than 8 countries around the world for just this occasion.
Offering a series of masterclasses led by some of the most renowned pianists active today, ClaviCologne 2024 marks an unmissable opportunity for all young pianists to get a unique glimpse into the minds of these maestros. These masters include amongst their ranks such celebrated names as Special Guest Professors Arie Vardi (Israel) and Denis Kozhukhin (Belgium), as well as, listed in alphabetical order: Epifanio Comis (Italy), Simon Crawford-Phillips (UK), Peter Donohoe (UK), Danny Driver (UK), Pavel Gililov (Austria), Cyprien Katsaris (France/Cyprus), Plamena Mangova (Bulgaria), Pietro De Maria (Italy), Alessandro Taverna (Italy), Stepan Simonian (Germany), Zhe Tang (China), and Ashley Wass (UK).
In addition to furthering their musical journey, attendees will also have the opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to the test, since ClaviCologne shall be presenting a two-round competition that will be taking place from the 5th to the 7th of the month.
Open to applicants of all nationalities, provided that they are no older than 35 years of age at the date of the opening ceremony, this event will see the pianists putting forward a variety of pieces from across the spectrum of classical music, ranging all the way from the classical era right up to the contemporary.
With a total prize fund of €9,000 awaiting the most accomplished artists, the proceedings on stage are set to be overseen by a distinguished 5-member jury panel that is made up of some of the biggest names in the piano world today. These include amongst them Alan Chircop (Malta), Epifanio Comis (Italy), Roberta De Nicola (Italy), Pavel Gililov (Austria), and Stepan Simonian (Germany).
