HIGH NOTES
A New Generation of Italian Musicians
Martina Consonni (pianoforte)
PERFORMS:
Bach: Concerto Italiano in F major, BWV 971. Allegro – Andante – Presto
Scarlatti: Selection from the piano sonatas. K 380 in E major, K 27 in B minor, K 14 in G major, K 95 in C major, K 1 in D minor, K 438 in F major
Beach: Nocturne op. 107
Gershwin: Three Preludes for piano
Liszt: Three Sonetti dal Petrarca (Petrarca Sonnets). Sonetto 104: Pace non trovo, Sonetto 47: Benedetto sia ‘l giorno, Sonetto 123: I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi
Liszt: Paraphrase on Verdi’s “Rigoletto” S. 434
This concert is the first of four concerts of the series High Notes, A New Generation of Italian Musicians celebrating 250 Years of Musical Friendship between Italy and The United States curated by Francesca Dego.
Francesca Dego: “New York and Italian culture. Nothing could feel more personal to me with my mother born and raised in Queens and my father a celebrated Italian writer. When director Claudio Pagliara entrusted me with introducing the most exciting young Italian musicians to New York audiences I was simply thrilled and today I’m proud to present the first edition of “High notes”, celebrating 2026 by exploring a musical friendship 250 years young. Kicking off on June 4th with star pianist Martina Consonni, we continue with violinists Giuseppe Gibboni (winner of Paganini Competition in 2021 and fresh from debuts with Atlanta, Milwaukee and Detroit symphonies) and Lucilla Mariotti together with pianist Alessio Enea, guitarist Carlotta Dalia and cellist Erica Piccotti together with pianist Leonardo Pierdomenico, who have included the world premiere of a piece by young Italian composer Enrico Scaccaglia in their wonderful programme. You will get a taste of Italian inspired works by some of the greatest minds in music history, from Bach to Stravinsky, savour all-time favourites by Paganini and Gershwin, get to know extraordinary composers like Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Amy Beach and discover rarities like the delightful salon music by Alfredo D’Ambrosio. See you on Park Avenue!”
Bios:
Martina Consonni
Martina Consonni is an Italian pianist acclaimed for her poetic sensitivity, refined musicianship, and brilliant technical command. She has performed in some of the world’s leading venues, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Tonhalle Zürich, Teatro alla Scala, and Teatro La Fenice, and appears regularly at major international festivals such as Klavier Festival Ruhr, Rheingau Festival, MiTo Settembremusica, and Kronberg Festival.
As both soloist and chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists including Gautier Capuçon, Steven Isserlis, and Tabea Zimmermann, and performed with orchestras such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Dresden Philharmonic, and Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich. A laureate of numerous international competitions and foundations, she was selected for Sir András Schiff’s Building Bridges series and the Classeek Ambassador Programme. Her recordings for Warner Classics and Movimento Classical have received international critical acclaim, with BBC Music Magazine praising her “luminous piano playing” and “outstanding ensemble artistry.”
Francesca Dego (curator):
Italian American violinist Francesca Dego is celebrated for her compelling interpretations and flawless technique. Upcoming debuts include San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Danish National, Melbourne Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Bilbao Symphony and Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai and an artistic residency at London’s Wigmore Hall.
Francesca performs with major orchestras worldwide including London Symphony, Tokyo’s NHK, Taipei Symphony, National Symphony in Washington, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Detroit, Seattle Symphonies; Swedish Radio Symphony, London Philharmonic, l’Orquesta de Castilla y León, l’Orchestre de Champs Elysées, Brucknerhaus Linz, l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Key recordings on Chandos Records and Deutsche Grammophon include the complete Mozart violin concertos with Sir Roger Norrington, Brahms and Busoni Concertos with the BBC Symphony and Dalia Stasevska, concertos by Paganini and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari and a complete survey of the violin sonatas by Beethoven and Paganini’s Caprices on Deutsche Grammophon.
Francesca plays on a fine Antonio Stradivari violin on loan from J & A Beare.
Reservation no longer available