INTERNATIONAL ACCORDION MASTERY SESSION: PROF. MASSIMILIANO PITOCCO (ITALY)

Massimiliano Pitocco’s accordion mastery session will take place on November 9-10, 9am-5pm. (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Juozos Karos Hall)

Massimiliano PITOCCO began studying the “Bajan” at the age of 7 with Maestro A. Di Zio and later in Paris with Maestro Max Bonnay, graduating in 1992 from the National Superior Conservatory, in 1993 at the Conservatory of the “ville de Paris “and in the same year at the regional competition of Ile de France obtaining the first prize with gold medal everywhere. In ’92 he graduated with honors in Organ in Pescara with Prof. G. Franzoni, in ’94 in Accordion in Bari and studied Fugue and Composition with Maestro E.Alandia.

He subsequently specialized in Bajan with F.Lips, W. Zubitsky, J.Mornet, M.Ellegaard, and in Organ with T. Kopman, D. Roth, L.Rogg and for two years in Cremona with M.Radulescu.

He is the winner of numerous international Bayan competitions, including the first prize in Castelfidardo (1986 and 1988) and the second prize at the “World Cup” organized in Switzerland (1989).           

He is often invited to conferences and seminars as well as to preside over the juries of the most important international competitions such as the Castelfidardo and Klingenthal Prize.                                                                         

He has played in important theaters around the world such as those in Munich, Frankfurt, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, Lisbon, Belgrade, Stockholm, Vienna, Paris, Lyon, Luxembourg, Budapest, Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Tonhalle in Zurich and Lucerne, Mexico City, Sydney, Tokyo, Yokohama, UAE, Morocco, Sao Paulo of Brazil, USA, and in major Italian theaters such as the Parco della Musica in Rome, the Goldoni of Venice, the Bellini of Naples, the Politeama of Lecce , the Verdi of Trieste, the Pergola of Florence, the Verdi room in Milan, the Massimo and the Biondi of Palermo, the Piccinni of Bari, the Comunale of Bologna etc.  

For years he has also played the Bandoneòn and has dedicated himself to Tango in particular to the music of A.Piazzolla; in 1998 he founded the quartet “Four for Tango”, in 2000 the TrisTango and in 2006 the sextet “Viento de Tango”. In 2002 he played and directed the opera “Maria de Buenos Aires” by A. Piazzolla-H. Ferrer in Switzerland, enjoying considerable success with audiences and critics.

He has collaborated and collaborates with great musicians and actors such as Milva, Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Ivan Fedele, Sylvano Bussotti, Gidon Kremer, Nicola Piovani, Vinicio Capossela, Michele Placido, L.Mastelloni, D. Riondino, Adolfo Margotta; he has recorded numerous soundtracks for cinema and television films and recorded several compact discs for the Dynamic, Wergo, Sculture d ‘Aria, Riovoalto-Ducale, Wide, Azzurra and MAP record companies.  

He holds the Bajan chair at the “Santa Cecilia” conservatory in Rome and holds master classes at the Portogruaro festival and the Pescara Music Academy.

His students Cesare Chiacchiaretta, Dario Flammini, Giuseppe Scigliano , Adriano Ranieri , Gionni and Walter Di Girolamo, Angelo Miele, Saria Convertino, etc, have been winners of the most important accordion competitions in the world and teachers at Conservatories of Music.