Yamaha Pianos in conversation with Artur Pizarro

Yamaha Artist Artur Pizarro at Abbey Road studios discussing what triggered his love for the piano, inspirational teachers, duets and preparing for a recital. He explains voicing, 'moulding' sound and technique, and provides unique insights into Yamaha CFX and CX series pianos.

Born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1968, Artur Pizarro gave his first public performance when he was just 3 years old and made his television debut on Portuguese television at the age of 4. He had been introduced to the instrument by his maternal grandmother, pianist Berta da Nóbrega, and her piano duo partner.

Artur began performing publicly again at the age of 13 with a recital debut at the São Luíz Theatre in Lisbon. He made his concerto debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra later in the same year and went on to win first prizes in the 1987 Vianna da Motta Competition, the 1988 Greater Palm Beach Symphony Competition and the 1990 Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, which marked the beginning of an international concert career.

Artur performs internationally in recital, chamber music, and with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Philippe Entremont, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Sir Andrew Davis, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Ilan Volkov, Franz Welser-Möst, Tugan Sokhiev, Yakov Kreizberg, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Libor Pešek, Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Charles Mackerras. He is also an active chamber musician and has performed at chamber music festivals throughout the world.

In 2010 Artur performed an epic cycle of the complete solo piano works of Chopin at St John’s Smith Square in London. The nine recitals marked the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth.

Throughout 2010-11 Artur was the Artist in Residence at the Belem Cultural Centre in Lisbon. More recently the 2012-13 season sees Artur performing with the RTE Vanbrugh Quartet in Dublin, a performance of the Gershwin concerto with John Wilson and the RTE Concert Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, a recital tour of Japan, a new recording for Phoenix Editions in Germany, a return to the Sintra Festival, concerts with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, a return to the Husum Festival in Germany, Tchaikovsky’s 2nd piano concerto with the RTE Orchestra in Dublin and performances of Mozart’s G major concerto with Jane Glover in Chicago.