October 21st: Pianist Paolo Andre Gualdi at the FMU PAC

FMU Faculty Recital

Monday, 21 October 2013, 7:30 pm

Performing Arts Center, Downtown Florence

An Evening of Franz Liszt

Paolo André Gualdi, piano

Italian pianist Paolo André Gualdi has played recitals in Italy and the United States, both as a soloist and chamber musician. He has been a featured soloist with the Atlanta Philharmonic, Georgia Philharmonic, Ludwig Symphony, Parma Wind Orchestra, Warren Civic Orchestra, and the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra. In Italy he has given recitals for the A.Gi.Mus., Accademia Ori, Accademia Amadeus and others. He has also performed for the International Piano Series of Charleston, American Liszt Society, Piccolo Spoleto Festival USA, Cincinnati Conservatory, and Eastman School of Music in Rochester.

Gualdi began studying piano with his father at the age of five, and continued at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy. He earned his Piano Diploma with highest honours at the Conservatory Arrigo Boito in Parma with Roberto Cappello. While in the US, he earned a Masters Degree in Piano Performance at Carnegie Mellon University under the tutelage of Enrique Graf, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of Georgia with Evgeny Rivkin. He participated in master classes with György Sandor, Earl Wild, Menahem Pressler, Sergio Perticaroli, and had several years of private studies with Carlo Maria Dominici.

He has won the top prize in numerous piano competitions, including the European Competition of Ostuni, the Altruda National Competition of Vasto and the Françoise Grimaldi National Competition of San Polo. Winning the “De Martino Award” at the Ibla International Piano Competition enabled him to study at Elon University. During this period he won the First Prize in the Southeastern Piano Competition of Whiteville, North Carolina, and the 15th Bartók-Kabalevsky International Competition in Virginia.

Gualdi has served on the faculties of Elon University, Emmanuel College, Oxford College of Emory University, and is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Francis Marion University and coordinator of the South Carolina Chamber Music Festival which will return to Florence this February 24-28, 2014.

RESERVATIONS: Reservations may be made by calling the FMU Performing Arts Center at 843-661-4444 between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. The first 100 tickets for each Mainstage performance are free to FMU students (you must show your FMU ID at the Box Office to receive a ticket); all remaining tickets are $5 each.