What could happen if a pianist with Argentinean roots living in Toronto,
undertakes to play the program for Čiurlionis? He chooses three elements that excited Čiurlionis: nature, folk songs and dances and religious mystery. Stretches them between Lithuania, Argentina and Canada. Then they prepare and wait... and we will taste the fruits in July" (A. Pannizza)
Admired by critics and the public alike, Canadian-Argentinian Alexander Panizza received his musical training in Toronto, Buenos Aires, Geneva, Paris, Barcelona and London, where he graduated from the Royal College of Music. The pianist's mastery and powerful sound are perfectly revealed in the repertoire of piano concerts, among which the opus of Brahms, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Beethoven and Schumann can be mentioned. His discography includes 32 Beethoven piano sonatas, all of Alberto Ginastera's piano opuses, and works by Carlos Guastavino, Muzzio Clementi, and David Winkler (Naxos, American Composers Series). As a soloist with orchestras, a recitalist and a member of chamber ensembles, Alexander performed at Barbican Hall in London, Herkulessaal in Munich, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Richelieu Amphiteatre in Paris, Pallas Theater in Athens, Guangxi Concert Hall in Nanning (China), At the National Theater of Panama City, Teatro Solís in Montevideo and Prince Mahidol Hall in Bangkok and other prestigious venues in more than twenty-five countries around the world. Paying particular attention to piano collaborations, Alexander regularly performs in chamber music cycles. He has appeared at the Susterberg (Netherlands) and Long Island Mozart Festivals (USA), and is one of the distinguished teachers at the Seven Lakes Festival (Patagonia) and the Vancouver Island Music Academy.
Alexander Panizza is a dedicated educator and member of the competition jury. He participates in juries in Canada, Chile and Argentina, including the CCC Toronto International Music Festival. Alexander is a lecturer at the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, has a piano studio in Toronto, and conducts master classes at universities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. From 2020 he is soloist in residence with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra (Canada). in 2021 he held the opening concert of an international piano cycle at the Teatro Mayor in Bogotá (Colombia). During the pandemic, Alexander turned to the digital realm, creating video works that combine music with visual arts, literature and cinema.
