Alexander Panizza was born in Toronto and started his musical education at the Royal Conservatory of Music. As a teenager, he moved to Argentina with his family and was soon recognized as one of the most talented young musicians of his generation. He won several first prizes in competitions and received scholarships to further his studies in Geneva, Barcelona, Paris and London. He completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Performance at the Royal College of Music in London, in the class of Irina Zaritskaya, where he was awarded the Esther Fisher Prize to the best performance of French music, the Frank Heneghan Prize for his version of Chopin, Rachmaninov and Scriabin’s studies, the Cyril Smith Prize for his rendering of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto and the Hopkinson Gold Medal and Shimmin Prize, in the College’s main piano competition.
With a career supported by excellent press reviews and recognized by prestigious awards like the Konex Prize, Alexander Panizza performs regularly in Europe and the Americas, both as a recitalist and as a soloist. His orchestral repertoire includes over thirty piano concerti. After his performance of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto in Munich’s Herkulessaal, as part of a tour with the Brucknerakademie Orchester, the German press observed his virtuosity, his power and the quality of his touch (Süddeutszche Zeitung).
His performance as soloist of Ginastera’s First Piano Concerto at the Barbican Hall in London was praised by The Times and The Independent for his “real command of pianistic colour” and the “feeling and panache” of his version. The French press mentioned Panizza’s “fiery and passion” in a recital that was qualified as exceptional. Alexander Panizza’s live recording of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas Cycle inspired a documentary by Pablo Romano. Alexander Panizza. Just Piano (2013) received awards in many independent film festivals and portrays Alexander’s quest for “the perfect sound, the right silence”.
Alexander has performed with orchestra and in solo and chamber recitals in Richelieu Amphitheatre in Paris, Palas Theatre in Athens, Nanning’s Guangxi Concert Hall in China, National Theatre in Panama City, Solis Theatre in Montevideo, and Prince Mahidol Hall in Bangkok, among other prestigious halls in over twenty-five countries worldwide. With a special interest in collaborative piano, Alexander performs regularly in chamber music series. He has appeared at Soesterberg (Holland) and Long Island Mozart Festival (USA), and integrates the distinguished faculty of Seven Lakes Festival (Patagonia) and Vancouver Island Music Academy.
Alexander’s discography includes Alberto Ginastera’s complete piano works (Tradition), and works by David Winkler (Naxos, American composers’ series), Muzio Clementi (Cascade) and Carlos Guastavino (Espacio Santafesino). His most recent album is dedicated to Ravel’s music for piano.
Alexander Panizza enjoys collaborating with composers. He was the soloist at the world premiere of Luis Mucillo’s Piano Concerto at Teatro Colón with Buenos Aires Philharmonic and is the dedicatee of works by Ezequiel Diz (Argentina) and Elizabeth Raum (Canada).
Alexander Panizza is a dedicated mentor, adjudicator, and pedagogue. He integrates juries in competitions in Canada, Chile, and Argentina, including the CCC Toronto International Music Festival. Alexander is a faculty member at the Catholic University in Buenos Aires, holds a piano studio in Toronto, and offers masterclasses at higher education institutions in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Since 2020, he has served as the Artist-in-Residence for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra (Canada). In 2021, he opened the International Piano Series at Bogotá’s Teatro Mayor (Colombia). During the pandemic, Alexander pivoted towards the digital realm, producing video works that combine music with visual arts, literature, and film.
Based now in Toronto, Alexander has an intense activity as recitalist and soloist with orchestra, participating regularly in chamber music festivals and offering master classes throughout the Americas. He also collaborates regularly with non-profit institutions and government agencies projects such as the United Nations Blue Heart Campaign. Since 2020, he has served as the Artist-in-Residence for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra (Canada). Alexander is now developing his activities in the digital realm. His video works combine music with visual arts, literature, and film.
