Philippe Giusiano
Winner of the Thirteenth International Frederic Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Philippe Giusiano is considered the reference with regard to the works of the Polish composer. After coming eighth when he first entered the competition at the age of 17, he won first place five years later in 1995, being a public and press favorite. When his second Chopin CD came out, the following was said: “…one feels compelled to think that this is exactly how Chopin played it” (O. Bellamy - le Monde de la Musique). This success at one of the world’s most famous competition placed Philippe Giusiano among the top pianists and led to appearances at some of the greatest concert halls, among other the Carnagie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Verona Theater, the Scala in Milano, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Suntory Hall in Tokyo…
Philippe Giusiano has taken part in many festivals in France – la Roque d’Anthéron where he is regularly invited, la Chaise-Dieu, Aix-en-Provence, “Chopin chez George Sand” in La Châtre, Chopin Festival in Bagatelle, La Folle Journée, Berlioz Festival… and also abroad – the Ravello Festival in Italy, the Ruhr Festival in Germany, the “Chopin i jego Europa” Festival in Warsaw, the Duszniki Chopin Festival and the Antonin Chopin Festival in Poland… He has made extensive tours through Germany, Japan, Austria, Poland, Russia, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, Denmark, Lithuania, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and Middle-East. He has performed with some of the most outstanding orchestras and conductors such as Antoni Wit, Krzysztof Penderecki, Philippe Entremont, Kazimierz Kord, Yutaka Sado, Jacek Kaspszyk, Grzegorz Nowak, Marek Pijarowski…
During the “200th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin” jubilee, the artist was enthusiastically greeted in France, Spain, the Middle East, Japan, Poland and Scandinavia, where he presented a programme featuring Chopin’s complete works for piano and orchestra.
Philippe Giusiano’s recordings, mainly with music by Frederic Chopin and Sergei Rachmaninoff, have met with wide critical acclaim. His Chopin CD with 24 Preludes and 24 Etudes was a worldwide success “Listening to this pianist in Chopin is like witnessing a kind of musical genesis. An unforgettable experience! (Mathias Heizmann – Arte).
His album recorded in 2017 for the Frederic Chopin Institute in Warsaw includes Chopin’s early works. His latest release features the Piano Concerto Op. 2 by Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński with Howard Shelly and SinfoniaVarsovia.
Alongside his artistic career, the pianist regularly gives master classes in Poland and Japan. He has been a guest professor at Heisei Music College in Kumamoto, Japan since 2008. He has also served as a jury member for major piano competitions, including the Second International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists held in Beijing in October 2019 as well as the Eighteenth International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw in October 2021.
In 2012, Philippe Giusiano was awarded the Medal of the City of Marseilles for his services to the cultural life of his native city.