Roberto Piana

Roberto Piana is a pianist, composer, essayist and researcher, born in Sassari, Sardinia, in 1971. He composed his first works in 1985 and began performing in 1990. Although he subsequently studied with several renowned pianists, he credits his principal training to Isabella Lo Porto, with whom he graduated in piano with the highest marks at the Sassari Conservatory.

His performances have taken him to venues including the Théâtre du Rond-Point in Paris, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Regio in Turin, the Scriabin Museum in Moscow, Spazio Oberdan in Milan, Sala dei Giganti in Padua and the University of Stuttgart. He has also appeared in St Petersburg, Barcelona, Zurich, Liège, Brussels, Charleroi, Mons, Lausanne and Düsseldorf.

Alongside his performing career, he researches lesser-known composers, including Ansorge, Gutmann, Ornstein, Pomè, Rebello, Tellefsen and Wolff. He has devoted particular attention to the Sardinian composer Lao Silesu (1883–1953). Since 1994 this work has led to essays, books, recordings, concerts and lectures, including publications with Stradivarius, Inedita Edizioni, Documenta Edizioni and Magnum Edizioni. His research recovered manuscripts and other important documents and resulted in a pioneering recording of Silesu’s music and the digital publication of his piano works for the Library of Sardinia.

Active as a composer since the early 1990s, Piana writes piano, vocal, chamber and orchestral music. His works have been performed in Italy and internationally, including at the Newport Festival in California, the Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój and the International Russian Music Piano Competition in San José, as well as in China, England, Japan, South Africa and Russia. Recordings of his music have appeared on Centaur, Music & Arts, Steinway & Sons, TwoPianists and Editoriale Documenta. Pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi recorded his Piano Sonata and 25 Preludi pittorici for Centaur.

He has won prizes in piano performance and composition competitions, including Borgo Cortello–Udine, Silenzio Musica, the Nestore Baronchelli Competition and the ninth national choral composition competition Nella Città dei Gremi. In 2008 he won first prize in the international Libertango competition dedicated to Astor Piazzolla, followed by the recording Astor Piazzolla: Piano Works for Editoriale Documenta.

He has given piano masterclasses in Italy and Russia.