Polo Osvaldo Ernesto Piatti is a British-Argentine neo-romantic composer, concert pianist and conductor based in the United Kingdom. He is one of very few high-profile international musicians concentrating exclusively on the creation, performance and promotion of melodic, universally appealing classical music. His compositions are performed all over the world for their evocative and passionate character. Considered a pioneer performer of classical piano improvisations since his youth, he toured Europe, Asia, North and South America premiering his own works as a soloist, performing with international orchestras. Piatti is a member of the Royal Society Of Musicians Of Great Britain, the Ivors Academy and the British Music Society among others.
Early life and education
Piatti started piano lessons at the age of 3 in Buenos Aires, becoming a concert pianist and classical improviser in his youth. At 12 he was admitted to the Conservatorio Nacional Superior de Música in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and graduated with distinction as Profesor National de Musica.[1] He left South America at the age of sixteen to pursue an international career and continue his music studies in Paris and Berlin,[2] becoming known as a professional composer, arranger, concert pianist, musical director, conductor, singing coach, instrumental teacher, artist developer, artist manager and music publisher in countries including Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[3] Whilst touring as a concert pianist, Piatti gained acclaim for his innovative classical piano improvisations[4]
Music career
A move to the United Kingdom during the early 1990s led to him becoming teacher and Head of Music at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.[4] Piatti co-founded the drama school Die Freie Kleintheaterschule with the late Frieder Nögge during 1996 in Stuttgart, Germany,[4] writing and performing a variety of plays with the school. Around this time, he also worked with the French avant-garde video artist Didier Bay, at the 'DAAD Academy' in Berlin.[3] After spending a number of years in London coaching and developing other artists, Piatti returned to his roots, composing and performing his own works[4]
Settling in Hastings, East Sussex, he was appointed 'Composer in Residence' at St Mary in the Castle - a former church in Hastings that became a performance space. A tour of Japan followed in November 2012 premiering the work 'Sentimental Journey' with the Osaka Concert Orchestra, giving classical piano improvisations concerts in Osaka and Tokyo.[4]
After launching a recording of Sentimental Journey in 2016, engineered and produced by Grammy Award winner Jan Holzner alongside James Fitzpatrick, Piatti performed with and conducted from the piano the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.[12]
In 2016, a collaboration with British screenwriter/dramatist Roy Apps on his first opera 'Mata Hari' took place; the opera being based on the life of the First World War spy and dancer of the same name.[13] In 2017, he opened the Opus Theatre in Hastings, the theatre providing a versatile performance space for all forms of theatre and music.
On 13 October 2019 Piatti's Bohemian Concerto for piano and orchestra was premiered, by Steinway pianist Thomas Pandolfi with the Symphonicity Orchestra under conductor Daniel W. Boothe to a standing-ovation at the Sandler's Centre for Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
On 20 November 2022 Piatti's Libera Nos, the world's first ever multi-faith oratorio, received its world premiere at the De La Warr Pavilion, in Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom. It was written for five solo singers, mixed choir, children's choir and full symphony orchestra. Performers included the London Mozart Players and the Hastings Sinfonia Orchestra, conducted by Derek Carden.
On 3 December 2023 Piatti's Christmas Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra was premiered by guitarist Giulio Tampalini and the Hastings Sinfonia Orchestra under Derek Carden at the De La Warr Pavilion.
Selected works
The Tides of Time: An orchestral suite. The soundtrack album was released on the Seafront Records label in 2009.
Sentimental Journey: An orchestral suite containing 11 symphonic works. The album was released on Seafront Records in 2016.
The Impossible Pieces: This work received its world premiere during the opening concert of the 4th International Composers Festival in the United Kingdom in 2018 and the work was published by Goodmusic Publishing in 2020.
Vintage Piano: This is a solo album with classical piano improvisations performed by Polo Piatti. The album was released on the Artful Recorded Music Library label in 2019.
The Birds: A work for flute and piano privately commissioned to be premiered by flutist Daisy Noton, who performed the piece with pianist Oliver Poole. The work was published in 2020 by Goodmusic Publishing.
Argentine Dances: A set of 14 symphonic dances, published in 2021 by Goodmusic Publishing.
Entangled Miniatures: Set of 12 miniatures for piano quartet (violin, viola, violoncello and piano). The work was recorded by the Phacelia Ensemble and released in 2022. Released on Seafront Records in 2021. On 20 October the art video was officially launched at Hastings Contemporary.
Christmas Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra: The work was recorded with guitarist Sergio Puccini and the Budapest Scoring Symphonic Orchestra. The album was released on Seafront Records in 2021. Premiered on 3 December 2023 by guitarist Giulio Tampalini and the Hastings Sinfonia Orchestra under Derek Carden at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea.
Duty Sublime: The work was privately commissioned to be presented to the late Queen Elizabeth II and was published in 2020 by Goodmusic Publishing and later recorded by the Budapest Scoring Symphony Orchestra under Hungarian conductor Péter Illényi. The album was released on Seafront Records in March 2022.
Old World Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra: A privately-commissioned work world-premiered by cellist Tim Posner together with the International Festival Orchestra conducted by John Andrews. The performance took place at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, in the UK on 20 May 2022.
Libera Nos: This is the world's first ever multi-faith oratorio. Composed for five solo singers, mixed choir, children's choir and full symphony orchestra. The work's world premiere took place on 20 November 2022 at the De La Warr Pavilion, in Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom, and performers included the London Mozart Players and the Hastings Sinfonia Orchestra, conducted by Derek Carden.
Bohemian Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: Premiered by pianist Thomas Pandolfi and the Symphonicity-Symphony Orchestra under maestro Daniel W Boothe at the Sandlers Centre for Performing Arts in Virginia Beach in the United States on 23 October 2019. Recorded by pianist Thomas Pandolfi and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Andrews. Released on Seafront Records in October 2023.
^International Who's Who in Music (Classical). Edited by David M. Cummings, Published by International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England (Melrose Press). ISBN0-948875-22-4. p. 743.
