Photo : © Frédéric Barrès
Acclaimed for his elegant, eloquent playing, Vittorio Forte weaves his artistic path with curiosity and originality. From C.P.E. Bach or F. Couperin to the formidable transcriptions of Earl Wild, via the works of Russian composer Nikolay Medtner, each foray into a new repertoire is an experience lived in depth and with sincerity.
Born in Italy, it was at the age of seventeen that Vittorio Forte decided to devote himself entirely to music, under the guidance of Argentine pianist José Lepore. In 1998, he left Italy to settle permanently in France, where he continued his studies with Christian Favre at the HEM in Lausanne. He later joined the International Piano Academy Lake Como, where he studied with such great masters as Andreas Staier, Menahem Pressler, Fou Ts’ong and William Naboré.
Prizewinner in various competitions in Italy, Spain and Switzerland, he came to prominence with the Vlado Perlemuter Grand Prix in 2007. Since then, he has performed in several European countries, as well as in the United States and Japan, notably at the La Roque d’Anthéron Piano Festival, Festival de Radio France Montpellier Occitanie, La Folle Journée de Nantes, Chopin à Nohant, Lille Piano Festival, and in venues such as Geneva’s Victoria Hall, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Paris’s Salle Cortot, Umea Opera House, Madrid’s Juan March Foundation and Japan’s Akita Theatre.
Since 2009, his recordings, including for the Lyrinx label, have received excellent reviews from the specialist press in many countries. Nominated for the ICMA (International Classical Music Awards) in 2014 and 2020, his recording career demonstrates the diversity of his repertoire and the originality of the programs he proposes. In 2019, Vittorio Forte signed with the Italian American Odradek label, a collaboration marked by a first album devoted to C.P.E. Bach (Joker de Crescendo, 5 Classica stars, 5 Diapasons).
His 2021 album, a tribute to the great American pianist Earl Wild through his transcriptions, was widely praised by the international press (Choix de Musiq3 RTBF, Disque du jour France Inter, Opus d’Or, Critics’ Choice International Piano Magazine…) and noted for its inventiveness, colorful poetry and elegant virtuosity. His recording of the Russian composer Nikolay Medtner, again for the Odradek label, was selected by Le Monde and awarded the “Joker” by Crescendo Magazine, the “Opus d’or” and the 5 stars by Classica magazine.
In 2016, Vittorio Forte created the C.A.P.A. (Centre d’Activités Pianistiques et Artistiques) in Montpellier, where he is in charge of a series of masterclass, as well as programming the Piano Intime season.
