Calligaris, Sergio

Calligaris, Sergio, Argentine-born Italian pianist, teacher, and composer; b. Rosario, Jan. 22, 1941. He commenced piano lessons with Domingo Scarafia and began touring when he was 13. In 1964 he became a student of Arthur Loesser at the Cleveland Inst. of Music (artist’s diploma, 1966), where he also taught, and then completed his training with Guido Agosti at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. In 1969 he became a teacher of piano at Calif. State Univ. in Los Angeles. In 1973 he founded the American Academy of the Arts in Verona, serving as its first artistic director. In 1974 he became a naturalized Italian citizen and began teaching at the Cons, of San Pietro a Majello in Naples. From 1977 he taught at the Alfredo Casella Cons, in L’Aquila. His playing is distinguished by a Romantic elan and virtuoso technique. As a composer, he blends Romantic and post-Romantic styles into a thoroughly contemporary idiom.

Works

orch.: Concerto for Strings (1989); Danze Sin-foniche: Omaggio a Bellini (Catania, Oct. 4, 1990); Piano Concerto (1992); Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue for Strings (L’Aquila, Oct. 8, 1997); Double Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Strings (1997). chamber:Tema e Sete Variazioni, trio for Oboe or Violin, Bassoon or Cello, and Harpsichord or Piano (1958; rev. 1976); Cello Sonata (1978); Suite for Cello and Harpsichord or Piano (1981); Suite Classica for Flute or Violin and Piano (1983); Suite da Requiem No. 1 for Violin, Horn, and Piano (1984) and No. 2 for 2 Pianos, 4 Timpani ad libitum, and Chorus ad libitum (1985); Suite for Cello (1991); Clarinet Sonata (1997). keyboard:piano:Scherzo (1957); Siciliana (1977); II quaderno pianistico di Renzo (1978); 24 studi (1978–80); Scene coreografiche for Piano Duet or 2 Pianos (1979); Preludio, Sarabanda, and Finale (1980); Passacaglia for 3 Pianos, after Bach (1983); BHS, divertimento on music by Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti for 2 Pianos and Women’s Voices ad libitum (1984–85); Vivaldiana, divertimento on themes by Vivaldi for 2 Pianos (1986); Due danze concertanti for 2 Pianos (1986). other: Various vocal pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire