(Rome) Maurizio Pollini, a Grammy-winning Italian pianist who frequently performed at Milan’s famed Scala, has died. He was 82 years old.
Mr. Pollini died on Saturday, La Scala said in a statement. The announcement did not specify the cause of his death, but Mr. Pollini had been forced to cancel a concert at the Salzburg Festival in 2022 due to heart problems.
Over the course of an international career spanning six decades, Mr. Pollini’s repertoire has expanded beyond standard classics. He adopted the masterpieces of the early 20th centurye century of Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, as well as post-war modernists such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez and Luigi Nono.
La Scala defined the pianist as “one of the great musicians of our time and a fundamental reference in the artistic life of the theater for more than 50 years”.
Mr. Pollini was considered a pianist of unique intellectual power, whose unparalleled technique as well as dynamic performance compelled listeners to think deeply.
He was born in Milan on January 5, 1942 into a family of artists. His father, Gino Pollini, was a leading rationalist violinist and architect. His mother, Renata Melotti, sang and played the piano, as did his brother, Fausto Melotti, who was also a pioneer of abstract sculpture.
“I grew up in a house full of art and artists,” Mr. Pollini said in an interview. Ancient works and modern works coexisted within the framework of life. »
Mr. Pollini began giving concerts before his 10e birthday, performing Chopin’s Études at age 14, then winning the International Chopin Piano Competition at age 18, as the youngest foreign pianist among a group of 89 candidates.
Arthur Rubinstein, president of the jury, was quoted as saying that the young pianist “already plays better than any of us.”
However, after his first international recognition, Mr. Pollini put his career on hold to study, explaining that performing right away would have been “a little premature” for him.
“I wanted to study, get to know the repertoire better, play the music of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms,” he said.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Pollini participated in impromptu factory concerts and programs for students and workers at La Scala, led by his longtime friend Claudio Abbado.
During his long international career he also collaborated with other famous conductors, including Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim and Riccardo Chailly.
Mr. Pollini made his first American tour in 1968. From the 1970s to the 1990s, he made a series of recordings with the Deutsche Grammophon group, becoming a celebrated interpreter of classics like Beethoven, Schumann and Schubert.
His albums have won several awards, including a Grammy in 2007 for Best Instrumental Solo Performance (without orchestra) for Chopin’s Nocturnes.
He is survived by his wife Marilisa and his son Daniele, also a renowned pianist and conductor.