Honens Prize Laureate Luca Buratto’s Talent Shines for Residents
To meet Luca Buratto, you wouldn’t think this unassuming, quiet, 25-year-old has an immense talent as a world-class pianist. Yet when he sits down to play, the listener hears something extraordinary.
“I’ve never seen anyone play Beethoven without sheet music. That’s extraordinary!” commented one resident who was one of more than 100 residents who heard Luca play at United’s Garrison Green community.
Luca played for 75-minutes, performing works from 16th century English Renaissance composer William Byrd, and German composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann. Here’s a small sample of Luca’s performance.
“The reaction I get from playing to a small audience is wonderful,” Luca said. “It’s very rewarding for me. Music is a common language, so for me, the music creates a close connection with the listener no matter their age. Playing here, the atmosphere is more informal compared to a large concert hall and I really enjoy their reactions.”
After the performance, Luca met with residents to answer questions and get to know each other. Luca, who lives in Milan, Italy, was named Honens Prize Laureate in 2015 after the renowned Honens Piano Competition narrowed the field of more than 100 contestants worldwide. Since then he has travelled the world, performing in such famous venues as Wigmore Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. Next month he will play in Berlin’s famous Konzerthaus and in April with the London Philharmonic. Luca’s appearance at United came just after his performance of Rachmaninoff with the Calgary Philharmonic.
“We want to make music as accessible as possible,” said Honens president Neil Edwards. “Our partnership with United gives us an opportunity to bring such a rare talent to residents in a smaller, intimate surrounding. For the past three years, we have worked with Luca to fine-tune his artistry and further develop his career. The Honens International Piano Competition is now one of the world’s premier classical music events and we are proud that we are an important part of the Calgary music community. This is home!”
The Honens Piano Competition is held every three years, and is one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world. 2018 is the year another Honens Laureate will be named. The quarter-finals will be held in Berlin and New York in March, with the finals in Calgary in late August.
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