Giorgi Latso

Giorgi Latso
გიორგი ლაცო
A dark haired man in a tailcoat and a kummerbund, dark bow tie, both hands in the pockets of light-coloured trousers.
Background information
Birth name Giorgi Latsabidze
Born (1978-04-15) 15 April 1978
Origin Tbilisi, Georgia
Genres Classical music, film scoring
Occupation(s) Pianist, composer, professor
Instruments Piano
Years active 1998–present
Labels Stereo Classics, GLI, Naxos, Sony
Website www.latsabidze.com

Giorgi Latso (born Giorgi Latsabidze, Georgian: გიორგი ლაცო, IPA: [ɡiɔrɡi lat͡sabid͡zɛ]; 15 April 1978) is a Georgian-American classical pianist,[1] composer and doctor of musical arts. He has won piano competitions and received awards in many countries. His concerts have been broadcast on radio and television in Europe, Asia and America. He has been an American citizen since 2012. [2]

Early life and studies

Latso was born in Tbilisi (Georgia) where he started studying the piano at age six. He made his public debut at age eight. He was admitted at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, where he eventually became a pupil of Rusudan Chojava, who had studied under distinguished Russian pianist Alexander Goldenweiser. In 2004 he obtained master's degree at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, Germany and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Later, Latso pursued doctoral studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles under mentoring of Stewart L. Gordon whose teacher was Walter Gieseking.

Career

He has appeared at major festival venues in Salzburg, Vienna, Berlin, Mannheim, Florence, Lisbon, Beijing, Honolulu, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Festival and Monte-Carlo Piano Masters, among others, and has performed as a recitalist throughout the world.[3][4]

After his performance of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto at WUK Kulturhaus he was described in the Austrian press as ...a technically brilliant pianist imbued with a poignant lyricism and genuine profundity.[5] England Rhinegold Classical Magazine said his recording of Debussy's Préludes showed ...extraordinary imagination and a musical tone rarely heard.[6]

Latso composed the score for the film Waltz-Fantasy for which he won an award at the Bologna Film Festival in Italy (2000).[7] His compositions also include Variations on a Theme of J. S. Bach and Cyber Moment for violin and piano.[8]

Among Latso's recordings are Chopin's 24 Études,[9] 24 Preludes and four Scherzos; J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations; Liszt's 12 Transcendental Études; and Debussy's Preludes, Book 2.

He has worked with musicians including Ernest Fleischmann, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Jansug Kakhidze, David L. Wen, Irmina Trynkos, Friedrich Kleinhapl, Ivo Pogorelić, Yundi Li, Freddy Kempf and Joaquín Soriano.

In 2010, he made his Wigmore Hall debut in London,[10] where he premiered his composition Cyber Moment for violin and piano, which was commissioned especially for the occasion.

Latso at the piano; London, UK 2010


Giorgi Latso receives Carol Hogel Award at USC in Los Angeles, CA

Latso gave several benefit concerts throughout the world, including held in Guido-Feger Concert Hall under the patronage of Princess Marie Aglaë of Liechtenstein. This event featured the set of 24 Preludes by Chopin and Schuman's Kreisleriana. The Liechtensteiner Volksblatt wrote: "Within the romantic repertoire you can with full justification call him a magnificent pianist and a magician of impeccable technique".[11]

Latso has recorded a CD of the complete works for piano and violin by the Polish-German Jewish composer Ignatz Waghalter for Naxos Records, with the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), Irmina Trynkos and Alexander Walker.[12][13] In the December 2012 issue of Luxembourgish Pizzicato Magazine the members of the Jury of the International Classical Music Awards awarded this Naxos release a coveted Supersonic designation.[14]

He has given broadcast performances on both radio and television in the United States, Europe, Asia and elsewhere.[15][16] Latso was listed in the 65th edition of Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in American Art 2011. Since 2011 he has been a member of Pi Kappa Lambda.[17]

In 2012, he was invited by Pope Benedict XVI to his residence in Vatican City to perform the Mozart piano concerto No. 21 with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.[18][19] In the same year he made his debut at the Berliner Philharmonie concert hall in Berlin, [20][21] and debut at the Slovak Philharmonic concert hall in Bratislava in 2014. [22]

In 2013 he was invited by Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein, to move to Vienna, where he currently resides. He gives master classes and lectures at universities nationwide. Latso regularly serves on competition jury panels and has been conference artist for several music teachers associations. Since 2015 he has been a guest professor at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain.

Influences

Latso has mentioned the following pianists as having inspired him: "Of those whom I heard on the stage I'd like to name first of all Maria João Pires. Judging by the records, it was Rachmaninoff, Sofronitsky, and Lipatti. As to esthetics, I feel most close to Vladimir Horowitz".[23]

Awards

Latso won prizes in the Yehudi Menuhin Federation Competition in Austria, at the Young Artist International Piano Competition in Los Angeles, at Ennio Porrino International Competition in Italy and Rubinstein International Competition in France.[24] He received the Vladimir Spivakov Award (Moscow virtuosi) in 2001,[25] the Georgian Presidential Prize in 1999/2002,[26] the German Marion Dönhoff Trust Award in 2002, DAAD the German Academic Exchange Award in 2004, the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Academic Achievement Recognition of Excellence Award in 2004, Herbert Batliner Trust Award in 2005, the USC Keyboard Studies Department Award in 2007 and 2011, the American philanthropist Carol Hogel Music Scholarship in 2008,[27] H.S.H. Princess Marie Aglaë of Liechtenstein Award[11] in 2009. In January 2013, Latso was honored as a Steinway Artist by Steinway & Sons in New York City.[28]

Teaching career

Latso has presented master classes and concert performances throughout Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, South America and United States.[29] His musical career includes being a concert pianist and collaborative artist, a professor and an international juror. From 2007 until 2010, he served as president to the USC chapter of the MTNA at the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.[30] In 2010, Latso served as chairman for the International Piano Performance Examination Committee in Taiwan, (Republic of China).[31] He has taught at the University of Southern California, Azusa Pacific University, at Glendale Community College.[32][33] He currently holds professorship at the Vienna Prayner Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna, Austria.[34]

Recordings

Signing session after the concert at St. John's Smith Square Concert Hall in Westminster, London (2012)

Latso has participated in numerous recordings and television productions, including DVDs and CDs of compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg.

His recordings include:

Performances are available via social networking sites of Latso's interpretation of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21; Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Liszt's 12 Transcendental Études, Horowitz's Carmen Variations (White House Edition), Claude Debussy's Préludes (Book II), Sousa-Horowitz-Latsabidze's "The Stars and Stripes Forever".

References

  1. ↑ Naxos. "Giorgi Latsabidze". Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  2. ↑ KlangBilder.at (11 October 2013). "Ergreifende Lyrik und wahrhaftige Tiefgründigkeit". Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  3. ↑ St John's Smith Square Concert Hall (2012-10-01). "Ignatz Waghalter". Retrieved 2012-09-22.
  4. ↑ STACEY MORRIS (22 May 2013). "Georgian pianist Giorgi Latso to play for eight baby pigs and up to 150 humans at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge". Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  5. ↑ Borchhardt-Birbaumer, Gustav, Verdrängte Erinnerungen (2007), p. 49, Wienner Zeitung, Vienna. Retrieved 8 January 2011
  6. ↑ Rhinegold Publishing Ltd Classical Music Magazine Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 183, November 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  7. ↑ Schaefer, Michael, Parforceritt durch Tonlandschaften (2004), p. 19, Goettingen Live, Goettingen.
  8. ↑ Wigmore Hall (November 2010). "Commission at Wigmore Hall". Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  9. ↑ Toradze, Gulbat, Rain Of Pearls (2002), p. 4,: Vecherni Tbilisi, Tbilisi.
  10. ↑ "The Monday Platform". Wigmore Hall. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  11. 1 2 Piechocki, Wieslaw., "Innige Stimmungsperlen", Liechtensteiner Volksblatt, p. 37, 6 September 2011 (German)
  12. ↑ "Hidden Treasure: The Waghalter Project". Naxos News. 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  13. ↑ WildCat RP (2012). "The Waghalter Project:European concert tour and CD". Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  14. ↑ Remy Franck (2012-12-01). "Pizzicato Magazine". Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  15. ↑ WHQR Public Radio 93.3fm (2012-05-03). "Midday Interview: Concert Pianist Giorgi Latso". Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  16. ↑ WVIA – ArtScene (2012-05-10). "WVIA ArtScene with Erica Funke". Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  17. ↑ Kappa Lambda
  18. ↑ Gabrichidze, Manana (2012-02-02). "ქართველები უცხოეთში: მსოფლიო ტოპპიანისტების სიაში შესული ქართველი პიანისტი რომის პაპმა ვატიკანში მიიწვია" (in Georgian). Retrieved 2012-09-22.
  19. ↑ Hans Courtial, L'Arte salva l'Arte (2012), Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra, Roma e Vaticano, Rome. Retrieved 9 December 2012 (Italian)
  20. ↑ Berliner Philharminiker (September 2012). "Waghalter Project". Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  21. ↑ Robeson, Paul (June 14, 2013). "The essential role of authentic improvisation in piano performance". Retrieved 2013-09-06.
  22. ↑ "Archív koncertov". Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  23. ↑ Milan Wilkinson: (24 November 2010). Pianists from the inside. Retrieved 26 November 2010
  24. ↑ Ross, Alex, "Pianist, in His Own Words" (October 2011), p. 22, The New Yorker, Retrieved 23 May 2013
  25. ↑ Eure, Daniela., Maximale Bestnote: "Gut" (2002)., p. 6., Blatt, Salzburg.
  26. ↑ Arutunov, Devil., A Rising Star(2002)., N.197., p. 9., Rezonansi, Tbilisi.
  27. ↑ Jgenti, Kato (2011-02-18). "ავსტრიის ტელევიზიამ გადაიღო ფილმი "გიორგი ლაცაბიძე – მოცარტის ნაკვალევზე"" (in Georgian). თბილისელები. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  28. ↑ "Steinway Artist roaster; the letter L". Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  29. ↑ Lammer, Bernhard:, analyzes and discussions from the abstract "Die Wiederkehr des Künstlers", (1 June 2013), vol. 2, no. 6, pp.59-68. Vienna, Austria. Retrieved 03 August 2013
  30. ↑ USC Chapter of CAPMT. "University of Southern California: MTNA chapter". Retrieved 2012-09-24.
  31. ↑ The International Piano Performance Examinations Committee. "IPPEC" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2012-09-24.
  32. ↑ Azusa Pacific School of Music. "Pianist Giorgi Latsabidze Peforms (sic) Choplin". Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  33. ↑ University of Southern California. "Arts and Event". Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  34. ↑ Prayner Konservatorium für Musik und dramatische Kunst. "Dozenten" (in German). Retrieved 2012-09-24.
  35. ↑ Heller, Harald., A Crowning Achievement(2007)., p. 22., Osttiroler Bote, Austria.
  36. ↑ "Waghalter, I.: Violin Concerto / Rhapsody / Violin Sonata (Trynkos, Latsabidze, A. Walker)". Naxos Records. October 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  37. ↑ "Georgian pianist Giorgi Latso to play for eight baby pigs and up to 150 humans at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge". 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-23.

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