|
Robert DeGaetano |
|
|
REVIEWS “Mr. DeGaetano’s playing is
robust, precise, chiming and propulsive. He constructs a sturdy, almost
metronomic rhythmic framework for every movement, which would prove
constraining if it were not for lyrical sensitivity.” —The New York Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“DeGaetano has the fire of youth,
and he has technical strength that is outstanding even in a time when
technique is assumed. The unusual features of his performance are depth of
tone quality and a maturity of musical conception.” —The Atlanta Constitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“There was more to Robert
DeGaetano’s performances with the Dallas Symphony that met the ear, for
his playing of the Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody heralded more than a
shining, confident mastery of a demanding work; it marked the return of a
full-fledged artist.” —The Dallas Morning News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“...Robert DeGaetano is a true
virtuoso, bravely attempting musical feats many other pianists...can’t
quite achieve. He’s exciting and interesting.” —The Westsider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Formidable technical equipment,
impregnable technique and solid musicianship...[his] keyboard achievements
are out of the ordinary.” —The New York Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“A pianist whose name should be
remembered, for he has the sensitivity and the power of the late Arthur
Rubinstein.” —Charleston-News Courier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“DeGaetano can shape a Romantic melody
with exceptional skill, clearly a performer in the romantic
mold...beautifully articulated, lovingly traced in the late Romantic heroic
style.” —The Washington Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Equipped with a big technique
and the ability to elicit a perfectly heavenly tone from his instrument,
DeGaetano must be regarded as a major talent among his generation of
pianists.” —Atlanta Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“With a patina of breathtaking
technique and musical intelligence, he surely belongs to the greats.” —Amarillo News-Globe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“The kind of musician who
reassures you that one can be a virtuoso and still have brains.” —Chicago Tribune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“The concerto [by DeGaetano] is
essentially tonal, with generous overtones of Rachmaninoff, Ravel and
Prokofiev.” —Detroit News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Clearly a full-fledged artist,
impressive on both a technical and musical level.” —Dallas Morning News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“A smart musician, bringing a
capacity audience to a standing ovation.” —The New York Daily News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Stressing poetry, nuance and
phrasing, he offered breathtaking dynamics, a marvelous sense of scale and
gorgeous tone.” —Albuquerque Journal |
Robert DeGaetano, October
19, 2008 A native of New York City, pianist Robert DeGaetano enjoys a widely esteemed career as both a virtuoso interpreter of the great keyboard repertoire and a composer of striking originality and communicative intensity. Robert DeGaetano is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Adele Marcus and Rosina Lhevinne. He was the first musician ever to be awarded a Rotary International Scholarship, enabling him to live in Paris and continue his studies with Alexis Weissenberg. Upon the recommendation of world-renown musicians David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter, Mr. DeGaetano embarked on an active concert career under the auspices of the legendary Sol Hurok. Robert DeGaetano made his New York recital debut at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Alice Tully Hall and his orchestra debut with the San Antonio Symphony. Since then, his touring schedule has taken him to all fifty states as well as the major music capitals of Europe. In addition to recitals, Mr. DeGaetano has been a frequent guest soloist with orchestras across the United States, including those of Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, San Diego and the Boston Pops. Mr. DeGaetano made his Carnegie Hall recital debut in February, 1999. Also in 1999, as guest soloist with the famed Goldman Memorial Band in a special Memorial Day concert at Brooklyn's historic Green-Wood Cemetery, he played Louis Moreau Gottschalk's L'Union and The Banjo near the gravesite of the composer. In 1986, Robert DeGaetano emerged as a composer and performed the New York City and domestic and international tour premieres of his own first Piano Sonata. As a result of the overwhelming critical praise for this work, he was commissioned by Michigan's Jackson Symphony Orchestra to compose his first Piano Concerto, which he premiered in March of 1998 to equally enthusiastic response. The Challenger, Robert DeGaetano’s suite for solo piano written in tribute to the seven astronauts killed in the 1986 space shuttle tragedy, was commissioned by Miss Alice Tully. The world premiere occurred in the presence of the astronauts' families in November, 1987 at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, with the composer at the piano. This performance of Mr. DeGaetano’s moving musical portraits was filmed live for television and featured on a special segment of “CBS Sunday Morning” with Charles Kurault. Subsequently broadcast over WQXR in New York City and radio stations nationwide, The Challenger was played on concert tours across three continents. Robert DeGaetano is currently represented on CD by eight acclaimed albums - devoted to the music of Chopin, DeGaetano, Gottschalk, Liszt, Rachmaninov, and 20th century composers - all on the Crystonyx label. |
