Caio Pagano
Biography
Caio Pagano is an internationally renowned concert pianist, teacher and scholar. He is a distinguished professor of piano at Arizona State University since 1986 having earned the honor of Regent Professor of Piano at this institution. He is the recipient of many piano performance awards in Europe and in his native country, Brazil.
Pagano has performed throughout four continents in more than 600 public performances as recital soloist, chamber musician and as soloist with orchestras. He has premiered 24 works in concert halls worldwide, 16 of these were works written and dedicated to him by the composers, including several concertos for piano and orchestra. He has also recorded several of these works. Pagano was the first pianist to perform the complete works of Schoenberg in several capitals of the world.
Among the remarkable premieres was the performance of Pousseur’s Apostrophe, along with Beethoven’s Diabelli variations in Washington D.C. and New York City, which received following reviews: “The Pousseur was transcendent, and Beethoven was absolutely first-class, simultaneously idiomatic and original”(The New York Times). “I started jotting comments after each variation, but I abandoned that as I realized I was being presented with a conception that was an incandescent entity”(the Washington Post). Pagano, who is regularly featured on radio including recent highlights on National Public Radio USA, has regularly appeared in the BBC in London, Norddeutsche Rundfunk in Germany, Voice of America in Washington D.C., Radio Hilversum in Holland, Radio de la Suisse Romande in Switzerland and National Broadcasting in Portugal to name just a few.
As Professor at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, Caio created the International Biennial of Music, which attracted many internationally acclaimed artists who collaborated with him (including Saschko Gawriloff, Cristof Caskel, Raphael Hillyer, Werner Taube, Henry Schuman). He also toured with Pierre Fournier, Janos Starker, Thomas Friedli, Szymon Goldberg, Albor Rosenfeld, the St.Petersburg Quartet, Maria João Pires, Gerard Caussé and the Jacques Thibaud Trio. Caio has been a featured artist at the Miami New World Festival, the Washington Interamerican Fest, the Grenoble Festival, the Megève Festival, the Montpellier Festival and many others.
In partnership with Maria João Pires, Pagano created the Centre for Studies of the Arts in Portugal (www.belgais.net). He recorded with her “Sounds of Belgais”, for DGG.
Summit, Soundset, Deutsche Grammophon and Glissando labels publish his acclaimed recordings. His latest CD, Music for Children by Heitor Villa-Lobos has received rave reviews which have included “CD of the month” by BBC Music Magazine, and other magnificent reviews on Gramophone (Great Britain), CD Compact (Spain) and Fanfare (USA).
Caio Pagano combines a profound knowledge of the Arts, Literature and Music, which characterizes his interpretations as authoritative and unique. His transcendent technique is accompanied by exuberant lyricism, intellect and a polished sense of style. The Washington Post’s reviewer, Joseph McLellan, may have summed it up the best: “Pagano is such a fine performer that any opportunity to hear him should be seized” Pagano is an honorable Steinway Artist.
