“Cognolato’s performance is not only precise, but also distinguished by its ‘three-dimensional’ depth – combining passion, clarity, sensitivity, and intellectual lucidity in a reading that fully embraces the aesthetic essence of the music.” – MusicVoice
"[Igor Cognolato's] playing is marked by a refined poetic sensibility and a fascination with colour, transformation and the changing character of sound."
- from a 5-star review in Amadeus of his Maximiliano Amici recording
Igor Cognolato is an Italian pianist of Croatian and Hungarian heritage, known for his refined musicianship and wide-ranging repertoire. Professor of Piano at the Conservatorio ‘Benedetto Marcello’ in Venice, he performs extensively throughout Europe and the United States, with a particular affinity for the music of Liszt and Schumann, alongside the Classical repertoire and contemporary music.
An experienced educator, Cognolato gives masterclasses at leading music institutions internationally and regularly serves on the juries of international piano competitions. His programmes combine established masterpieces with lesser-known repertoire, transcriptions and contemporary works, including numerous world premieres. In 2019, he received the Korea Award from ICDI and CWAP in Seoul in recognition of his contribution to music and cultural exchange.
Born in Treviso in 1965 into a family of Croatian and Hungarian heritage, Igor Cognolato began studying piano at the age of five. He graduated with honours from the Conservatorio ‘Benedetto Marcello’ in Venice and continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover with Roberto Szidon, completing his Konzertexamen with distinction. Among his other mentors were Aldo Ciccolini and Paul Badura-Skoda.
His professional career began with a performance of Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto with the NDR Symphony Orchestra. He has since appeared throughout Europe and the United States as a soloist and chamber musician, performing with orchestras including the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, the Orchestra del Gran Teatro La Fenice di Venezia and the Sofia Philharmonic. In 2016, he made his debut at the Berliner Philharmonie.
Chamber music occupies an important place in Cognolato’s musical life. Since 2009, he has regularly performed with the Athenaeum Berlin Philharmonic String Quartet, including at the Aix-en-Provence Chamber Music Festival, where their performance of Schumann’s Piano Quintet was broadcast live on ARTE. He has also collaborated with numerous distinguished instrumentalists and singers.
Cognolato has recorded for several labels, including Simax, Blue Serge, Rivoalto and Da Vinci Classics. His recordings encompass both established and contemporary repertoire, including the complete piano works of Maximiliano Amici.
Beyond the concert stage, Cognolato has been active in music education and cultural life in Italy. Since 1995, he has been President and Artistic Director of the Amici della Musica di Treviso. He has also contributed to Beethoven Sources, a scholarly catalogue of Beethoven’s autographs, first editions and other original sources. His interests in music extend to film and documentary: in 2013, he appeared as the lead actor in Gianni Di Capua’s documentary Richard Wagner: Diario veneziano della sinfonia ritrovata, presented at the Venice International Film Festival, the Bayreuth Festival and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
Widmung
| Robert Schumann | Kreisleriana, Op. 16 |
| Three Lieder transcriptions: | |
| - “Und wüβten’s die Blumen die kleinen” - Michael von Zadora | |
| - “Du bist wie eine Blume” - Leopold Godowski | |
| - “Widmung” - Clara Wieck | |
| Etudes Symphoniques,Oop. 13 | |
| (both Op. 13 and 16 are performed in their first versions - Tobias Haslinger edition) |
Sehnsucht und Vorahnung
| Franz Liszt | Nuages gris |
| Aida Paraphrase (danse sacrée et duetto final from Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida) | |
| La lugubre gondola n.1 | |
| Totentanz – Danse macabre | |
| Isoldes Liebestod (from Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde) | |
| Hungarian Rhapsody n. 5 “Héroïde elégiaque” | |
| Danse macabre (piano concert paraphrase from Camille Saint-Saëns) |
Video
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