Ottawa pianist recognized with prestigious international award for classical music

Mauro Bertoli, an Italian-Canadian classical pianist living in Ottawa ( www.maurobertoli.com ), is the 2016 recipient of the CAB Foundation’s Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize for young interpreters. The Prize, which bears the name of a legendary pianist from Brescia, is awarded by the Foundation in collaboration with the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo. It recognizes outstanding achievement in classical music and is meant to foster and support musicians who have dedicated their lives to the art.

Since 2000, the musicians awarded have been:

2000 Maurizio Pollini – 2001 Martha Argerich – 2002 Vladimir Ashkenazy – 2003 Mstislav Rostropovich - 2004 Lorin Maazel - 2005 Riccardo Muti – 2006 Radu Lupu – 2007 Evgenij Kissin – 2008 Grigory Sokolov - 2009 Lang Lang – 2011 Uto Ughi – 2012 Mischa Maisky – 2014 Yuri Temirkanov.

For the first time ever, a new category “young interpreters” has been added and the prize is assigned to a young musician that is establishing himself on the International stage.

This year, the committee in charge to select the recipients has chosen Mitsuko Uchida for the “prize to the career”, while Mauro Bertoli has been chosen as the first recipient for the new category “young interpreters”. Bertoli will receive the prestigious “Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize for young interpreters” on April 29th, during his debut for the recognized 53rd International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo in Italy where he will perform a solo recital with music by Haydn, Clementi, Beethoven and Liszt.

The idea of adding this new category comes from the willingness of the CAB Foundation and the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo to help young musician to develop their career in the music field. In fact the award consist in a monetary prize, and a certificate.

Mauro Bertoli comes from Brescia, home town of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, and for this reason the local administration as well as the major of Brescia have received the news with a big plaudit.

At the link [ http://www.festivalpianistico.

it/premio-arturo-benedetti-mic

helangeli/ ](http://www.festivalpianistico.it/premio-arturo-benedetti-michelangeli/) it is possible to read the complete press release, where the reason of the choice it is also published and which is the following:

PREMIO ARTURO BENEDETTI MICHELANGELI PER GIOVANI INTERPRETI - 2016 Mauro Bertoli

Mauro Bertoli has studied piano at the Conservatory of Milan, under the tutelage of Sergio Marengoni, as well as with world renowned pianist in different European countries. Several years ago he moved to Canada, in Ottawa, where today he is Piano Accompany Professor at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau. His excellent technique allows him to present an extended and difficult repertoire that goes from Scarlatti to the Rhapsody in blue by Gerhswin, whom Bertoli is a brilliant and refined interpreter. With his wife Elisa he recently adopted three siblings. With his talent, determination and sensitivity Mauro represent a positive example for the new generations of musicians, on both the human and professional level.

During the month of May 2016, Mauro will tour BC in duo with cellist Paul Marleyn, and in June 2016 he will perform Beethoven Piano Concertos n.1 and n.3 with Wuhan Philarmonic in China.