irene russo

The musical world has its fair share of dynasties, families where the DNA is good, the ears even better, and the encouragement consistent and warm, if demanding.

A brother and sister from Foggia, Italy, pianist Irene and percussionist Nando, are, separately, forging their way into the classical music scene not only in their native Italy but especially in Germany, the Netherlands and beyond. Both young and beautiful, further common denominators are elegance, taste and total dedication to all manner of classical repertoire.

Big sister Irene (1974) studied with greats, Lazar Berman and Alicia de Larrocha among others, before winning several major prizes at the inevitable piano competitions where careers must get launched; the legendary Martha Argerich went as far as to call her 'one of the best musicians I ever heard in my life'. Competition prizes have led to festival performances and concerto bookings all over Europe, most recently a 10 concert tour with the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn and conductor Heribert Beissel with Brahms' demanding second piano concerto opus 83. An avid chamber musician as well as soloist, Irene Russo has been praised for her dedication to contemporary repertoire, inspiring new works by several composers including Jörg Widmann.

Her records and radio recordings have taken her further overseas to Australia, Latin America, the United States and the Middle East; later this season she will make her début in Japan. In the crowded environs of classical piano where speed and skill too often triumph over taste and musicality, this is an elegant talent who has it all, one to seek out and keep tabs on!

Little brother Nando (1976) has, as a percussionist, a completely different type of career. His is inevitably dependent on good symphonic connections, and his CV lists an impressive number of orchestra's with which he has performed. At 21 it was the Gustav Mahler Orchestra and the Orchestra Filharmonica del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, nowadays he is principle timpanist/percussionist with the Netherlands Philharmonic.

The list of conductors he has served under is extremely impressive and includes Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Ricardo Chailly etc., et al. I personally witnessed the chemistry between Russo and Valery Gergiev during an extremely successful American tour featuring Gergiev's personal passion, the complete symphonies of Shostakovitch, while leading the Rotterdam Philharmonic where Russo was moonlighting.

 But Nando Russo is not only an excellent orchestral musician, he is a composer as well; he has received commissions not only from his own orchestra but also from the Dutch National Ballet and the broadcasting company Radio Netherlands Worldwide where his 'duet' for two timpanists (performing both parts himself, one having been filmed before the televised concert ) was featured in their 60 year anniversary concert at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.

Cynthia Wilson

www.wwclassicsonline.com