Epifanio Comis
The First International Sergey Rachmaninov Award has been awarded to Italian pianist and conductor Epifanio Comis.
The International Foundation "Belcanto" and Rachmaninov Society in Moscow established the International S. V. Rachmaninov Prize in the 140th anniversary of the birth Sergey Rachmaninov . This prize are awarded to foreign musicians for popularizing the music of Rachmaninov abroad.
The First International S. V. Rachmaninov Prize is awarded to Italian pianist and conductor, the winner of international competitions, professor of State Conservatory of Bellini in Catania - Epifanio Comis.
Epifanio Comis keeps a special place in his life about music by Sergey Rachmaninov. Repeatedly they mentioned in the international press about the extraordinary "Russian" spirituality in his performaning of music by Rachmaninov. As a pianist, he plays all the piano concertos with orchestra and most of his music from solo and chamber repertoire. As a conductor, E. Comis conducted by memory symphonies and all piano concertos at the festival by Rachmaninoff in 2013.
The awarding ceremony took place at the Myskovsky Hall of Moscow Conservatory by Tchaikovsky on 25th of October .
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Epifanio Comis was student of Boris Petrushansky, Lazar Berman and Pietro Rattalino. He has toured as a soloist throughout Europe, Asia, Russia, and the United States. He has performed with numerous world class orchestras including the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra of Bucharest, the Karlovy Vary Symfonic Orchestra, the Tulare County Symphony Orchestra of California, the Orquestra Sinfonica UANL, Catania Massimo Bellini Theatre Orchestra, Sicilian Symphony Orchestra, the Osaka Symphoniker, the Kyoto Symphony. His recitals in the USA and Asia have brought him great critical acclaim.
Epifanio Comis gives masterclasses in important academies and universities like Manhattan School of Music, Chopin Academy Warsaw, Royal Conservatoire Mons, Ecole Normale in Paris, Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow and Bucarest Music Academy. He performed in prestigeous halls such as Discoteca di Stato di Roma, Catania Massimo Bellini Theatre, Sala delle Erbe di Milano, Steinway Hall in New York, Symphony Hall in Osaka, Carnegie Hall in New York among many others. Comis is also active as a conductor. Last concerts he conducted are Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos, Rhapsody and Prokofiev complete piano Concertos at Massimo Bellini Theatre Orchestra in Catania and in Moscow and he is the principal conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica of Bellini Conservatorio in Catania.
He is a very acclaimed teacher. His students achieve top prizes in the most important world piano competitions such as Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, Geneve Piano Competition, Beethoven Telekom Bonn, Queen Elisabeth Competition, Liszt Piano Competition Budapest, Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition, International Tchaikovsky Competition Moscow etc. In 2013 he was awarded with the “Sergei Rachmaninov International Award” together with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Valery Gergiev and Nicolai Lugansky by the Moscow Conservatory.
Comis has a varied career as soloist and conductor. He is a professor at Vincenzo Bellini State Conservatory in Catania where he is also director and he is the artistic director of the Ljubljana Festival International Piano Competition.
While being in Moscow, Comis was invited by the Tchaikovsky Conservatory to give a Master Class on Rachmaninov’s music. He also gave an interview to the Russian Radio Orpheus.
