Enrico Elisi

Dr. Enrico Elisi comes to TCU most recently from the University of Toronto where he serves as an Associate Professor of Piano. Dr. Elisi brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and artistry to the piano area, and I am thrilled to welcome him to our musical community.

Enrico Elisi, a laureate of the Oporto International Competition (Portugal) and the Premio Venezia (Italy), has earned international recognition for his performances across four continents. Praised for his “mastery of elegance, refinement, and fantasy” (La Nueva España) and “remarkable sensitivity, imagination, and polish” (Baltimore Sun), he has given recitals at illustrious venues throughout Europe, such as the Bemberg Museum in Toulouse, France, Centro del Carmen in Valencia, Spain, Dante

Society in Bonn, Wolfsburg Castle, and Kiel Universität’s Bach-Saal, Germany, Cyril and Methodius Foundation in Piestany, Slovakia.

He performed to acclaim in Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Singapore and notable venues in the United States, including the National Gallery of Art, the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. Recently, he received praise at the Great Pianists at Stetson, Kent Keyboard, Coastal Carolina Steinway Series, and San Francisco Chopin Society.

Elisi has made numerous appearances as a soloist with the Florence Symphony (Italy); Orchestra Classica de Porto (Portugal); Jakarta Sinfonietta (Indonesia); Bay Atlantic Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, Williamsport Symphony, Pennsylvania Centre, and Central Texas Philharmonic (USA).

He recorded selected Mozart’s sonatas and other works, Two Images by Paul Chihara (featured on Albany Records), with forthcoming releases featuring selected Partitas and Preludes by Bach, Angelus, and Three Songs by native Peruvian composer J. V. Grossmann. Additionally, he has been featured in TV broadcasts, including the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (with the Orchestra Clássica do Porto) and WPSU (USA), and has appeared on radio stations such as Montebeni Classica FM (Italy), WCLV Cleveland, UNC, KCNV Nevada Public Radio, and KGCS. Via Classica Radio notably featured his two-hour live performance and interview broadcast from Hamburg (Germany).

An avid chamber musician, Elisi collaborated with the New Orford String Quartet and principal players from the Baltimore, Chicago, and American Symphony Orchestras and worked with accomplished partners such as Federico Agostini, Joan Joan Kwuon, Charles Castleman, Sung-Won Yang, and Qian Zhou.

Elisi debuted diverse contemporary works, highlighting his broad musical interests, including music by Fedele, Berio, and Sciarrino, during the latter’s residency at the University of Toronto New Music Festival. Elisi also premiered chamber compositions by Kye Ryung Park and Paul Chihara, including Chihara’s latest solo piece (dedicated to him).

A frequent guest at music festivals worldwide, Elisi performed and taught at Cincinnati’s “Art of the Piano,” Interlochen Center for the Arts, Texas State, Artciál, and the Chautauqua Institution in the USA; VIPA Valencia in Spain; Todi Music Masters, IPPA-Conero Festival, Amalfi Coast in Italy; Borromeo in Switzerland; and the Ameri-China Foundation and Sichuan International Piano Festival in China.

He has conducted a myriad of masterclasses at prestigious institutions across the United States, Canada, Peru, Denmark, Italy, Turkey, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea; he has also been a featured concert artist at state conferences for the Florida, Missouri, and Oklahoma Music Teachers Associations and has participated in the American Liszt Society Festivals at Northwestern University and the University of Georgia.

The University of Toronto has recognized him with the FoM Teaching Award for his excellence, commitment, and innovation in teaching. His students have won prizes, received grants, and pursued successful careers. Some hold teaching posts, shaping social innovation and creativity in their concert and teaching experiences.

Throughout his nearly two-decade-long teaching career, he has taught at the Eastman School, Pennsylvania State University, and UNLV and served as a visiting professor at Hanyang University in Korea. This summer, he will assume the endowed position of Harold D. and Imogene Herndon Professor of Music in Piano, at Texas Christian University. Humbled to follow in the footsteps of John Owings at TCU, Elisi wishes to acknowledge his contributions while looking forward to continuing his legacy of excellence in teaching and performance.

An Italian-born pianist, he became a citizen of the United States of America in 2012 and is a Steinway Artist.