Alvaro Pierri is internationally acclaimed as a leading personality in the world of the guitar. Press reviews around the world praise “his breathtaking phrasing“ ... “his masterly thought-out interpretations“ ... "his phenomenal and brilliant technique" ... and “the unmatched musical colour spectrum that he creates on the guitar“.
Since his brilliant concert debut in New York and his debut in Germany with the string soloists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Alvaro Pierri is a regular guest at major concert halls in Europe, North and South America and Asia. He has appeared worldwide on radio and televison programmes (as soloist but also together with artists like Frank Peter Zimmermann, Astor Piazzolla, Charles Dutoit and big orchestras) produced by stations like Deutscher Rundfunk, PBS New York, CBC Canada, Radio France, NHK Japan, KBS Korea, ChineseRadios...
Alvaro Pierri is regularly performing with outstanding musicians, ensembles and orchestras. He shared the stage with artists including Astor Piazzolla and the WDR Radio Orchestra Köln with Pinchas Steinberg, Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra with Mario Bernardi, Alain Trudel, London Chamber Orchestra, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Vasco Vassilev, Ernö Sebestyen, Turtle Island String Quartet, Ysaye Quartet, Yannick Nézet Séguin, ...
Contemporary composers such as Leo Brouwer, Guido Santorsola, Jacques Hétu, Abel Carlevaro, Carlo Domeniconi, Dusan Bogdanovic have written major works for Alvaro Pierri.
Several of his CDs have been honoured with prices like the coveted Canadian FELIX award for the best classical CD of the year. Recently Pioneer Classics Japan brought out a DVD featuring Spanish and South American guitar music, and Deutsche Grammophon re-published a DVD, Alvaro Pierri performing in duo with Astor Piazzolla.
Alvaro Pierri is also a worldwide acclaimed teacher. He was professor at the University of Santa Maria in Brazil and later at McGill University and the UQAM (Academy of Music) in Montreal, Canada. In 2002 he was appointed professor at the famous Academy of Music in Vienna (MDW University of Music and Performing Arts). He gives master classes at major music festivals such as the New York Manhattan Masters, GFA Guitar Foundation of America, at the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Vienna Masterclasses, Villa Musica, and in Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, a. o.
Alvaro Pierri was born in Montevideo in Uruguay, in a family of musicians. He studied among others with his aunt Olga Pierri, the composer Guido Santorsola, Abel Carlevaro and at the Uruguayan National Institut of Musicology. From the age of 11 he was already performing in concerts and receiving awards and fifirst prizes in international guitar competitions.
In recognition of his outstanding artistic talent and carreer and his permanent enriching contribution to the culture, 2008 Alvaro Pierri was appointed as honorary citizen of his hometown Montevideo.
Some reviews:
“Alvaro Pierri wonderfully combines the shadings of the orchestra, adding to them even more
ingredients than Segovia and Bream. He is a master of colours, a genuine innovator of
interpretation.“ (Leo Brouwer)
“Alvaro Pierri carries music in his blood ... an artistic maturity not commonly encountered ...“
(New York Times)
“Alvaro Pierri sets new standards. His fascinating and vivid interpretations are completely fresh ...
he brings extraordinary new life to the guitar repertoire.“ (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich)
„Fluent technique, golden tone and singing musicality poured from his guitar. Pierri matched
panache with reflflectiveness and superb rhythmic flflexibility.“ (Vancouver Sun)
“ ... a fantastic musician, a leading personality in the guitar world, a phenomenal virtuoso who
uncompromisingly puts his art to the service of music ...“ (J.R.S., Guitare Classique, Paris)