Biography & Press Excerpts
He has given several recitals both in Italy and abroad, among them: Milan ("G. Verdi" Hall of the Conservatory on the occasion of the celebration of Nikita Magaloff), Padua ("Hall of Giants"), Turin (RAI Auditorium), Paris (Salle Cortot), Venice (Gran Teatro "La Fenice"), Warsaw (State Philharmonia and Lazienki Palace), Hamburg (Musik-Halle), Naples (Teatro delle Palme), Salzburg (Wiener-Saal), Klagenfurt (Stadttheater), Munich (Kaulbach Villa), Calgary (Jack Singer Concert Hall), Dublin (National Concert Hall), New York (Mannes College of Music), Tel Aviv (Mann Auditorium and Tel Aviv Museum), London (Purcell Room), Leeds (Great Hall of the University), Pretoria (Old Mutual Hall) and Rome (Auditorium of the "S. Cecilia" Academy and Teatro Nazionale).
He has performed as soloist with many prestigious orchestras, such as: Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Craiova Philharmonic Orchestra "Oltenia", Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, La Camerata Musicale, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Orchestra Guido Cantelli, Orchestra Filarmonia Veneta, Orchestra "Haydn" di Bolzano e Trento, Orchestra Regionale del Lazio, with conductors like: Mario Brunello, Mendi Rodan, Robert Houlihan, Christoph Eberle, Bruno Aprea, Alberto Veronesi, Alexei Kornienko, etc., and played with chamber groups sach as: St. Lawrence String Quartet, Aviv String Quartet, Trio Rachmaninoff, Solisti dell'Orchestra d'Archi Italiana, etc.
His performances have been recorded for TVP (Telewizja Polska S. A.), CBC Radio & Television Canada, RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann), Bayerischer Rundfunk München, Israel Radio Voice of Music, BBC Radio, RAI Radio Televisione Italiana, Radio Ljubljana, etc.
He was a prize winner in several national and international piano competitions: the "Amadeus Giovani" in Palermo (where the jury chose him to record a compact-disc with works by Mozart), the "Premio Venezia" in Venice, the UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria (special prize for the "best performance of the Russian piece": Musorgskij's Pictures at an Exhibition), the "Esther Honens International Piano Competition" in Calgary, the "Guardian International Piano Competition" in Dublin, the “F. Busoni” International Piano Competition in Bolzano (where the jury awarded him the special prize for "the best Ferruccio Busoni interpreter"), the "A. Casagrande" International Piano Competition in Terni (where the jury awarded him the special prize for "the best Alessandro Casagrande interpreter") and the "International Competition for Piano and Orchestra" in Cantù.
In 1998, by the unanimous vote of the jury, he won the Grand Prix in the “Rina Sala Gallo” International Piano Competition" in Monza.
In 2001 he won the third prize in the Tenth "Arthur Rubinstein" International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv.
He gives Master Class regularly.
"...Massimiliano Ferrati, a highly gifted young pianist: extraordinarily musical, well-balanced in the interpretation of the text...His Mozart is so pleasant to listen to, fluid and extremely clear in expressing the musical content...When he plays Chopin...he achieves exceptional effects..."
Sergio Garbato. "Il Resto del Carlino" (Italy), 3.2.1993
"...a recital in memory of Magaloff...by a promising new young pianist: Massimiliano Ferrati won the hearts of the audience and made his way as a concert performer. He displays a wealth of vigorous resources and a penetrating understanding of the logic of the text. Filled with fervour, he "speaks the language" of the composers with enthusiasm of ideas, phrasing, questions. In his interpretation of Mozart...the image evolves moment by moment in a range of effective answers. In Chopin...his highly refined sound turns to magic, the breath being held momentarily...the vigour, the exaltation...His Chopin is authoritative, applauded even in the three encores."
Franca Cella. "Corriere della Sera" (Italy), 4.5.1993
"...Massimiliano Ferrati demonstrated excellent technical skill together with the ability of emotional expression able to move the listener and the ability to create original musical images."
Paul Badura-Skoda 1990. "Applausi" (Italy), Novembre 1994
"...Ferrati drew a very expressive sound and his lyrical performance of Chopin’s Concerto in E minor makes him an artist to watch."
Tamara Bernstein. "The Globe and Mail" (Canada), 11.25.1996
"...the exceptional keyboard displays of Massimiliano Ferrati, in a powerhouse reading of Musorgskij’s Pictures at an Exhibition."
Michael Dervan. "The Irish Times", 5.9.1997
"...Ferrati’s sound was arrestingly distinctive: rich, focused and consistent. He is a superb player..."
Michael Dungan. "Hevening Herald" (Ireland), 5.13.1997
"...His Chopin’s First Piano Concerto was a caring performance, cultured in tone, convincing in its sense of musical probity: much there was to enjoy moment by moment..."
Michael Dervan. "The Irish Times", 5.16.1997
"...Massimiliano Ferrati a highly vigorous and imaginative performer."
Maria Paola Scaccetti. "Suonare" (Italy), October 1998
"The Italian, Massimiliano Ferrati, is a bright, glowing expressionist. In Mozart he produced pearls; in Chopin he was spiritual; he sang; he was romantic, highly polished. And in Mussorgskij ("Pictures"), he blew up the auditorium. Images of an erupting volcano. He may have shown some affectations, but he was great, immense, original, compelling."
Ora Binur. "Ma'ariv" (Israel), 03.29.2001
"When, Massimiliano Ferrati, the Italian, began playing the slow movement in Concerto no.3 by Beethoven, he was a poet in describing a legend in sound. He speaks and sings in sound, like the legendary Michelangeli."
Ora Binur. "Ma'ariv" (Israel), 04.02.2001
"The Italian, Massimiliano Ferrati, played Beethoven's Piano Concerto no.3 excellently. The Italian has come out of the oven evenly baked all over. He played Beethoven in the traditional manner, giving it the correct dose of romantic sauce."
Hanoch Ron. "Yediot Acharonot" (Israel), 04.02.2001
"There is no doubt that Ferrati is a superior pianist who has the spark of an artist."
Hanoch Ron. "Yediot Acharonot" (Israel), 04.04.2001