Article from Italian newspaper. English translation: AFTER IRAN

Friulian De Cecco piano professor in Thailand.

Pianist Giovanni De Cecco, 37 years old, from Udine, just back from Iran, where he held a masterclass at Tehran Conservatory, between October and November is now in Bangkok, Thailand, for the first piano masterclass at the European level in that country.

“It is” explains De Cecco “an ambitious project, the first of a long series of concerts, masterclasses and monographic lessons in South-Eastern Asia. It is a 4 weeks’project, which will be attended by students of conservatories and universities from all over Thailand, as well as the Philippines and other neighbouring countries. It will not be just a series of meetings with the Maestro, with lessons on a one-to-one basis. Besides the piano lessons, there will also be lessons on specific subjects, in the style of university monographic courses (Gyorgy Sandor’s didactics, piano transcriptions, Bela Bartok’s pedagogic works)”.
In Thailand it is the first time that a European artist has been involved as a visiting professor in such a large-scale didactic and artistic project.
The Yamaha Siam Kolkarn Ratchadapisek school, run by Director Tanyalux Luangvishut, is the seat of this masterclass, which was organized by the sicilian pianist, harpsicordist and composer Alberto Firrincieli, ambitious pioneer of didactics of music at the European level. Firrincieli, who has been living in Bangkok for years, is the founder of the first harpsichord and ancient music school in Thailand, as well as Professor of counterpoint and history of music in the prestigious Assumption University. With him De Cecco will also perform in several concerts for two pianists (music by Brahms, Liszt and Wagner).

“Thailand” says De Cecco “is a country with an enormous interest in the tradition of the great European classical music. We can say that, if South Korea, Japan and China are already offering a promising piano school which is equivalent to Occidental standards, Thailand is surely the next country which will give us new talents.”