"I have been very grateful for Sandro Russo's interest in performing my piano music; his performances have shown great commitment, excellent attention to detail and a keen awareness of the interpretive needs of these various pieces. I hope his enjoyment of my music never ceases!" (Marc-André Hamelin)

"I have enjoyed his artistry, his dedication to high standards, commitment to style and how to produce sound and communicate the music beyond the stage. He has a striking presence and is a throwback to the grand tradition of elegant pianism and beautiful sound." (Jeffrey Biegel)

"Sandro played Liszt’s Concerto in A major brilliantly, with masterful technique and in the grand manner. He makes the piano sing and never forces the sound, even in forte. He was full up to the virtuosity of the piece and displayed a fine sense of poetry in the more lyric episodes." (David Gilbert)

Acclaimed for his profound sense of poetry and distinctive style, Sandro Russo is in great demand as a soloist in many venues around the world. He has unanimously received accolades for his sparkling virtuosity, and his playing has often been referred to as a throwback to the grand tradition of elegant pianism and beautiful sound.

Born in San Giovanni Gemini – Sicily, Mr. Russo displayed exceptional musical talent from an early age. In 1995, he graduated summa cum laude from the V. Bellini Conservatory and earned the Pianoforte Performing Diploma from the Royal College of Music in London ‘with honors’. While still a student, he won top prize awards in numerous national and international competitions, including Senigallia, and the Ibla Grand Prize. As a result, he was invited to perform in some of the country’s most prestigious concert halls.

Soon after Mr. Russo came to the United States in 2000, he won the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Competition, and performed Liszt’s A major Concerto with Maestro David Gilbert at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. Early in 2002, Mr. Russo gave an acclaimed Chopin recital at the prestigious Politeama Theatre in Palermo, Italy, and later appeared at the Nuove Carriere Music Festival, an international showcase for the world’s most promising young musicians.

Mr. Russo has given solo recitals for The Rachmaninoff Society in London, Memphis, and New York, as well as the American Liszt Society – New York Chapter. He has also performed at the Salle Cortot in Paris and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. More recently he has been heard in concert at Carnegie Hall, the Italian Institute of Culture in NYC, the Moiseiwitsch Recital Series at the Music Festival of the Hamptons, the Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago, Concerts Grand in Santa Rosa (CA) and the Chetham’s International Piano Festival in Manchester, U.K, where he also joined its distinguished summer school’s faculty.

Mr. Russo has appeared as a soloist with the Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava, The Jacksonville Symphony in Florida, the Brussels Chamber Orchestra at the opening gala of The Music Festival of the Hamptons (2008), and in July 2008 he had a triumphal return to his homeland in Sicily, giving three outdoor performances of the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto in tour with the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana. He was also a featured soloist with the New York Asian Symphony during their Japan tour in June ‘09.

Mr. Russo’s extensive repertoire comprises well-known masterpieces of all periods as well as more obscure and challenging works of the piano literature by such composer-pianists as Medtner, Sorabji, Godowsky and others. He has also been given the honor of premiering compositions by Lowell Liebermann, Paul Moravec, and Marc-André Hamelin.

Sandro Russo’s performances have been aired on WFMT Chicago, WQXR New York, RAI Sat Show and the Slovakian TV. In January 2009 Bechstein-America invited Mr. Russo to record a DVD on the historical 1862 Bechstein piano (#576) owned by Franz Liszt. In addition, this past February he recorded a DVD on the Steinway & Sons CD-75, i.e. the legendary piano on which Vladimir Horowitz performed for his concerts at the Met and London’s Royal Family in the 80’s.