Concert Artist: Organist, Pianist, Composer
UGO SFORZA
born in Bari on 1th April 1982.
He graduated with summa cum laude in Organ (2003), Organ Composition (2003) and Piano (2010) from the Academy of Music “N. Piccinni” in Bari, under the guidance of the teachers G. Salvatori and F. Balducci. In 2011 he graduated in Science of Cultural Heritage from the University "Aldo Moro" in Bari. In June 2013 he graduated from the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität (Austria), under the guidance of Prof. Brett Leighton: here he obtained the prestigious Master of Arts in Organ with an honourable mention with a thesis on the preservation and protection of old keyboard instruments in the most important musical museums of Europe. He attended seminars and major courses about Italian and German music by F. Friedrich, M. Radulescu and L. F. Tagliavini, about French Organ Literature by Marie-Claire Alain, Roberto Antonello and L. Robilliard, about English Organ Literature by Michael Harris, about Organ Improvisation by T. Flury, about great Piano Literature by I. Longato.
Since he was very young, he has had success as organ player, gaining prizes in several organ competitions. He was awarded prizes by the President of the Italian Republic as the winner of the 6th Edition of the organ prize “Goffredo Giarda” (Rome, 2004). On the same occasion he also received a special prize from the public as the best organ performer. He has recorded sacred music of the Italian composer Ottavio de Lillo (Foundation “San Nicola e Santi Medici” – Bari, 2005) and organ favourite works by J. S. Bach, F. Schubert, C. Franck, M. E. Bossi for the Weinberg Records (CD Orgelmusik aus der Elisabethinenkirche - Linz, 2013).
Above all, very important is
his work as a composer since many years. Among the various titles of his works for symphonic organ solo and chamber music, stands out Organum Vox Dei
Op.3 (Papageno Edition, Bari - 2004) and Fantasy on Veni Creator Spiritus Op. 7 (Armelin Edition, Padova - 2007).
His activities as performer and church organist and conductor in Italy and Austria (Linz) is also accompanied by that of a recitalist at important International Concert Series, Organ Festivals and Organ touneé in Europe and U.S.A.