PRESS PROGRAMMES RECORDING VIDEOS DIARY
Matthieu Stefanelli, pianist and composer
Born on 8 March 1985 in Nice (France), Matthieu Stefanelli began playing the piano at the age of 6 at the Conservatoire in his home town. At the age of 16, he entered the Paris Conservatoire (CNSM) in the piano class of Jacques Rouvier and Prisca Benoît, then Bruno Rigutto. He won 3 first prizes and a Master's degree in chamber music from the CNSMDP, and was unanimously awarded a first prize in orchestration by Alain Louvier and Anthony Girard at the CRR in Paris.
Matthieu Stefanelli has won numerous international piano and chamber music competitions (including Orléans for Contemporary Music, Bremen, San Sebastian, the FNAPEC in Paris and the Forum de Normandie). His career as a soloist and chamber musician has taken him to over ten countries around the world, including Tokyo's Suntory Hall, the Great Theatre in Wuxi, China, Salle Pleyel, Philharmonie, Radio France, and the Festival de la Roque-d'Anthéron. A keen chamber musician, in 2007 he founded the Trio Métabole with violinist Besa Cane and cellist Julien Lazignac, with whom he has made several recordings; he performs regularly with tenor Patrick Garayt, and violinists Daniel Garlitsky and Olivier Pons, as well as his wife Fanny Stefanelli. He also founded the Lacryma Voce choir in 2016.
Since 2005, he has met regularly with Bernard Cavanna, who supports and guides him in his work as a composer. In 2006, he was one of the finalists in the Boulogne-Billancourt International Competition for Young Composers, with Philippe Hersant as jury chairman. In 2022, he won 1st Prize in the Tiziano Rossetti International Competition for his Concerto for piano and orchestra Chroma, which he premiered as soloist with the Orchestre National de Bretagne under the baton of Grant Llewellyn. This work has been recorded for the Paraty label thanks to the support of the Banque Populaire Foundation, of which he is a Laureate in 2019. He was also a Laureate of the Charles Oulmont Foundation in 2015.
Performed by some of the world's finest musicians (Quatuor Girard, Eclisses, SpiriTango Quartet, Saxback Ensemble, Vassilena Serafimova, Tristan Pfaff, Célia Oneto-Bensaid, Guilhem Fabre, Nima Sarkéchik, Yaïr Benaim, l'Ensemble la Sportelle, l'Opéra de Massy), Matthieu Stefanelli was commissioned by Renaud Capuçon in 2022 for the Festival Nouveaux Horizons in Aix-en-Provence; His concertante Gaïa ou Le Cri de la Terre was premiered by bassoonist Michaela Spackova and broadcast on Arte and France Musique. He is a regular guest on this channel, as well as on France Inter in Jean-François Zygel's programme 'La preuve par Z'. His works are published mainly by Lemoine, Combre and Billaudot. His second monograph, Les Fleurs du Paradis, was published by Label Hortus in September 2022, still supported by Banque Populaire, and was awarded the Prix 2023 d'Art Sacré by the Alliance.
His symphonic piece Hypnos was performed by the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra (Finland) on 16 May 2024 under the baton of Eugène Tzigane. He is preparing a new album with his violinist wife Fanny, entitled Esprit Flok, for the Indesens-Calliope label.
Participation in festivals Concerts au Triton - Les Lilas (93) - Jean-Pierre Vivante 2013 with Trio Métabole and composition commission for Nima Sarkéchik 2015 Festival « Les Alizés » - Essaouira (Maroc) - Dina Bensaïd 2012 with Trio Métabole Festival « la Roque d’Anthéron » - (13) 2009 et 2011 with Trio Métabole in the ensembles in residence Festival « Musiques en scène » - Arcangues (64) 2011 with Trio Métabole = Biarritz Piano Festival - Thomas Valverde Festival de « l’Abbaye de l’Epau » - (72) 2011 with Trio Métabole Festival « Pau Casals » - Prades (66) 2010 and 2011 with Trio Métabole Festival de Montauroux - (83) 2010 Festival « Musique au cœur de l’Estérel » - (83) 2009 Festival « Musique dans les vignes » - (84) 2009 with Trio Métabole Festival « Jeunes Talents » - Paris - Hôtel de Soubise 2008 solo and 2009 Trio Métabole Festival « Ars Terra » - Villers-sur-Authié (80) 2006