Piano

Anthony Spiri is one of his generation’s most versatile pianists. Lied accompanist, soloist and chamber music partner with many of the most prominent musicians of the day. Born in New Jersey (USA), he received training in Cleveland and Boston before moving to Europe at the age of 21 in 1978, where he completed his studies in Paris, Vienna and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Among his teacher were Hans Leygraf, Rudolf Firkusny and Kenneth Gilbert. He taught at the Mozarteum until 1999 and was assistant to Nikolaus Harnoncourt 1987-1993. For 25 years he performed on harpsichord, fortepiano and organ and often appeared with the Concentus Musicus Wien and other leading ensembles, but has concentrated on the modern piano since 2000. Extensive research in performance practice, publications of Alessandro Scarlatti cantatas, articles on keyboard intonation and continuo practice. As piano soloist, he has appeared all over the world and with many leading orchestras (Chamber Orchestra of Europe, under the baton of N. Harnoncourt, C. Hogwood, Z. Mehta, F. Welser-Möst and Tilson-Thomas and has been a consistent advocate of lesser-known piano composers, performing and recorded music by the sons of Bach, Johann Wilhelm Hässler, Eduard Marxsen and Ernst Krenek. He particularly admires the late works of Gabriel Fauré. His partners in the lied repertoire have included Marjana Lipovsek, Bernarda Fink, Peter Schreier, Edith Mathis, Christiane Oelze, Florian Boesch, among others. His chamber music partners have included Gidon Kremer, Nils Mönkemeyer, Sabine Meyer, Ariadne Daskalakis and many noted string quartets. Well over 50 CDs document the extent of Spiri’s artistic development. In addition, in 2016 he was nominated for the German “Echo Klassik”.
His teaching career extends from the Mozarteum Salzburg and the Musikhochschulen of Trossingen and Cologne, where he is currently professor of piano chamber music. His masterclasses worldwide treat piano, chamber music, lied and performance practice.
He has carried out several projects integrating music and social problem zones. He has published, edited and translated on various subjects, including the music of Roman antiquity.
Recently he has expanded his range further to include composition, big band, trombone and choir performance.