Dr. Albert Lotto

Albert Lotto, as a young man was cited by music critic, Robert Sherman of the New York Times, as a pianist of “spectacular virtuosity” and by Irving Heller of the Montreal Gazette as one who has the gift to communicate the romance and poetry of the music of Brahms, Schumann and Chopin with an “ability which is rare, even phenomenal for one of his years”. Since the inception of a career which now spans 42 years, and which begins in 1965 when he won First Prize at the Montreal International Piano Competition at 19 years old, he has focused on making the piano “sing”; he uses the piano as an orchestra or as an ensemble under his hands, and creates music with a beauty of sound and colorful excitement. In Denmark recitals by Albert Lotto are hailed be the press as “memorable events, which should be looked forward to with every return to Europe” and in Japan, The Japan Times comments, “he holds together large scale symphonic works with the hands of a master”. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the Julliard School while a student of Sashay Gorodnitzki, and at the same time and with the support of the school enjoyed lessons with Vladimir Horowitz. While at the Juilliard he completed his Doctorate which is published as a study edition of the Experimental Music for Piano of Charles Ives. As a child he studied with pianist, Artur Balsam who was hailed by music critic Harold Schoenberg of the New York Times as “The King of American Accompanists”. The relationship with Artur Balsam continued throughout his life. He carries forward the tradition of great chamber music playing passed on down to him by Balsam. He has performed with violinist and violist Joseph and Lillian Fuchs, cellist, Barbara Stein Mallow and Carol Stein Amado in the Chamber Arts Trio, with Thomas Prevost, principle Flute of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France, Sumiko Hama of the National Orchestra of France, Kazuki Sawa, head of the violin Department at the Tokyo College of Fine Arts, Maurice Eisenberg, assistant to Pablo Casals at the Eisenberg Festival in Cascais, Portugal, Markus Weidmann of the Berlin Philharmonic, as a member of the Tenri Chamber Ensemble. Albert Lotto’s musical relationship with the Fuchs family has continued consistently since 1960 when he first performed at Kneisel Hall in Maine. The 2007-2008 seasons will see Dr. Lotto will travel to Japan, Taiwan, Israel, and China and to Europe where he plays solo recitals, concertos and chamber music, and appearing regularly at the Tenri Cultural Institute in New York City as a founding member of the Tenri Chamber Ensemble.