Artur Pizarro of Portugal traces his artistic roots straight to Franz Liszt. Over the years he has produced numerous recordings for Linn, Collins, Odradek, and additional companies.
Born in Lisbon in 1968, Pizarro displayed prodigious talent by performing in public at the age of three; the next year he made an appearance on Portuguese television. During childhood he largely steered clear of concerts, focusing instead on private study. Public performances began when he turned thirteen, opening with a solo recital at Lisbon’s São Luíz Theatre and a concerto engagement with the Gulbenkian Orchestra.
His Portuguese training came first from Campos Coelho, then from Sequeira Costa, whose own instructor, José Vianna da Motta, had studied with Liszt in his final years. In 1977 Costa accepted a post at the University of Kansas, prompting Pizarro to relocate to the United States for continued lessons that extended until 1990. During that period he also worked with Bruno Rigutto at the Conservatoire de Paris and with Aldo Ciccolini.
Recognition grew after victories in several prominent contests: the Vianna da Motta Competition in 1987, the Greater Palm Beach Symphony Competition in 1988, and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 1990.
Pizarro entered the recording studio for the first time in 1992 on Collins Records, presenting Liszt’s Sonata in B minor. He remained with Collins into the late 1990s, concentrating on Romantic repertoire while also documenting Russian, Portuguese, and Spanish pieces.
He has performed with leading orchestras inside and outside Portugal under conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simon Rattle, and Charles Dutoit. Following his Leeds triumph he became particularly prominent in Britain, appearing frequently there; in 2010 he marked the bicentennial of Chopin’s birth by presenting the composer’s complete works at St. John’s, Smith Square in London.
Alongside his solo career Pizarro pursues chamber music with equal commitment, establishing the Pizarro Trio alongside violinist Raphaël Oleg and cellist Josephine Knight and collaborating in duo recitals with Vita Panomariovaite and Rinaldo Zhok.
His association with Linn began in 2003 with a release of Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas. Additional recordings have appeared on Brilliant and Naxos, while Odradek issued his seven-disc survey of Rachmaninov’s complete solo piano music in 2016.
