E-mail:

carusolucia@yahoo.com

Address:

45 Tiemann Pl., Apt. 5A
New York, NY 10027
USA

Tel:

212 531-0189

Pianist and composer Lucía Caruso (ASCAP) was born in Mendoza , Argentina , in 1980. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, she has received important awards in several international piano competitions. At age fourteen she obtained the prize for the ‘Best Foreign Pianist’ at the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition in Chile in 1994 and ‘Second Honorable Mention’ at the same competition in 1996. At seventeen she obtained the ‘First Honorable Mention’ at the Giomar Novaes International Piano Competition in São Paulo , Brazil , in 1997. She was the First Prize winner of the National University of Cuyo Symphony Orchestra Competition, Argentina, in 1998, giving her the opportunity to perform as a soloist with that orchestra in 1999. Of that concert the newspaper “Diario Los Andes” from Mendoza , Argentina , wrote: “Pianist Lucía Caruso displayed such technical mastery and emotional tension that her talent marked the highest point of the [Cuyo Symphony Orchestra’s youth] season. Not always is a performer able to involve the audience with the absolute magic of music, a fact which this young performer did indeed achieve […]”.

Ms. Caruso started her piano and music studies in 1991 with Professor Gustavo Gatica in her hometown of Mendoza , Argentina . She attended one year at the Music School of the National University of Cuyo in Argentina in 1998. The same year, after performing in a public master class at the San Martín National Theatre in Tucumán , Argentina , she won a scholarship to study piano with Dr. Ana Maria Trenchi Bottazzi in New York City from 1999 to 2000. In the year 2000 she was accepted at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City . She graduated from that institution with a Bachelor’s Degree in classical piano under the tutelage of Dr. Donn-Alexandre Feder in May 2004.

Since she was eleven Ms. Caruso has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in several cities of Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, France, England, Italy and the United States. She also performed in 1999 as a soloist with the National Youth Symphony Orchestra at the National Theatre of San José in Costa Rica . From 1999 to 2005 she has given three performances at Steinway Hall and three performances at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City . She played a solo recital in Rome in July 2003 as part of the ‘Circolo d’incontro: Festa Europea della Musica’ (European Festival of Music). In 2004 she performed in Bari , Italy , and Staten-Island , New York , as part of the American-Pugliese Music Festival. Ms. Caruso has participated in several master classes with important international artists. In Mendoza , Argentina , she attended a master class on the Classical sonata with Alejandro Geberobich from Austria in 1996. In two consecutive years, in 2002 and 2003, she was one of only four pianists from Europe and the United States that were selected to participate with a scholarship at the International Musike Academy Festival in Durham , England . There she performed and had master classes with Jean-Bernard Pommier and had performances of some of her compositions. She also obtained another scholarship to study piano with Jean-Bernard Pommier in France in July 2003.

At the age of twelve, Ms. Caruso started composing her first pieces and made the decision that music was going to be her life. Since 2001 she has been studying composition in New York City with Professor Pedro Henriques da Silva, who has since become her husband. She also attended composition classes at the Manhattan School of Music with Professor Ludmila Ulehla. Her works have been performed in Argentina , Italy , France , England and the United States , including Steinway Hall in April 2005 and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in June 2005. She gave an entire recital of her compositions and recorded a CD at the Manhattan School of Music in 2003. In the following year, an orchestral piece of hers was performed and recorded by the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra. 

Ms. Caruso and her husband, Pedro Henriques da Silva, have recently formed the highly original ‘Duo Caruso-da Silva’ in which she plays piano and harpsichord, and he sitar, mandolin, Portuguese guitar and classical guitar. They are exploring and creating new sounds by mixing Western and non-Western music in styles that range from Renaissance to Contemporary, North Indian to Flamenco and Tango to Bossa Nova. Most of the music they perform is improvisational, blending different cultures and traditions in a seamless and cohesive whole. As a duo, they have performed at Steinway Hall in New York City , in Swan Lake ( New York ), Wolcott ( Colorado ), Rome ( Italy ), Lisbon and Almada ( Portugal ), and Madrid ( Spain ). They are also recording a CD of original compositions and improvisations.

 Teaching is another of Lucía Caruso’s passions. In September 2000 she was invited to give a lecture about ‘The Music from the Renaissance’ for a seminar of New York University Professor Antonio Rutigliano and his group of students. A professional Renaissance consort performed while Ms. Caruso gave the lecture. She is a specialist in teaching young musicians and is presently writing her own piano method for young children. One of her students, Liam Connor-Moreno, made his début at the age of seven at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in June 2005, where he also premièred one of Lucia’s compositions for piano “La canción del caballero”.

 Always in search of ways in which her creativity may run free, at the age of ten she wrote a theatre play that was performed at her school. Also, at the age of twelve she acted and wrote the screenplay and music for a modest movie of her own creation that her father directed. Ms. Caruso is fluent in Spanish, French and English, and she is able to speak and write in Russian, Italian and Portuguese.

Photos
(click to enlarge)

Van Westerhout Theatre,Mola di Bari, Italy,November 2004. With Ignacio Gallego, cello, and Marisa Famiglietti, soprano.

"Duo Caruso- da SIlva" in concert at Centro Cultural de Belem, Lisbon, Portugal, November 2004. With Pedro da SIlva on sitar.

Lucía Caruso with the President of Argentina, Kirchner

After playing at the van Westerhout Theatre concert in Mola di Bari, Italy, November 2004. with her musician friends Marisa Famiglietti, soprano, Ignacio Gallego, cello, and Catherine Ingravallo, piano.

With her husband and duo partner, Pedro da Silva, and her two friends Ana Karina Alamo, pianist from Venezuela and Alondra de la Parra, conductor from Mexico

Lucía in her practice room at the dorms of the Manhattan School of Music

Lucía with her mother also called Lucía, at her graduation party from the Manhattan School of Music

Recording session of her Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, violin and viola.

Composing her Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin and Viola. October 2004.

Recording session of the Duo Caruso-da Silva. Recording "Celtibera"

The Caruso sisters, Carla and Lucía Caruso, at the Metropolitan Opera of New York with a statue of "their ancestor"

Lucía and her piano teacher at the Manhattan School of Music, Dr. Donn Alexandre Feder, at the graduation party.

Lucía and her dear friend Maestro Zaraspe

Lucía and the great Argentinean artist Oscar Campos.

In front of the monument in honor to Fado, the Portuguese guitar and Amalia, one of the most important Fado singers. Lisbon, November 2004

With Pedro da Silva and our dear friend Inge Ginsberg, the main actress of the film "Il ritorno di Inge".

Lucía Caruso in Lisbon, Portugal.

Concert with Duo Caruso-da Silva at Steinway Hall, New York, April 2005.

Lucía  Caruso and her mother, Lucía Morales, at Steinway Hall, New York, 2005.

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