Flavio Varani

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Years Active

1949–present

Genres

classical music, instrumental music

Instruments

piano

Biography

Flavio Varani is an acclaimed Brazilian pianist, born in São Paulo in 1942. His musical career began early, at the age of seven, when he performed as a soloist on Brazilian radio and television. By the age of eight, he was already playing with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Eleazar de Carvalho. At thirteen, Varani moved to Paris with a French government scholarship to study with the renowned pianist Magda Tagliaferro, one of the greatest exponents of Brazilian classical music. During his seven years in the French capital, he gave concerts throughout Europe and Russia, consolidating his training and gaining international experience.

Following his time in Europe, Varani moved to the United States, where he furthered his studies at the Juilliard School of Music with Rosina Lhevinne, and at the Manhattan School of Music with Artur Balsam. During this period, he received important recognitions, such as the Harold Bauer Award, the "Musician of the Year" award from the Michigan Foundation for the Arts, and "Best Soloist of the Year" by the São Paulo Association of Art Critics. His international career expanded with performances in world-renowned concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Moscow Conservatory, as well as major festivals.

Varani is known for his specialization in composers like Heitor Villa-Lobos, whose works he recorded and received awards for interpreting, and also for his repertoire that includes pieces by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc, and Frédéric Chopin. He has been a Steinway artist since 1995 and has been a teacher and mentor to young musicians, giving masterclasses in various parts of the world. His dedication to music and to the dissemination of musical knowledge make him a prominent figure in the international classical music scene, while maintaining a strong connection with his Brazilian roots.

Discography

• Poulenc Nocturnes (1983)
• Flavio Varani Interpreta Obras de Villa-Lobos – Cartas à Posteridade (1997)
• Lettie Beckon Alston – Flavio Varani, Lettie Alston, Cedric D. Alston, Roderic S. Leon – Keyboard Maniac: Keyboard Music By Lettie Beckon Alston (2001)
• Paul Paray, Flavio Varani, Eduard Perrone – Vol 5 Complete Works For Solo Piano (2005)
• Flavio Varani Interpreta Obras de Villa-Lobos – Works For Piano (2017)
• Paul Paray, Flavio Varani, Eduard Perrone – Seven Piano Pieces (2022)