Ubaldo Ponzio

Massimo Paris was born in Rome, Italy. He is a versatile artist: soloist of viola and viola d’amore, composer, conductor,pedagouge. He is considered from audience and critics one of today’s leading violist “one of the best violist of the last generation”.
“Mr. Paris is with no doubt the vest violist ever heard. The beauty of  his sound is insuperable, his virtuosity is superb” (Diapason R.C.T.) “Mr. Pars was energetic, precise and polished…with lush burnished tone, impressive articulation and strong bowing…” (E Rothstein-New York Times). “A joy was this Italian artist. Aesthete and monument of the viola performances world” (El Diario de Caracas).His concert career has led him as soloist of viola and viola d’amore and conductor in the world’s major concert halls such as: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center (Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls) New York,Teatro alla Scala Milano, Berlin Philarmonie, Accademia S. Cecilia Rome, Paris Opera,Concertgebouw Amsterdam,Royal Festival and Barbican Halls London, Sidney Opera House,Tokio Bunka Kaikan and Suntory Hall, Teatro Colòn Buenos Aires.Gewandhaus Leipzig. Soloist of viola and viola d’amore with “I Virtuosi di Roma”of Renato Fasano,Mr.Paris joined since 1977 as solo viola ”I Musici”. Member of Faurè piano quintet : Maureen Jones,Pina Carmirelli,Federico Agostini, Francesco Strano, and of the Faurè piano Quartet,and ot the „European string Trio“ with Federico Agostini and Thomas Demenga, he is a founder member in 1994 of the “Stradivari” string quartet,Mariana Sirbu, Cristina & Mihai Dancila and in the chamber music field he performed with such artist as: Nino Rota, Pina Carmirelli. Michele Campanella, Bruno Canino, Mario Brunello, Severino Gazzelloni, Bruno Giuranna, Peter Lukas Graf, Heinz e Ursula Holliger, Steven Isserlis, Aurelè Nicolet, Rafael Orozco, Boris Pergamenschikow, Menhamen Pressler, Franco Petracchi, Pepe Romero & Los Romeros, Klaus Thunemann, Ä–lisso' Virsaladze, Christian Zacharias,Trio di Milano, Quartets Artis, and with members of Trio Beaux Arts, & Eroica , and of strings quartets: Guarnieri, Emerson,Academica, Orlando, Orpheus.He is regular guest at Festivals such as:Malboro,(invited by Rudolf  Serkin)Montreux Edinburgh,Lucerne, Schleswig-Holstein,Mostly Mozart New York ,Santa Fe New Mexico,Orlando,Spoleto.He is also composer of symphonic and chamber music:his own Chritmas Suite  composed and dedicated to the legendary „ Los Romeros“ has been recorded for Deutsche Grammophon,performed and acclaimed in the main concert halls in Germany in December 2011: Berlin Philharmonie, Hamburg, Munich,Essen,Nurnberg etc 12 concerts. and in a great  tour in USA coast to coast form California to New York in December 2012 The cadenzas of his own CD of A. Rolla  Viola Concertos and the corpus of 18 cadenzas for the Locatelli „Art of the Violin“has been recorded for PHILIPS. Mr.Parisand alternate his activity with conducting. In 1986 he founded in Italy a Symphonic Orchestra:”Accademia Musicale Italiana”A.M.I.T.,and he is regular guest conductor in many countries:Europe, South America,Asia,In 2003 he has been appointed Principal Conductor and Musical Director of “Concerto Malaga orchestra,as well at the Festival of the International Forum of South Europe of Nigüelas (Sierra Nevada). Professor of viola and chamber music at the Musikhochschule Köln in Aachen, and at the Conservatory of Music  and at the prestigious „Accademia di S. Cecilia” in Rome (postgratuated master),he is invited to held master classes in Italy,Germany,Switzerland, France,Spain, Venezuela,Mexico,Hong Kong, Japan, China,Korea,Taiwan,Thailand. He is often nvited guest member of International Competition Jury and some students have been awarded first prize in some competitions.. He recorded for many Radio Television broadcasting, in Europe,U.S.A.,South America,Japan, Australia and for the main record labels such as: Columbia, Denon. Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, Sony,Dynamic, Eloquence, Arcadia,Genuin, Claves, and 3 charity Cd for UNICEF.
He accomplished his musical training at “Conservatory S. Cecilia” of Rome where he graduated with the highest honour in Composition, Viola and Conducting. Successively he attended masters at : Accademia Chigiana ,Siena; Conservatoire de Musique in Geneve; International Music Seminar Prussia Cove Cornwall; with Professors such as: Piero Bellugi and Franco Ferrara (Conducting), Dino Asciolla, Bruno Giuranna, Corrado Romano and Renzo Sabatini (Viola), Irma Ravinale (Composition) Riccardo Brengola and Sandor  Vegh (chamber music).

web-site: www.massimoparis.com