Multi-hyphenate artist Margherita Torretta just released Colours of Venice –a collection of 6 Sonatas dedicated to Baldassare Galuppi. Often described as the ‘Buranello’ of Venice, Galuppi was renowned as a virtuoso keyboard player and one of the premier composers of the 1700’s . Torretta now brings new life to her pieces with this cd collection that underlines the classical journey she has been on for many years, most notably making her 2015 break-through performance at Carnegie Hall after which she has continued to garner worldwide acclaim with performances across Europe, Russia, United States, Japan, and Australia at some of the world’s most prestigious classical venues from Arturo Toscanini of Teatro Alla Scala to Villa Reale in Milan, the ALTI Hall in Kyoto, as well as representing Italy in the 23th Kyoto International Piano Festival, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, along with many, many more.
Although Margherita has embraced other artistic skills such as ballet plus being part of Sophie Mayanne’s ground- breaking campaign ‘Behind the Scars’, as well as fashion design, photography, poetry, with the mission of expressing the value of beauty understood as a set of human qualities such as determination, courage and elegance it is as a virtuoso classical pianist that defines her. Previously, Margherita released her CD “Domenico Scarlatti-20 keyboards Sonatas” for the French label ARTALINNA and academy classical on February 2020, whilst also recording live concerts on for national radio broadcasters, such as RAI radio 3, RSI radio televisione svizzera and France Musique.
Although now living in London, Margherita was born in the Italian province of Piacenza, studying at the G.Verdi Conservatory, at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, and at International Lake Como Academy founded by Martha Argerich and Maestro William Grant Naborè achieving the accolade of being the only Italian woman of her generation to be admitted to this prestigious institution.
In line with her outstanding classical achievements, Margherita regularly teaches in UK and Europe, organizing improvement courses and masterclasses geared to promote the medical studies done by professors Laurent Boullet and Eckart Altenmuller specialized in the right use of hands and body on the keyboard.
Margherita Torretta’s Colours of Venice- Baldassare Galuppi 6 Keyboard Sonatas is available on CD now.
Margherita explained to Inspiring Lives Magazine her scars that didn’t stop her and her journey in music.
I had the opportunity to study in very prestigious universities and academies such as the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan, the University of Higher Musical Education in Switzerland and at the International Academy in Como. I have studied with the greatest piano legends and have played in over twenty countries in America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
I got badly burned at the age of 18, and for me this event was like a death of the person I was until then, and at the same time it was a great rebirth. Not being able to walk for some time, I had to interrupt dancing (my greatest passion) and no longer recognizing myself in my body I canceled (apparently) all the dreams and desires that I had.
I was also passionate about fashion but I couldn’t stand anything that belonged to aesthetics and exteriority anymore (because I had completely lost my skin, the shell of my body, the visible and tangible part of myself). Music and playing the piano allowed me to have a new focus in my life, because with music I didn’t have to focus on the outside, but on the inside.
I certainly felt unimaginable pain. But luckily, the impact with the fire didn’t totally destroy my self-esteem, at least rationally. I didn’t have much choice but to fight to go on living, even though very often I thought I couldn’t do it. I realized that I have a very strong personality and not even fire destroyed me. I didn’t like my body and scars for long time. I learnt how to accept it, slowly, after my 30. I can’t say that I love my scars. But now I don’t care anymore about them, they are part of me.
In the hospital, I was too busy dealing with the pain. I was unaware of what really happened. The awareness phase started upon my return home, and those were the hardest times, even harder than the physical pain. I could no longer adapt to the previous life, it was no longer me. I saw everything with different eyes, and even the people next to me no longer recognized me.
I have absolutely no idea. If I look back I don’t know how I managed to bear so much effort and pain. I do not really know.
I have elevated myself spiritually, I have developed a new intelligence, based on different values. I learned a lot, but the most important thing is kindness and generosity with each other. We are here in this life for a very short time. There’s no time to be mean, selfish, there’s no time for negative things. I learned forgiveness. People can’t forgive. Until they are at the very last moment of life. Anyone who doesn’t learn to forgive and love unconditionally hasn’t understood much. People think that they will live forever. We generally know the importance of forgiveness only at the end of our lives. Experiences of extreme suffering help the growth of the heart.
Generally those who work in the world of art or music have a large dose of narcissism and self-centeredness (actually necessary) from which I am deeply detached (not all of them but the main part). I’m a classical musician but I don’t like much the world I’m in, so I always leave one foot out. Surely having had this experience has positively influenced the way I live this profession. My family my origins are very humble and very far from the world of performance. I started studying seriously very late (after my accident) unlike my colleagues who started very early. When I was young I suffered, I compared myself to others, I believed I couldn’t achieve great results, I was the unlucky one. Now I laugh thinking about when I felt like this. I made exactly what I wanted. And I did it alone with a thousand difficulties. I have found my personal way to express my art.
I just released a new CD so right now I’m focused on promoting it. But I’m already working on the next one. I have written a book about my story and I hope it will be published soon.
Be brave! We were born with a great fortune (we born in the lucky part of the world): the freedom to choose who we want to be or become. Freedom is something not everyone has, there are countries where there are wars, where human rights are totally trampled on. But who is lucky enough to have been born under a good star, like all the people who can read this interview. To these people I say that no matter how many difficulties there may be, we are born with the ability to overcome everything. And I tell the younger ones to be determined, nothing is impossible. Everything is in our choices. You have to live, experiment, take risks, go beyond your limits, and not be afraid.
Margherita Torretta’s Colours of Venice- Baldassare Galuppi 6 Keyboard Sonatas is available on CD now.
“Margherita Torretta is a unique pianist and musical personality, her playing abounds in fantasy and original musical inventions of fine intelligence; she cast a fresh light on Scarlatti’s Sonatas making them seem as if we hear them for the first time” – Eugen Indjic
“Margherita is a phenomenon. She plays with passion, compassion and humanity, a great artist was born!” – William Grant Naboré
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margheritatorretta/
Website: https://margheritatorretta.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7cuVaejQUx3TojgMtzVTcf
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margherita_Torretta
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDOJVW5bc7PAPT-fei3Sizg
