Six Hands at One Piano: Romantic and Modern Perspectives

Sergio Gallo, pianist, was born in Brazil and received his Diplôme d’Excellence from the Conservatoire Européen de Musique de Paris, his Postgraduate Certificate from the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, his MM Degree and Artist Diploma from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, and his DMA Degree from UCSB. Specializing in the repertoire of the Romantic period, he has also championed the work of Brazilian composers. He has performed with orchestras throughout the Americas and worldwide, and given recitals in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, and the U.S. Honors accorded him include a grant from the Henry Cowell Incentive Fund at the American Music Center (NY) to record works by the composer, and a Challenge America Fast-Track Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. A Steinway Artist, he has recorded several CD’s for Eroica Records, receiving high praise from American Record Guide, BBC Magazine, and Gramaphone Magazine, with forthcoming projects on the Naxos Grand Piano and Quartz labels. Dr. Gallo is Associate Professor at Georgia State University, Atlanta, and is appointed to the affiliated artist staff of the Rocky Ridge Music Academy in Estes Park, Colorado. Further information can be found on his website: www.drsergiogallo.com.

Björn Månsson, pianist, studied at the University of Music in Gothenburg from 1975 to 1984 under Professor Stella Tjajkovski, earning degrees (MA) in piano, music theory, music teaching, and piano teaching. He concluded his studies with a postgraduate soloist diploma and made his debut as a soloist with an orchestra in Gothenburg and Norrköping in 1982. His first solo piano recital took place in Gothenburg in 1984. Following his diploma, he continued his studies in Paris from 1987 to 1988 as a scholarship recipient under Vlado Perlemuter. During his academic journey, he also participated in master classes with prominent musicians such as Tatiana Nikolayeva, Hans Leygraf, Vlado Perlemuter, Robert Riefling, and Tibor de Machula. He currently teaches at Hvitfeldtska Musikgymnasiet in Gothenburg, though he has previously served as a university lecturer in piano, piano methodology, and music theory at the Music University of Ingesund. As a performer, Björn Månsson has appeared as both a soloist and chamber musician throughout Sweden and internationally, including on Sweden’s National Radio and in countries such as Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Malta, Poland, and Germany.

Zeynep Ucbasaran, pianist, was born in Turkey, began music studies at age four at the Istanbul Conservatory, and has her Concert Artist Diploma from the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest. After advanced studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Freiburg, Germany, she obtained her MA and DMA Degrees in Piano Performance from USC. Her honors include the American Liszt Society Award, and she was a prize-winner in the 1996 and 2000 Los Angeles Liszt Competitions. She has concertized in many countries, and has recorded for Eroica Records and Naxos International to critical acclaim; her discography includes the music of Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, Scarlatti and Schubert, as well as twentieth-century composers such as Bernstein, Muczynski, and Saygun, and she has recently completed her project of recording the complete set of Mozart’s Variations for Piano. Her performance of works that Liszt played in Istanbul in 1847 was broadcast by the European Broadcasting Union to all of Europe in 2011; a compilation of these selections was released in 2013 under the title, Liszt in Istanbul. Dr. Ucbasaran has given master classes and lecture-recitals throughout the U.S. and in Brazil, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, has toured with pianist Sergio Gallo, violinist Cihat Askin, and performed with the Trio Troy and the Smyrna Woodwind Quintet. Further information can be found on her website: www.zupiano.com.