Zecchi, Carlo

Born July 8, 1903, in Rome. Italian pianist and conductor.

Zecchi studied piano with F. Baiardi in Rome and in 1923 undertook further study with F. Busoni and A. Schnabel in Berlin. He made his debut as a pianist in 1920 and soon won recognition as a virtuoso of exceptional freedom and grace, primarily for his performances of the sonatas of D. Scarlatti and the works of F. Liszt. Zecchi toured various countries and gave his first concert in the USSR in 1928; in the mid-1930’s a finger injury forced him to give up performing as a pianist.

From 1938 to 1941, Zecchi studied conducting under H. Münch and F. Guarnieri in Switzerland. Since 1941 he has performed primarily as a conductor and is known for his interpretations of the works of such Italian composers as A. Corelli, A. Vivaldi, G. Rossini, and G. Verdi and the symphonies of J. Haydn and W. A. Mozart. Since the late 1950’s he has taught advanced piano classes at the St. Cecilia National Academy in Rome and at the summer courses for conductors at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Zecchi has composed works for the piano, choral works, songs, and art songs; he edited the collected works of R. Schumann.