CONDUCTOR and PIANIST - Igor Longato was born to a family of musicians and enthusiastically studied piano, organ, composition, choir and orchestra conducting.

He earns his piano diploma with the highest marks at the “Giuseppe Verdi” Conservatory in Milan and then completes a Master in Conducting at the Musikhochschule Luzern. Igor enriches his formation in piano performance with such masters as Piero Rattalino, Fausto Zadra, Boris Bloch and Hubert Harry. As a conductor, he perfects his skills with Ralf Weikert, Alois Koch and Manfred Huss.

In 1992 he won the prestigious “Gioventu’ Musicale Italiana” Award. Following this acknowledgement, he has actively performed in a large variety of chamber music concerts. In 1996 he records his first solo CD (Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, Scriabin Preludes). He also collaborates with international radio companies. Besides his chamber music activity, he performs in recitals and solo concertos with orchestras; more recently also as soloist-conductor.

He is regularly invited to perform in Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine and in the United States. His debut in the United States in 1998 was a great success. Both the critics and the audience were very enthusiastic about his performance of Mozart’s Concert in C Major KV467.

Igor, as pianist or conductor, has cooperated with many orchestras, among which “Accademia I filarmonici di Verona”, Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Insubria, Wind Art Orchestra, “I solisti della Svizzera Italiana”, Symphony Orchestra ‘Mihail Jora’ from Bacau (Romania), State Philharmonic Orchestra of Belarus, Bourgàs Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria), Sophia Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bulgaria), Ruse Opera Orchestra (Bulgaria), Luzern Symphony Orchestra, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra (USA), Kiev Soloists (Ukraine), Arts Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), I Virtuosi Italiani, Collegium Musicum Luzern, Archi dei Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Perpetuum Mobile (an orchestra he created inviting young talented musicians across Europe), Alpen Kammerorchestra.

As soloist he performed concertos of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and Piazzolla, under conducting of such masters as Marc Andreae, Ovidiu Balan, Victor Dubrovsky and Lief Bjaland. Igor Longato if often appearing as Soloist – Conductor.

To note the most significant of his recent performances, Igor was invited together with “I Solisti della Scala” to represent Italy at the TATA THEATRE in Bombay, India; to perform at the concert of the centenary of Rotary Club International at Teatro Filarmonico of Verona with orchestra “I Filarmonici” and gave concert for H.E. the President of the Austrian Republic and H.E. President of the Swiss Confederation during their cultural tour in Switzerland. Igor Longato regularly gives piano master classes and is faculty member of the Musikhochschule in Luzern. Igor collaborated as a pianist with the Italian TV RAI, Istanbul Festival of Music, Art and Dance, Eurovision Competition and Luzern Festival.. Recently he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary Club recognising his efforts in support of young musicians.