Flavio Varani began his distinguished musical career at the age of 7 as a featured soloist on Brazilian Radio and TV. Two years later he toured with the Brazilian National Symphony Orchestra. At thirteen, he received a scholarship from the French Government to study with the legendary Magda Tagliaferro.
Mr. Varani, living in Paris for seven years, was heard in concerts in Europe and Russia. When he was 18 years old he won First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Majorca, Spain. Then, moving to the United States he studied with Rosina Lhevinne at the Juilliard School of Music, and with Artur Balsam, at Manhattan School of Music, receiving the prestigious Harold Bauer Award.
Flavio Varani has performed in major music centers and festivals throughout the world including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Moscow Conservatory, Munich Gasteig, the Newport Music Festival, Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Meadow Brook Festival and the Cotignac Festival in France. Among his numerous orchestral engagements have been appearances with conductors Gunther Herbig, Sir Neville Marriner, Semyon Bychkov, Lukas Foss, Eleazar de Carvalho, and Eduardo Rahn.
While “Head of the Piano Department” and “Artist in Residence” at Oakland University, Michigan, he won “Musician of the Year Award” from the Michigan Foundation for the Arts, “Best Soloist of the Year” from the Brazilian Art Critic’s Association, and from the Detroit Music Foundation, “Outstanding Classical instrumentalist of 2001”. In 2003, Flavio Varani was awarded a gold medal in honor of his years performing as a STEINWAY ARTIST.
His CD of Heitor Villa-Lobos piano music was designated “Outstanding Classical Recording of 1999” by the Detroit Music Foundation, USA. In 2005, he collaborated with Eduard Perrone and musicians of the DSO, recording the “Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra” and 40 solo piano pieces representing the entire piano works of Paul Paray. Recently, in the Glenn Gould Studios/Toronto, he recorded all the Etudes by Debussy and Miroirs by Ravel, (released in 2012). Other CD releases include works by Poulenc, Beethoven and Chopin.
In 2012, Flavio Varani received the “Order of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” and was Knighted at the Institut de France, which was followed with a recital in Paris and touring in Normandie and Provence.
In 2015, Varani toured for two months in Japan, performing solo recitals, chamber music and as soloist with orchestra. His masterclasses are always in demand.
