On one piano or two, Anthony and Joseph Paratore are considered one of today's
foremost keyboard duos.
They have appeared on numerous celebrity series throughout the United States and Europe and with a long list of orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony, and the Warsaw, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestras among others.
Their work with these orchestras have brought them together with many fine conductors including Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Georg Solti, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Esa Pekka Salonen, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and David Zinman. Their appearances have brought them aroung the globe with performances in festivals such as Salzburg, Lucerne, Vienna, Berlin, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart, Spoleto USA, Australia, Israel and Asia.
A special television appearance in their hometown with the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa and an appearance with the Boston Pops both at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood with Keith Lockhart remains a highlight for the brothers. Their work with Sir Peter Ustinov has brought them on tour together and resulted in a CD (Koch Classics) of the Saint-Saens "Carnival of the Animals" with original text by Sir Peter.
Anthony and Joseph Paratore record for Koch Classics International. Their many recordings for Koch include music by Strawinsky, Gershwin, Mendelssohn, Schoenberg, a recording of Opera Overtures and the Brahms' "Liebeslieder Waltzes"" with the Berlin Radio Chorus. On the Four Winds Label, they collaborated with their sister, Joanne, who produced the CD "Classic Romance". Other Four Winds recordings include their rendition of Brahms "Variations on a Theme by Haydn" and the "Sonata in f minor" ; a recording entitled "French Romance" , which includes music of Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, Milhaud and a CD of music by Franz Schubert.
Very special for the Paratores has been their work with Dave Brubeck who personally entrusted his original 2 piano music to them. They have premiered his "Points on Jazz"" as well as other pieces on both sides of the Atlantic. A highlight of their summer season was their joint appearance with Dave at the Rheingau Music Festival in Germany. This association has resulted in a premiere CD release on the Koch Jazz label with Dave's music for 2 pianos.
They have appeared frequently on television programs, including NBC's "Today Show" and "The Tonight Show", as well as on National Public Radio's syndicated news program "All Things Considered" and "Performance Today." They have appeared on many European television programs, including broadcasts in England, France, Germany, Austria, and Poland.
Many awards and honors have been bestowed on Anthony and Joseph. They were recently inducted as honorary members of the Dante Alighieri Society as well as recipients of the "George Washington Honor Medal" for outstanding contribution to community work around the country.In 1992, they established a scholarship bearing their name for a deserving music student at their alma mater, Boston University. Over the years, they have had the honor of performing for the Presidents of Germany, Italy, and the United States appearing in a special performance at the White House for President Jimmy Carter.
The diverse repertoire of the Paratores encompasses both the standard literature for piano duet and two pianos, as well as an ever-growing number of works either re-discovered or newly commissioned. American composer William Bolcom, recently wrote "Sonata in One Movement" for the Paratore Duo.
Born in Boston of Italian descent, Anthony and Joseph Paratore come from a large, close-knit musical family. They began their careers as solo pianists; Joseph having appeared with the Boston Symphony at 17 years of age and Anthony having toured South America. In 1974, they became the only American pianists ever to capture the First Prize in the Munich International Music Competition. Following this victory, they decided to combine their individual talents and concentrate their efforts on the repertoire for one and two pianos, and revive the art of duo-piano playing. This event helped launch their brilliant career as one of the world's leading duo-piano teams.
Their education includes Bachelor Degrees from Boston University and Masters Degrees from the Juilliard School of Music where they were scholarship students of Rosina Lhevinne.
The Brothers Paratore have participated in television specials on PBS, including the "20th Anniversary of the Boston Pops with John Williams", "Piano Pizazz" from Wolf Trap, and a special program entitled "The Paratores: Two Brothers, Four Hands". Critic Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe noted that it was "fun to watch with a MTV dazzle....talent is what the Paratore brothers are all about."