"Axel Trolese is one of those pianists of the new generation who gives us hope, not only for the unbelievable technical mastery, but especially for a complete and passionate approach to Music and Art"
From Paris to Venice, from the concert stage to the classroom — Italian pianist Axel Trolese lives music as both art and craft.
Winner of the Premio Venezia, trained at the Paris Conservatoire and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, he speaks about sound, identity, teaching through playing, and his deep love for French and Spanish repertoire — including a striking flamenco collaboration that brings piano and dance together.
A conversation about listening, color, curiosity, and what it truly means to shape a musical voice today
Interview with Axel Trolese, Pianist
In this conversation, Axel Trolese reveals the many facets of his musical life today: performer, recording artist, researcher, and teacher—roles that constantly inform and enrich one another. Shaped by a lineage of outstanding mentors, he speaks of transmission not merely as technique, but as a way of thinking, listening, and taking artistic responsibility—values he now places at the heart of his own teaching.
A deep affinity for French and Spanish repertoire runs like a red thread through his work, nourished by a fascination with color, rhythm, and gesture. This passion naturally led to his encounter with flamenco, where collaboration with dance opened new perspectives on timing, physicality, and communication. Audiences, he notes, respond with curiosity and enthusiasm, sensing the authenticity of a project rooted in dialogue rather than crossover.
Looking ahead, Trolese reflects on repertoire as a living space—one that connects tradition with experimentation—and shares insights into upcoming concerts and long-term projects that continue to blur the boundaries between performance, research, and collaboration.
Topics:
00'52 What are the different roles your current music career spans?
02'04 You were trained by various piano teachers. Besides technique and interpretation improvement, how did it shape you as an artist?
05'01 What did you take from this into your current role as a teacher?
Subtitles available in English
Topics:
00'05 We saw your passion for Spanish composers and Flamenco. Why this passion?
- How did the two of you meet (with the dancer)
- How does the audience receive your project?
Subtitles available in English
Topics:
00'03 Tell us more about your passion for Spanish and French Composers
02'26 What are your next concerts?
Calendar Axel Trolese Concerts
Subtitles available in English
Axel Trolese
Axel Trolese burst onto the international scene in 2015 after winning the Casella Prize at the Premio Venezia Competition—a breakthrough that launched a rapidly unfolding concert career. Just one year later, he made a striking discographic debut with the complete Études by Claude Debussy, already revealing a pianist of rare clarity, imagination, and technical command.
His artistry has since been recognized with major distinctions, including the Grand Prix Alain Marinaro, first prize at the Pozzoli International Piano Competition, and the prestigious Giuseppe Sinopoli Prize, awarded by the Italian President of the Republic.
Formed by an exceptional European training, Trolese studied with Maurizio Baglini at the Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory of Cremona, continued at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with Denis Pascal, and refined his artistry at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Benedetto Lupo. He later became an artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, where he studied with Louis Lortie. Deeply curious about historical performance, he also pursues fortepiano studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Edoardo Torbianelli.
A passionate advocate of Iberian repertoire, Trolese recorded the complete Iberia by Isaac Albéniz in two critically acclaimed albums for Da Vinci Classics (2021, 2023), alongside works by De Falla, Turina, Mompou, and Ravel—projects praised for their color, rhythmic vitality, and architectural vision.
He performs regularly across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, appearing in major festivals and concert halls, while maintaining a strong commitment to education. Axel Trolese is currently Professor of Piano at the Agostino Steffani Conservatory, where he teaches Bachelor’s and Master’s students.
More on his website
Coming Next: Interview on iClassicals
Ildiko Szabo, Cellist
