Simone Pierini
Named by Classic FM as one of the top thirty musicians under 30 for the year 2024, Simone El Oufir Pierini performs proficiently on both the harpsichord and the fortepiano. His discography, under the labels Brilliant Classics and Da Vinci Classics, includes works by composers such as H. de Montgeroult, F. Mendelssohn, J. B. Cramer, and L. Cherubini on the fortepiano, as well as the complete works for harpsichord and organ by A. Tinazzoli and Le Bret. His recordings have been broadcast on radio stations including Rai Radio 3, Radio Classica, Ö1 (Austrian National Radio), Radio Vaticana, SRF 2 Kultur (Switzerland), and IMER (Mexico).
Simone Pierini regularly performs in public as a solo harpsichordist and continuo player for institutions, orchestras, and ensembles such as the Karl Jenkins Musical Association, Roma Festival Barocco, Roma Sinfonietta, Muzio Clementi Musical Association, Contrasto Armonico, Musica Antiqua Latina, the Baroque Orchestra of the Italian Conservatories, Progetto Syntagma, Opera Prima Ensemble, and Reate Festival. At the latter, he presented the complete performance of J. S. Bach's Musical Offering BWV 1079, conducting and directing an ensemble of students from the Conservatory of L'Aquila.
Born in Rome in 1996, Simone El Oufir Pierini began studying piano at the age of eight. At eighteen, he graduated in Piano from the "Santa Cecilia" Conservatory of Music in Rome with top marks, honors, and special mention. He then pursued historically informed piano performance practice, participating in courses and masterclasses by A. Lubimov, A. Staier, G. Bonino, T. Koch, and S. Fiuzzi, performing publicly as a solo fortepianist and in chamber music ensembles. He obtained his master's degree in Musicology in 2022 with highest honors from the University of Rome "La Sapienza," with a thesis on the transition between the harpsichord and the fortepiano in contemporary literature. He furthered his harpsichord studies with A. Coen, G. Togni, and E. Baiano, attending masterclasses by A. Buccarella and D. Pozzi.
Active also in contemporary music, he has performed compositions written specifically for the fortepiano by Riccardo Perugini (1996*). He is a member of the ensemble Cappella Musicale Enrico Stuart, with which he performs as a continuo player on the harpsichord and organ. In 2021, he was a finalist and special mention winner in the Ancient Music category of the XV National Arts Award, organized by MIUR. He has performed publicly not only in Italy but also in the UK, Germany, China, Canada, and Poland.