Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti are two compelling, talented young musicians that come from a strong and varied backgrounds as soloist and chamber musicians.
Their acclaimed recording of Brahms's complete works for two pianos for Brilliant Classics Records (2015) has been praised by audiences and critics alike: the most widely-read music magazines in Italy and France (Amadeus, Musica, Suonare News, Le Pianiste...) awarded this recording with the highest rating in 2015. The Italian critic Luca Segalla says: "...Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti, with utmost care and attention to sound, precisely execute the contrapuntal game of variation no. 4, carving out a finale which makes one feel as if he's listening to an orchestra..." (Luca Segalla for "Musica" Magazine, September 2015).
The new album "Lifetime" is released on January 2017 for Sheva Collection's label. For this recording the duo received the Gold Medal as Best Album and Best Emerging Artists at the 2017 Global Music Awards in California, one of the biggest prize in discography.
Their recordings have been also presented by Radio France, Rai Radio3, Radio Vaticana, Rete Toscana Classica, Radio Popolare Milano and Radio Suisse.
The duo performs regularly throughout Europe: Salle Cortot, Auditorium Opera Bastille, Auditorium Cité de la Musique Soissons, Royal College of Music in London, Grosser Konzertsaal of the Hochschule fur Musik of Munich, to name a few. Highlights from recent saison include the recital for the live show "Génération Jeunes Interprètes" at the Auditorium of the Maison de la Radio in Paris, broadcast by the famed France Musique National Radio, a recital for "Jeunes Talents" concert series, the debut recital at the Osaka Izumi Hall in Japan, a debut concert tour in South Africa and they also collaborated with Ms Deborah Nemtanu the Solo Violin of the Orchestra de Chambre de Paris.
Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti's partnership as a piano duo began in 2013 and immediately received positive acclaim. On June 2014 they obtained the prestigious "Diplôme Supérieur d'Exécution" at the Ecole Normale de Musique "Alfred Cortot" in Paris, with the mention "à l'unanimité". Their musical education has been marked by studies with renowned Professors including Enrico Pace, Chantal De Buchy, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Franco Scala, Roberto Plano and Walter Bozzia.
Michele and Eleonora are currently studying under the guidance of professors Sivan Silver, Gil Garburg and Igor Roma.
They have been appointed professors at the Conservatory of Music and Dance in Soissons and at the Conservatory of Music and Theatre of Saint Quentin, where they live. They are also invited to give masterclasses at the Summer International Academy of Colombes, in Paris.
