Biography

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 with such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, London's BBC Symphony, and Stuttgart, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestras.

Their work with these orchestras have brought them together with many fine conductors including Boulez, Ozawa, Solti, Dohnanyi, Salonen, and Zinman. Their festival appearances include Berlin, Salzburg, Lucerne, Vienna, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart, Spoleto U.S.A., Australia, and Hong Kong, among others.

This past season, they returned to their hometown for a special television appearance with the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa as well as appearing with the Boston Pops both at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood with Keith Lockhart. Concerts with the Prague Philharmonia, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Berlin Symphony, Leipzig Radio Symphony, and the Swiss Italian Radio Orchestra, as well as recital appearances both here and abroad, have rounded off their season.

Anthony and Joseph Paratore record for Koch International. Their many recordings for Koch include music by Stravinsky, Gershwin, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Schoenberg. On the Four Winds label, they collaborated with their sister, Joanne, who produced the CD Classic Romance. An upcoming release from Four Winds is their rendition of Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Sonata in f minor. 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 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 rediscovered 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 Pizzazz from Wolf Trap, and a special program titled The Paratores: Two Brothers, Four Hands. Critic Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe noted that it was "fun to watch with an MTV dazzle . . . talent is what the Paratore brothers are all about."

Discography