Background
Tocco, James was born on September 21, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Vincenzo and Rose (Tabbita) Tocco.
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James Tocco
Edit ProfileEducation
His classical music education was completed with Claudio Arrau in New New York
Career
He is the youngest of thirteen children born to Vincenzo and Rose Tocco, both Sicilian immigrants. Born of Sicilian immigrant parents in Detroit, Mr. Tocco’s love of music -especially opera—began in early childhood.
At six years old he began studying piano and at twelve he made his orchestral debut, performing Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto.
Soon afterward, he became more prominent with his first-prize victory in the Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator International Music Competition in Munich, followed being a replacement for Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli as guest soloist for the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto at the Vienna Festival. In the years since then he has concertized internationally, throughout North and South America, Europe, the Soviet Union, Japan, Australia, South Africa, and the Middle East.
His orchestral engagements include: Cleveland and Minnesota orchestras. Berlin Philharmonic London Philharmonic Hong Kong and Munich philharmonics London, Houston, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, New World, National, and Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (Japan) symphonies. with whom he has collaborated include: Marin Alsop David Atherton Esa-Pekka Salonen Jesús Lopez-Cobos Andrew Litton Yoav Talmi Robert Shaw Yoel Levi Zdenek Macal Mr.
Tocco is a recitalist, orchestral soloist, chamber musician, and educator.
He has performed many American and European masterworks, including Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety, which he recorded with Leonard Slatkin and the British Broadcasting Corporation London Symphony Orchestra, and the Corigliano Piano Concerto. The pianist’s performances included his Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra debut, performing the MacDowell Concerto and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, both conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Other performances include Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety with Marin Alsop and the New York Symphony, and Leonard Slatkin and the British Broadcasting Corporation London Symphony.
In addition to his itinerary, Mr.
Tocco is Eminent Scholar/Artist in Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music and professor of piano at the Musikhochschule in Lübeck, Germany. Mr. Tocco is also the artistic director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
The New York Times, February 5, 1986: Recital - James Tocco, Liszt and Bach Tribute. Review by Donal Henahan The New York Times, August 12, 2005: Adventures Outside the Classical Canon: Pathfinding Composers "Here are some favorite contemporary recordings of the classical-music critics of The New York Times.".
Achievements
Connections
1 child, Rhoya.
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Born
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Nationality
United States
Career
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1977 - 1991
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1990 - 2006
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1991
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1991
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1994
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2002
Awards
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Recipient Bronze medal Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow 1970, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition, Brussels 1972, Salzburg Festival, 1st prize Piano Competition of Americas, Rio de Janeiro 1973, Munich International Competition 1973.Recipient Bronze medal Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow 1970, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition, Brussels 1972, Salzburg Festival, 1st prize Piano Competition of Americas, Rio de Janeiro 1973, Munich International Competition 1973.