Massimiliano Frani is an Italian pianist, composer and music pedagogue.
Education
Frani began his piano education at the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia in Venice, where he graduated with honors. After his studies in literature and theatre at the Ca" Foscari University of Venice, Frani attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He earned a Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degree in music, piano performance and pedagogy.
Among others he studied with Vincenzo Pertile, Paul Pollei and January Eiker.
Career
He lives in Venice. Frani has performed as soloist, with chamber music ensembles and with orchestras in Italy, the United States, Japan, Germany, Canada and Hungary. His performances are described by critics as “spiritually resonant” and “high-class listening experience”. In addition, Frani conducted orchestras in several countries and worked with a high number of internationally renowned musicians.
Among the most notable are Martin Jones, Hiroko Nakamura, Alexander Peskanov and Livia Review
In collaboration with Paul Pollei, Jeffrey Shumway, and Mack Wilberg, Frani performed for many years as part of the American Piano Quartet. Since 1994 he has been a frequent judge in international piano competitions, such as the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competitionn, the National Music Teachers Association Competition in Montreal and the Piano Teachers National Association Competition in Tokyo.
Frani has given seminars and master classes and presented lectures at universities, music academies and conferences throughout the world. Examples include the Park City International Chamber Music Festival (United States of America), the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts, the International Piano Academy Lake Como (Italy), and the ASPEN Group (United States of America).
He worked with internationally known pedagoges like Joseph Banowetz, Edna Golandsky, Lee Kum-Sing and Arie Vardi.
Frani is the initiator and director of the international project MET-Music Therapy™. Combining music pedagogy, cognitive psychology and neuropsychiatry, MET follows an interdisciplinary approach to music for premature infants.