Bruno Mereu – Pianist and Composer
Bruno Mereu began his musical studies at the “N. Paganini” Conservatory in Genoa, where he graduated with honors in piano. He was later admitted to the advanced performance class of the renowned pianist and pedagogue Siavush Gadjiev at SCGV Emil Komel, where he deepened his repertoire within the grand concert tradition.
His pursuit of pianistic refinement led him to study with internationally acclaimed concert artists, participating in masterclasses with Lazar Berman, Boris Bloch, Boris Petrushansky, Mikhail Voskresensky, Sergio Perticaroli, Andrea Lucchesini, Federico Gamba, and Fabio Bidini. A pivotal moment in his artistic journey was his admission to the prestigious Imola International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro,” where he studied under Enrico Pace, whom he later reencountered at the Pinerolo Music Academy. Pace remarked: “I have followed Bruno Mereu’s musical path for many years. I consider him an original musician, deeply dedicated to his art. He is constantly searching for new ways to interpret compositions, convincingly expressing diverse musical styles.”
In 2015, Mereu was selected as a finalist in the prestigious International Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn. The following year, he was invited to perform at the renowned Ravello Festival, and in 2017, the Accademia Filarmonica Romana invited him to take part in a complete performance of Beethoven’s piano sonatas.
His concert activity has taken him to major international festivals, including the anniversaries of Mozart (2006) and Liszt (2011), with performances broadcast by national radio stations abroad. He has also contributed to the complete performance of J. S. Bach’s works for keyboard instruments.
Mereu’s engagement with the soloist and orchestra repertoire has led him to collaborate with distinguished conductors such as Francesco Callai, Lorenzo Tazzieri, and Maffeo Ferruglio. Notably, he performed with the Sydney Chamber Orchestra during the only Italian date of their European tour, under the baton of Maestro Imre Pallò.
In 2013, he participated in the Italian premiere of a work by Steve Reich with the Eutopia Ensemble, an event broadcast by the Italian radio station Radio 3.
Mereu made his debut as a composer in 2021 with In Preludio, a collection for solo piano that received high praise from music critics. His romantic pianistic background manifests in all its expressive power, shaping a coherent journey through diverse musical narratives.
Another significant publication followed in 2024: Bozze per un incontro. In this work, Mereu explores various musical styles and forms, demonstrating a deep mastery of past composers’ teachings. It is a tribute that transforms the acquired tradition through his contemporary sensibility.
His latest work, Landrise, is a composition for piano and string orchestra. With a symphonic breadth, he engages with classical-romantic formalism, developing a cyclical design of musical material that creates a dialogue with modern minimalist sonorities.
In 2025, his compositions were broadcast by Radio 3, further solidifying his role in today’s musical landscape. That same year, both the scores and recordings of his works are set to be released by the publisher Da Vinci.
Bruno Mereu’s compositions unfold within a contemporary syntax while embracing the legacy of the great Romantic virtuosic tradition. His work ranges from polyphonic writing to post-Romantic expressive solutions. His artistic vision is clear: to construct a musical language that remains spontaneous in its harmonic and melodic development, following a lyrical narrative approach while acknowledging – without being overwhelmed by – the tensions inherent in the crisis of classical language. His music embraces storytelling and emotional depth, exploring the expressive potential that the abstract language of sound uniquely allows in his ongoing artistic quest.