Named as a 2015 ECHO Klassik Newcomer of the Year and the winner of the 2011 Deutschlandfunk Förderpreis, German-Italian pianist Sophie Pacini began her studies at the age of ten as a pupil of Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the Salzburg Mozarteum, where she was accepted two years later by the newly founded Institute for Highly Gifted Students. From 2007 she continued her studies in masterclasses given by Pavel Gililov, completing her diploma in 2011 with honours. She received further training in master-classes held by Dmitri Bashkirov and Fou Ts’ong. In 2010 she became acquainted with Martha Argerich, who invited her one year later to give a recital as part of the Martha Argerich Project in Lugano and who has since become an important figure on the young pianist’s career path.

As soloist, Sophie Pacini has appeared with orchestras such as the Camerata Salzburg, Dresdner Philharmonie, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Wiener Kammerorchester, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg as well as the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in both the Suntory and Orchard Halls. A regular performer at international festivals such as the Lucerne Piano Festival, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele, Mozartfest Würzburg, Piano aux Jacobins, Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus with Gidon Kremer and the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

During the 2015/16 season Sophie Pacini will give recitals at the Wiener Konzerthaus, and as part of the Berliner Klavierfestival in Konzerthaus Berlin. She will appear with the Münchner Symphoniker in Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No.5 in Munich’s Prinzregententheater, and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 in Ludwigshafen with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra.