Biography
Born in Lausanne, Cédric Pescia began his musical studies at the age of seven. He first studied with Christian Favre at the Lausanne Conservatory (Premier Prix de Virtuosité with congratulations from the jury in 1993), then with Dominique Merlet at the Geneva Conservatory (Premier Prix de Virtuosité with distinction in 1997), before completing his studies with Klaus Hellwig at the Universitat der Künste in Berlin.
At the same time, he studied with Pierre-Laurent Aima rd, Daniel Barenboim, Ivan Klansky, Irwin Gage, Christian Zacharias, llan Gronich and the Alban Berg Quartet. He accompanies Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau on several Lied interpretation courses. From 2003 to 2006, invited to the International Piano Academy, Lake Corno, he studied with Dimitri Bashkirov, Leon Fleisher, Andreas Staier, Menahem Pressier, William G. Naboré and Fou T'song among others.
Cédric Pescia was the brilliant First Prize Winner (Gold Medalist) at the 2002 Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition in Salt Lake City (USA).
Cédric Pescia gives numerous concerts and recitals around the world, and is a guest at prestigious international festivals, including Printemps de Prague, Menuhin Festival-Gstaad, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, Schubertiade Hohenems, Lucerne Festival, Miami International Piano Festival and Festival de Radio France et Montpellier. He appears as soloist with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Utah Symphony, Festival Strings Lucerne, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Gôttinger Symphonie Orchester, !Orchestra della Svizzera ltaliana, Camerata Bern, Orquestra Filarmonica de Bogota, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre de chambre de Fribourg and Kammerorchester Basel.
He gives masterclasses in the USA and Europe, notably at the prestigious Accademia Pianistica lnternazionale "lncontri col Maestro" in Imola (Italy). Alongside his solo activities, his love of chamber music leads him to play regularly with renowned partners. A founding member of the Ensemble enScène chamber music concert series in 2006, he was associate musician at the TKM (Théâtre Kléber-Méleau) from 2015 to 2019. He was also a juror for the Clara Haskil Competition in 2005 and 2007. Cédric Pescia is President of the Artistic Commission of the Geneva International Music Competition.
In addition to his activities as a soloist, his love for chamber music regularly leads to performances with other eminent musicians. For many years Cédric Pescia has been working in close collaboration with violinist Nurit Stark. He is founding member and artistic director of the Lausanne chamber music series Ensemble enScène. He is giving master classes in the USA and in Europe, a.o. at the Accademia Pianistica Internazionale "Incontri col Maestro" in Imola, Italy.
For Claves Records, AEON, La Dolce Volta, BIS, Genuin, he has recorded works by J. S. Bach, F. Couperin, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, Busoni, Enescu, Messiaen, Cage, Suslin, Gubaidulina. These CDs have been acclaimed by the press.
In 2012 he was appointed professor for piano at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève.
