Duo Spina & Benignetti
Piano Duo
Biography
“The Spina and Benignetti duo offer performances here that rank among the luminaries such as Badura-Skoda and Demus. Their ensemble, particularly in the omnipresent dotted rhythms, is perfectly fused.”
James Harrington, American Record Guide
As seamless pianists with velvety playing, the Spina & Benignetti duo has garnered worldwide acclaim, winning numerous international awards along the way.
Repeatedly invited to perform in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, their tours have been immensely successful. The South African newspaper Potchefstroom Herald reported: “Their two-piano recital will be long remembered.” On the occasion of their 2019 tour of Oceania, SBS Australia wrote: “Eleonora and Michele enchant Sydney.”
In October 2023, they embarked on a new tour of Central America for a series of concerts and masterclasses in El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
Vainqueurs de la Médaille d’Or au Manhattan International Music Competition à New York 2023 et au concours discographique Global Music Awards (USA), ils sont aussi lauréats de nombreux concours dédiés à la musique de chambre et au duo de pianos, parmi lesquels, le concours Pietro Argento (Italie), London Piano Masters – Royal College of Music (Royaume-Uni), Virtuoso Grand Prize Competition (France), Concours Musical de France (France), International Artists Competition de Vienne (Autriche). Ces reconnaissances internationales les ont amenés à jouer dans les studios de Radio France, Rai Radio3, Radio Classica, SBS Australia, Art Sound FM Canberra.
Eleonora Spina et Michele Benignetti se produisent régulièrement en Europe et dans le Monde entier : Salle Cortot, Auditorium Opéra Bastille, Théâtre de l’Alliance Française, Maison de la Radio à Paris, Palais Acropolis à Nice (France), Hijstekzaal à Maastricht et Linburgzaal Heerlen (Pays-Bas), Grosser Konzertsaal de Munich (Allemagne).
Winners of the Gold Medal at the Manhattan International Music Competition in New York 2023 and the Global Music Awards (USA), they are also laureates of numerous chamber music and piano duo competitions, including the Pietro Argento Competition (Italy), London Piano Masters – Royal College of Music (UK), Virtuoso Grand Prize Competition (France), Concours Musical de France (France), and the International Artists Competition in Vienna (Austria). These international accolades have led them to perform in the studios of Radio France, Rai Radio3, Radio Classica, SBS Australia, and Art Sound FM Canberra.
Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti perform regularly in Europe and around the world: Salle Cortot, Auditorium Opéra Bastille, Théâtre de l’Alliance Française, Maison de la Radio in Paris, Palais Acropolis in Nice (France), Hijstekzaal in Maastricht and Linburgzaal Heerlen (Netherlands), Grosser Konzertsaal in Munich (Germany).
Izumi Hall in Osaka (Japan), Museum of the University of Pretoria and Johannesburg Mozart Festival (South Africa), Guangzhou Opera House, Tianjin Grand Theater, Shandong Grand Theatre and Nankai University Auditorium (China), Auditorium Galindo Blas, Auditorium Conservatorio Nacional, UNAM in Mexico City (Mexico), Turner Center in Kerikeri and Wanganui Royal Opera House (New Zealand), Teatro Nacional in San Salvador (El Salvador)…
The duo earned a Master’s degree in Chamber Music from the Maastricht University of Music (Netherlands), in the classes of professors Igor Roma, Enrico Pace, and Henk Guittart. The duo also studied under Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg at the University of Music in Graz (Austria).
Passionate about teaching, Michele Benignetti teaches at the Cité de la Musique in Soissons. The two musicians are also regularly invited to hold master classes in France and abroad, notably in China at the Beijing International Music Institute and Tianjin School of Music, in Australia at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music in Melbourne and in Mexico, notably at the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica and the UNAM – Facultad de Musica de Mexico City, the Conservatorio Nacional de Guatemala City and the Universidad de Costa Rica.
The Spina & Benignetti duo has recorded four albums (Piano Classics, Sheva Collection), including the complete works of Brahms for two pianos. In 2022, the new album dedicated to Franz Schubert was released by the English label Ulysses Arts (UK). The project, available in Apple Digital Masters quality, features original pieces for piano four hands as well as a transcription of the Quintet Die Forelle D667. All of their albums have been unanimously acclaimed by the international press and have won numerous awards in the United States.
The Spina-Benignetti duo was named an Official Yamaha Artist in December 2017.
Management: France and french territories ( BE, Lux, Suisse).
Press
“The performers maintain the balance perfectly, ensuring the fluidity of movement and the clarity of an architecture bursting with color.”
Pierre Massé, Pianiste Magazine
“Le Labopéra Périgord-Dordogne voit le jour. Sa première production sera « Carmen » de Bizet. Œuvre populaire, elle a l’avantage d’être en français. « L’histoire est en résonance avec l’époque actuelle. C’est celle d’une femme libre. » Les représentations sont prévues les 2 et 3 avril…”
By Chantal Gibert
“The Spina and Benignetti duo offer performances here that rank among the luminaries of Badura-Skoda and Demus. Their ensemble, particularly in the omnipresent dotted rhythms, is in perfect harmony.”
“These two pieces would be reason enough to acquire this disc. An even more compelling recording is the world premiere recording of the “Trout” Quintet, arranged for piano duet. It is both a well-known masterpiece and an arrangement that feels entirely natural in a convincing duet performance. That this recording sounds so good with four hands on a piano is a testament to the pianists.
This is a Schubert piano duet recital to be savored again and again.”
James Harrington – American Record Guide
“But the Fantasia exists, and this performance by Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti is indispensable. It therefore deserves the highest recommendation.
“This is a performance of Schubert’s four-hand Fantasia that truly matters.”
Jerry Dubins – Fanfare
“Both recordings are impressive in performance and deserve to be recommended; both also demonstrate the excellence of the duo’s playing and musicianship, making Spina & Benignetti a Duo not to be missed whenever the opportunity arises.”
Ron Schepper – TexturaDordogne Libre