Renowned for his refined and expressive playing, Vittorio Forte has forged his artistic career with curiosity and originality.
Born in Italy, it was at the age of seventeen that Vittorio Forte decided to devote himself entirely to music, under the guidance of the Argentine pianist José LEPORE.
In 1998, he left Italy to settle permanently in France, where he continued his studies with Christian FAVRE at the HEM in Lausanne.
Later, he joined the ‘International Piano Academy Lake Como’, where he received guidance from great masters including Andreas STAIER, Menahem PRESSLER, Fou TS’ONG and William NABORE.
A prize-winner at various competitions in Italy, Spain and Switzerland, he made a name for himself at the 2007 Vlado Perlemuter Grand Prix and released his first album on the LYRINX label, featuring the piano works of Muzio CLEMENTI.
He has performed in several European countries as well as in the United States and Japan, notably at the La Roque d’Antheron Piano Festival, the Radio France Festival, La Folle Journée in Nantes, Chopin in Nohant, Lisztomanias, the Lille Piano Festival, Piano en Valois, and in venues such as the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi, the Maastricht Theatre, the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Umea Opera House, the Juan March Foundation in Madrid and the Akita Theatre in Japan.
From C.P.E. Bach or F. COUPERIN to the formidable transcriptions by F. LISZT and E. WILD, the masterpieces of R. SCHUMANN, via the works of the Russian composer Nikolai MEDTNER, and more recently the music of Latin American composers, every foray into a new repertoire is an experience lived with depth and sincerity.
Nominated for the ICMA (International Classical Music Awards) in 2014, 2020 and 2026, his recording career demonstrates the diversity and originality of the programmes he presents.
In 2019, Vittorio Forte signed with the Italian-American label Odradek, a collaboration marked by a debut album dedicated to C.P.E. Bach (Joker de Crescendo, 5 stars from Classica, 5 Diapasons, selection by Gramophone Magazine).
His album released in 2021, a tribute to the great American pianist Earl Wild through his transcriptions, was also acclaimed by the international press (Musiq3 RTBF’s Choice, France Inter’s Record of the Day, Opus d’Or, Critics’ Choice in International Piano Magazine…) and noted for its inventiveness, its richly colourful poetry and its elegant virtuosity. His album dedicated to the Russian composer Nikolai Medtner, again for the Odradek label, was selected by *Le Monde* and awarded the ‘Joker’ by *Crescendo Magazine*, ‘Opus d’Or’, and 5 ***** by *Classica* magazine.
In 2025, the release of the album ‘Volver’, dedicated to Latin American composers, marked the beginning of his collaboration with the Mirare label.
This recording underscores Vittorio Forte’s eclectic career and his commitment to exploring lesser-known repertoires.
He has served as artistic director for several concert seasons, notably near Geneva, where he founded the Centre Musical Intermezzo, an organisation dedicated to promoting young artists through concert seasons, competitions and lectures; and in 2016 he established C.A.P.A. (Centre for Piano and Artistic Activities) in Montpellier, where he leads a series of masterclasses and curates the programme for the Piano Intime season.