Piano Player

What’s the life of a concert pianist really like? With wit, gentle humor, and abundant optimism Paul Bisaccia writes about his life making music and the friends he’s made along the way. From growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, to his home on Cape Cod, to travels all over the world, Paul writes about creating art, filming his television shows for PBS, making hundreds of recordings, and his deep love for Gershwin, Chopin and Liszt. The book recounts the start of his unlikely career path, beginning with the disastrous collapse of the Hartford Civic Center roof. Paul also chronicles his search, as a young man, for that all important holy grail – a great piano teacher, whom he found in the guise of a Brazilian genius from Rio – Luiz de Moura Castro. Part memoir and part master class, Piano Player will empower and entertain aspiring musicians, music lovers, or anyone who wants to be more open to the creative process. Based on Bisaccia’s entertaining stories, first published in the Hartford Courant’s Northeast Magazine.

What’s the life of a concert pianist really like? With wit, gentle humor, and abundant optimism Paul Bisaccia writes about his life making music and the friends he’s made along the way. From growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, to his home on Cape Cod, to travels all over the world, Paul writes about creating art, filming his television shows for PBS, making hundreds of recordings, and his deep love for Gershwin, Chopin and Liszt. The book recounts the start of his unlikely career path, beginning with the disastrous collapse of the Hartford Civic Center roof. Paul also chronicles his search, as a young man, for that all important holy grail – a great piano teacher, whom he found in the guise of a Brazilian genius from Rio – Luiz de Moura Castro. Part memoir and part master class, Piano Player will empower and entertain aspiring musicians, music lovers, or anyone who wants to be more open to the creative process. Based on Bisaccia’s entertaining stories, first published in the Hartford Courant’s Northeast Magazine. Paul Bisaccia made his European debut at age 17 and has performed concerts on four continents. He graduated summa cum laude and first in his class from the Hartt School. His vast repertoire includes the great piano classics and he was the first artist to record the complete solo piano music of Gershwin. His PBS television show "Gershwin by Bisaccia" has been seen by millions and was dubbed into Mandarin Chinese for broadcast in Asia. Michael Feinstein calls "Paul Bisaccia and the Great American Piano", his second television show for PBS, "imaginative, fun, well played and totally satisfying." His third television show, Chopin by Bisaccia has been included in his newest DVD release Bisaccia on Television. The Hartt School honored Paul with the Alumnus of the Year Award and the Governor of Connecticut proclaimed Paul Bisaccia Day in the State of Connecticut. PBS celebrated the day with a rebroadcast of his television shows. Bisaccia was also honored to perform Rhapsody in Blue in inauguration ceremonies for the new theater on the site of Aeolian Hall in New York, where Gershwin himself first performed his legendary masterpiece. A prolific and versatile recording artist, Paul has recorded over 300 individual compositions covering a wide range of composers, including huge segments of the music of Chopin and Liszt.

Paul Bisaccia has performed concerts on four continents. His vast repertoire includes the great piano classics as well as the complete solo piano music of George Gershwin. He was the first artist to record the complete solo piano music of Gershwin and his PBS television special “Gershwin by Bisaccia” has been broadcast throughout the U.S. and seen by millions. The program was also dubbed into Mandarin Chinese for broadcast in Asia. The American Record Guide says, “For Gershwin interpretations Bisaccia wins hands down.” Michael Feinstein calls “Paul Bisaccia and the Great American Piano” his second television show for PBS “imaginative, fun, well played and totally satisfying.” His third television program, “Chopin by Bisaccia” is now available on his most recent DVD release, “Bisaccia on Television.” Bisaccia is a protégé of renowned Brazilian pianist Luiz de Moura Castro and is a summa cum laude graduate of the Hartt School of Music where he ranked highest in his graduating class. He made his European debut at age 17 and has returned to perform in Romania, in Germany, to participate in the International Symposium on Musical Interpretation in Spain, and to perform in Switzerland and Rome. He has also made several performance tours in South America and Asia. In the United States Bisaccia has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and in showcase performances for the American Liszt Society. At the invitation of the Virgil Fox Society, Bisaccia performed the Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto with Peter Richard Conte playing his transcription of the orchestra part on the famed Wannamaker Organ in Philadelphia. This gala event was only the second private concert in this space in 75 years. Bisaccia’s music is also featured in the acclaimed Ric Burns television documentary “New York”. He has become the most frequently requested pianist by listeners of beethoven.com He was selected as the “Alumnus of the Year” by the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and to honor the occasion the governor proclaimed “Paul Bisaccia Day” in the State of CT. PBS celebrated the day with a rebroadcast of his television shows. Bisaccia was honored to perform Rhapsody in Blue in inauguration ceremonies for the new theater on the site of Aeolian Hall in New York, where Gershwin himself first performed his legendary masterpiece. His CD, “The Great American Piano Revisited” contains world premieres of unpublished, never before heard Gershwin treasures A prolific recording artist, Paul has a discography of 18 CDs, covering the music of 72 composers and over 300 individual compositions, all available on Amazon.com. and CDBaby.com With New York City vocalist David Giardina he also tours in a special program of music of the 20′s and 30′s called Tin Pan Alley – Alive As a teacher: A respected and successful piano teacher, Paul Bisaccia has always divided his career between performance and teaching. At the Hartt School he pursued a 5 year program with a double emphasis on piano performance and music education. His love of both teaching and performing is apparent in his PBS television shows where Paul plays and talks about the music he loves. Bisaccia has given master classes at Colby College in Maine and has lectured at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut. He is currently a piano instructor at Trinity College and also teaches privately on his vintage 1926 Steinway at his studio in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford. He has been on the jury of several music competitions including, UConn, the University of Hartford, and the international Simone Belsky Piano Competition. For more information about Paul as a teacher please go to his teaching web site.