Hailed by international critics as one of the most superb and interesting talents of his generation, Benedetto Lupo gained worldwide recognition in 1989 after winning – as the first Italian – the bronze medal in the Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
His success immediately led to critically acclaimed debuts with several major American and European orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Montreal Symphony, London Philharmonic, Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin, Orquesta Nacional de España, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, and Bergen Philharmonic. He has established special collaborations with leading conductors including Yves Abel, Vladimir Jurowski, Bernard Labadie, Juanjo Mena, Kent Nagano, just to name a few.
In his busy concert schedule Benedetto Lupo is a regular guest in major concert halls all over the world, including Alice Tully Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Bruxelles Palais des Beaux Arts, and the Salle Pleyel in Paris and in prominent festivals such as the Tanglewood Festival, the Istanbul International Festival, the Enescu Festival, and the Tivoli Festival in Copenaghen.
In his native Italy he has played with every major orchestra, including the Academy of Santa Cecilia Symphony in Rome, the RAI National Symphony in Turin and the Maggio Musicale in Florence, as well as in all major concert venues including La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, the San Carlo in Naples, and La Fenice in Venice.
Benedetto Lupo’s recordings include an acclaimed version of Nino Rota’s Concerto Soirée on Harmonia Mundi which received several prizes, including the Diapason d’Or. Rota mentored Lupo, following him closely during his early training at the Piccinni Conservatory in Bari. Along with Peter Maag and the OSI Orchestra, Benedetto Lupo recorded the complete Schumann piano works with orchestra for ARTS label.
Benedetto Lupo is the head of piano master courses at the world-renowned National Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome, where in 2015 he was designated “Active Academician of Santa Cecilia”. He has won numerous other international competitions and awards, including the Terence Judd Award in London, and gives master classes worldwide for prestigious institutions.