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Sandrine Erdely-Sayo
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BIOGRAPHY

Sandrine Erdely-Sayo is a French-American pianist. She was born in 1968 in Perpignan (France). She became the youngest recipient of the French minister of Culture Prize at the age of thirteen. Four years later, she won first prize at the Scène Française International Piano Competition, in Paris, was a prize winner at the Ibla International Competition in Italy and semi-finalist at the "Torneo Internazionale di Musica" in Roma, Italy.

She has been performing on both sides of the Atlantic as a soloist, in chamber music and with orchestra. She has played in many festivals as Mozart on the Square, Bach Festival in Philadelphia, Festival International des Arts in St. Cyprien (France), Prades Festival, the Louvre, Jewish Film Festival (Philadelphia), Festival of the "Hispanidad" and for radio and television in France (Radio France, France Musique, United States, Spain, Italy, Argentina. In 1999, Sandrine Erdely-Sayo made her Chicago debut at Preston Bradley Hall for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. As a chamber musician, she has performed the major repertoire by Poulenc, Messiaen, and Bartok.

Sandrine Erdely-Sayo began studying piano at the age of four at the Perpignan Conservatory in France with Michèle Puig. At ten, she was awarded first prize at the Bellan Competition in Paris. Three years later, she won gold medals in piano and chamber music and the following year, the "prix d'excellence à l'unanimité". She continued her musical studies with Denyse Rivière and with Christian Manen at the "Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris" where she received first prize for specialization in solfège. There, she pursued special studies in harmony, counterpoint and fugue.

At the age of 14, she wrote three pieces for chamber orchestra which were played at the Châtelet Theater in Paris. She came to the United States in 1990 for graduate studies with Susan Starr at the University of the Arts, in Philadelphia where she won the Orchestra Competition, the Strine Award and the Lippincott Competition.

Sandrine Erdely-Sayo's performances combine technical virtuosity, creative interpretation and a magical lightness that makes classical music accessible to all. She communicates with the audience musically and verbally to share history, personal experience and humor.

She has recorded the integral work of Primitivo Lazaro in two CDs. She has given the world premiere of pieces by Argentinean composers and the modern world premiere of a discovered piece by Francis Poulenc at Towson University.

Sandrine Erdely-Sayo is an Honorary Member of Darius Milhaud International Piano Competition.

She has been listed in several editions of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Woman.

REVIEWS

"An uninhibited and personal style" "No cookie-cutter pianist" Peter Dobrin Philadelphia Inquirer, USA

"An elegant, fantaisiste, and imaginative tone" "Sandrine Erdely-Sayo belongs to a very young generation of musicians who give us happiness, joy and pride." J.P Midi Libre, France

"A pianist with idealism, passion and lyricism" Marco Ruiz La Prensa, Spain

"The interpretation of Fauré, Chopin and Liszt convinced us of her marvellous talent" Chopin Society

"Sandrine Erdely-Sayo is comfortable with all musical styles" "She possesses a pure and excellent technique" Randolph Faget Musica Hoy, Argentina

"In the transcendental Etude of liszt, of a great technical difficulty, the young pianist has given proof of a perfect mastery and sensibility "like the skin of a flower" L'Indépendant, France

"An important talent" Jewish Exponent, USA

"...plays in a passionate and electrifying manner" Philadelphia Inquirer, USA

"This young pianist made the piano tremble as well as the public who applauds in a standing ovation for this high caliber recital" "The young virtuose is rebellious against her marathons-days" Ph. Salus L'Indépendant, France