The biography of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Origins and Training

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was born in Brescia on January 5, 1920, into a family of Umbrian origin that had recently moved to Lombardy. His father, Giuseppe, was a lawyer and passionate musician who also gave lessons in music history, theory, and harmony; his mother, Angela Paparoni, also maintained a keen interest in culture and music. In this environment rich in artistic stimuli, the young Arturo began studying the piano at the age of three.

At four, he entered the Civico Istituto Musicale Venturi in Brescia, where he studied with Paolo Chimeri. He later continued his training at the Milan Conservatory under the guidance of Giovanni Anfossi, a pupil of Giuseppe Martucci, graduating early at just fourteen years old. From his formative years, an extraordinary technical mastery of the instrument emerged, destined to become one of the hallmarks of his career.

Early Competitions and the Start of His Career

In 1938, at only eighteen, Michelangeli began to make a name for himself on the international stage by participating in the Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels. The competition was won by the Soviet pianist Emil Gilels, and Michelangeli placed seventh. Despite the result, his impeccable technique deeply impressed several observers, and the young pianist gained great favor with the audience.

The following year brought true international acclaim with his victory at the Geneva International Competition. On that occasion, the great pianist Alfred Cortot, a member of the jury chaired by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, was so impressed that he exclaimed a "new Liszt" had been born. In the same year, Michelangeli was also granted a piano chair at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna, simultaneously beginning his teaching career.

The War Years and Teaching Activity

In 1943, Michelangeli married Giulia Linda Guidetti. In the following years, he continued to develop his musical activity, alternating between concerts and teaching. In 1945, he moved to the Venice Conservatory, and in 1950, he took up a teaching position at the Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano, where he taught until 1959.

The War Period and Personal Stances

During World War II, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli maintained an extremely reserved public position and remained substantially distant from political engagement. Although the start of his career occurred during the years of the Fascist regime, he always avoided exposing himself openly on an ideological level. A significant episode occurred in 1944 when he was arrested by the SS; his release took place thanks to the intervention of a moderate Fascist official, according to later reports.

In the post-war period, Michelangeli continued to maintain an independent attitude toward Italian political life. On one occasion, he refused the knighthood of the Italian Republic, justifying the choice with a declaration of monarchist faith. The decision caused surprise in the republican Italy of the time and helped fuel the image of an artist distant from conventions and little inclined to conform to dominant opinions.

Self-Exile in Switzerland

In the 1960s, Michelangeli participated in the founding of the BDM record label along with several collaborators. However, the venture ended in failure, and the liquidator attributed part of the responsibility to the pianist for failing to deliver certain recordings required by the contract. The precautionary seizure of his assets, publicly notified during a concert in Rimini, was experienced by the musician as a grave humiliation.

Deeply embittered by the episode, Michelangeli decided to leave Italy and move permanently to Switzerland. Although the legal case was resolved within a few months—while the formal proceedings concluded only many years later with his acquittal—the pianist did not reverse his decision. He thus remained in a sort of self-exile, while maintaining Italian citizenship and residence.

During the summer, however, he stayed in Val di Rabbi, in Trentino, where he owned a holiday home. In that location, he also had a large cabin built for teaching, which was frequented by numerous students, primarily from abroad.

Final Years

After moving to Switzerland, Michelangeli drastically limited his appearances in Italy. He returned to perform in his native country only once, in 1980, for a charity concert in Brescia. Previously, he had given memorable concerts in major Italian theaters, including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

The pianist's last public appearance took place on May 7, 1993, in Hamburg. He had been suffering from heart problems for some time and progressively reduced his concert activity in the following years. He died on June 12, 1995, at the Cantonal Hospital in Lugano. His remains were buried in Switzerland, in the Pura cemetery.