Bio

Ramin Bahrami decomposes and recomposes Bach’s music taking inspiration from his model Glenn Gould, but without imitating him. I taught him to bear the yoke, but I did not tame him; and I hope he will always remain as he is.


Piero Rattalino

Ramin Bahrami is considered one of the most interesting interpreters of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music on the piano. After his Bach concerts in Leipzig in 2009 with the Gewandhausorchester conducted by Riccardo Chailly, the German critics hailed him as “a wizard of sound, a poet of the keyboard… an extraordinary artist who has the courage to face Bach in a truly personal way

Leipziger volkszeitung

The interpretative research of the Iranian pianist is directed at Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental output for this instrument, which Bahrami takes on with the cosmopolitan sensibility and respect with which his culture and training are imbued. The German, Russian, Turkish and, naturally, Persian influences which characterised his childhood allow him to approach Bach's music through an exaltation of the sense of universality which characterises it. 

Bahrami has performed in important piano festivals, including “La Roque d’Anthéron”, the Uzés Festival, the “Piano aux Jacobins” Festival in Toulose, the Tallin Baroque Music Festival in Estonia and the Beijing Piano Festival in China, the Festival di Brescia e Bergamo, and the Ravello Festival, as well as at prestigious Italian venues such as Teatro alla Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, etc.

Born in Tehran, he earned his diploma from Piero Rattalino at the Verdi Conservatory in Milan, before continuing his studies at the Accademia Pianistica in Imola and with Wolfgang Bloser at the Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart. He perfected his craft with Alexis Weissenberg, Charles Rosen, András Schiff, Robert Levin and Rosalyn Tureck.

Ramin Bahrami has an exclusive recording contract with Decca-Universal. His records are best sellers, always hits with the public and critics alike, leading the Corriere della Sera newspaper in Italy to publish a collection of CDs dedicated to him over 13 consecutive weeks. He has made the Italian top 100 albums chart five times.

His recordings are regularly played on some of the biggest international radio stations. 

Ramin Bahrami has written two books for Mondadori and a third published by Bompiani entitled “Nonno Bach”. He recently had the privilege of inaugurating the Santa Cecilia chamber music season in Rome and the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw in collaboration with flautist Massimo Mercelli, with whom he recorded piano and flute sonatas for Decca.

Fresh from a triumphant concert in the Great Hall of the Liszt Academy in Budapest and at the Tonhalle in Zurich, he had the chance to perform with Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists, as well as playing in a gala benefit with Sabine Meyer.

He recorded J.S. Bach’s The Musical Offering with the first chairs at Santa Cecilia. He has been awarded the “Mozart Box” Award for his passionate and captivating work in promoting classical music, as well as the “Città di Piacenza-Giuseppe Verdi” award dedicated to the greatest personalities of musical scene, following in the footsteps of luminaries such as Riccardo Muti, Josè Cura, Leo Nucci and Pier Luigi Pizzi.

He has also received honorary citizenship from the cities of Catania and Palermo, and the seal of the University of Sassari. Among his upcoming commitments are a tour of the Far East (taking in Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing and Shangai, among other cities) with the program “Bach is in the air” alongside Danilo Rea.

Ramin Bahrami ha scritto due libri per Mondadori, un terzo edito da Bompiani dal titolo “Nonno Bach”, e altri tre con La Nave di Teseo.

“The performances are both life – enchancing fun, and breathtakingly and movingly beautiful” (Musicweb international)

“Bahrami shows fine technique and crisp articulation in the fast passage work” (BBC Music Magazine)

“Bahrami´s playing is everywhere strong and fluent” (New York Times)

 “The performances have a rhythmic litheness that makes you want to get up and dance”. (Los Angeles Times)