Ali Hirèche

Ali Hirèche was born in 1976 in Paris, where he started his musical training with the Spanish pianist and composer Antonio Ruiz-Pipó. At fifteen he moved to Italy to continue his studies at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi under Ricardo Risaliti. In 1997 he graduated with top marks and cum laude and enrolled at the Imola International Academy Foundation “Incontri con il Maestro” where he had the opportunity to take part in the master classes of Alexander Lonquich, Andrei Jazinsky and Louis Lortie. He later attended the Piano Foundation in Cadenabbia where he specialized with such famous pianists as Andreas Staier, Dimitri Baschkyrov, Charles Rosen, Peter Frankl, Boris Berman.
From a very early age he gave both recitals and orchestral concerts in Italy, Germany and Austria and took part in a number of international competitions, winning First Prize at the Concorso Internazionale Rovere D’Oro (1993) and the Concorso Internazionale di Senigallia (1995), Critics’ Choice Award at the Concorso Europeo di Taranto (1998), Second Prize at the Concorso Internazionale Luciano Gante, and First Prize at the Premio Venezia (1999). He went on to win Firstp Prize at the Mée sur Seine International Meeting for award winners of International competitions which led to engagements in top concert venues: Milan, Venice (PalaFenice, Teatro Malibran), Palermo (Teatro Politeama with the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana), Bologna (Teatro Comunale for the Bologna Festival), Padova, Varese, Rome, Festival of Riva del Garda with the Junge Philharmonie Salzburg orchestra…
After spending several years in Italy Hirèche returned to his native France, appearing frequently at the Salle Cortot and in such festivals as Piano en Valois, Cordes sur Ciel, Deauville, Pays Briard. In 2007 he made his South African debut, with the Durban Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Cleobury.
His performances have been broadcast on prestigious radio channels such as France Musique, Rai and Radio Classica (he created and produced the programme “Il Pianista”).
Recent CDs, all given glowing revues by the international press, include Paganini’s Variations on a Theme and other Variations by Brahms, Chopin’s 24 Etudes, and Ventanas, an anthology of music by Spanish composers (Mompou, Falla and Ruiz Pipó). An all-Schumann CD featuring Kreisleriana and Davidsbündlertänze is to be released shortly.