An Edmonton pianist is getting the chance to join the likes of Tchaikovsky, Judy Garland and The Beatles by performing at Carnegie Hall.
Emilio De Mercato is a concert pianist from Italy, now living in Edmonton, who has been playing for most of his life.
“My mother is a pianist and so from birth, I was exposed to music, and the piano in particular,” De Mercato said. “By the age of five, I started taking piano lessons and learning music and very soon I realized that this could be – will be – the path of my life, it really was like a calling for me.”
De Mercato studied in Milan, where he earned a masters degree in piano and composition.
He said that performing at Carnegie Hall is “a dream come true,” for him and many other musicians.
“I sent a proposal and after some time, they agreed to give me a date,” De Mercato said. “It was surreal and sort of a shock.
“To think about Carnegie Hall is like thinking of a place where some of the greatest legends have performed, the greatest pianist. It’s really exciting, overwhelming, and it’s a lot to process.”
A number of famous performers have graced the stages at Carnegie Hall since it opened in 1891, including The Beatles, Benny Goodman and Tchaikovsky.
De Mercato will be performing works from three composers of the Romantic Period, an intellectual, artistic, and literary movement in the early 19th century.
One of the pieces, Après une lecture du Dante by Franz Liszt, is inspired by the works of the famed Italian poet Dante Alighieri, the writer of the Divine Comedy. May 2025, when De Mercato is set to perform, is the 760th anniversary of the poet’s birth.
“These are some of my favorite pieces from my repertoire that I feel most comfortable with,” De Mercato said. “I hope, with this program, to feature my skills as a pianist, as a performer and really connect with the audience.
“The Romantic Era is the era in which human feelings have been explored the most in music.”
Another piece in the program, Pictures at an Exhibition, is one De Mercato feels is relevant to the current state of the world.
The piece was written by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky and inspired by the artwork of Russian painter Viktor Hartmann, including one titled The Great Gate of Kiev.
“I see this as a symbol for unity, fraternity, peace,” De Mercato said. “It’s such a grand piece that really puts a light over humanity … it’s also a wish for peace during the time we are living in.”
When De Mercato came to Edmonton in 2012, he saw the city as a place of potential, a place to spread his love of classical music to others.
“There are communities all around the province that don’t have the opportunity to attend certain events, musical events, in particular classical music, chamber music, orchestra, piano recitals,” he said.
In 2015, he founded the Alberta Symphony Orchestra Society, the first touring orchestra in Alberta and Canada.
“The piano, for me, is a gate towards a universe of feelings of beauty,” De Mercato said. “It’s a sort of machine that can take you anywhere
“I like to think of myself as a performer, as a witness, as somebody who gives life to music that is on a paper sheet and you want to keep it alive … and bring it to people,” De Mercato said.
De Mercato will take the stage in New York on May 9.
He will be performing around Alberta and other cities in Canada before the Carnegie Hall performance.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg
