From the CD booklet:
The Vendôme Prize - International Piano Competition
The purpose of the Vendôme Prize is to seek out, reward, support and guide future professional artists who are fully matured, technically perfect, magnetic, original and ambitious, in possession of a large repertoire and ready to endure the rigours of performance on tour. To realise its purpose, the Board of the Vendôme Prize plays an active role in both the selection and the judging process as well as in the later career management of the prize-winners. The Board is comprised of professionals who are especially committed to the long term purpose of helping young musicians to build careers. Its members include staff from the faculties of Europe’s great conservatories and music schools, concert managers and presenters, recording executives, publicists, conductors and a major figure in the aspect of classical performance chosen for each year’s competition.
The Vendôme Prize is made possible by the Alexis Gregory Foundation. Several leading European conservatories participate in the competitions: the Pesaro Conservatory of Music; the École Normale de Musique de Paris/Alfred Cortot; the Roayal Academy of Music, London; the Jerusalem Music Centre; the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik; the St. Petersburg Conservatory; and the Vienna Academy of Music. Each participating conservatory selects candidates to take part in a local competition. The winner of each of these competitions goes on to participate in a two-stage final competition of which the jury is made up of internationally known performing artists, in addition to a committee appointed by the Board.

Giuseppe Albanese was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy in 1979. In 2003 he graduated magna cum laude in Philosophy from the University of Messina with a thesis on the aesthetics of Liszt in the Années de pèlerinage.
Albanese began learning the piano at the age of five, continuing his studies with Professor Cristina Raffa at the Rossini Conservatory, Pesaro and with Franco Scala and Piero Rattalino at the Imola International Piano Academy. He has participated in master classes with musicians such as Michel Beroff, Michel Dalberto, Louis Lortie and Fanny Waterman. His many prizes include First Prize at the Premio Venezia International Piano Competition, and prize for the best performance of contemporary music at the 54 th Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano. In July 2003, he won First Prize at the 2nd International Piano Competition "Vendôme Prize" in London and Lisbon.

 
© 2004
A production of the Jerusalem Music Centre
Recorded at The Jerusalem Music Centre:
Producer: Benny Gal-Ed
Tonmeister: Vadim Beili
Editing: Ilia Beck
Booklet Notes: Shari Greenberg
Production Coordinator: Keren Dahari
Graphic Design: Stephanie & Ruti Design