Biography
Xavier Ricarte began playing the piano at the age of 6 with his aunt and continued with the teacher Carlos Juliá. Years later he made his first concert tour in Catalonia thanks to a competition organized by Young Musicians (Juventudes Musicales); later, Intercentros Melómano and the DKV Foundation opened the doors to Spain for him.
As a result of his qualifications, the Ferrer-Salat Foundation awarded him the prestigious scholarships “Young Promises Scholarship” and twice consecutively the “Excellence Scholarship”. This allowed her to study her entire career at the Conservatori del Liceu Barcelona under the tutelage of Prof. Stanislav Pochekin and pianist and Prof. Alba Ventura.
During these years of education, he received the 1st Prize in the BBVA Individual Talent Competition, the Special Intercentros Melómano Prize, the 1st Pianissimo Prize and the 1st Prize in the Isaac Albéniz Competition. Later, he also began to participate in international competitions in Spain as the International Competition Maria Canals, with whom he was invited to a concert tour in the cycle OFF Maria Canals.
After obtaining these awards and recognition, he was given the opportunity to play as a soloist with orchestras such as the Jeune Orchestre de Paris in a concert tour in France, thanks to BBVA, Antiguas Cajas Catalanas and JM France, thus receiving international renown.
The reviews describe the pianist as a young pianist with sensitivity, energy, musical intensity, remarking the surprise and euphoria of the public at the concerts.
As part of her instruction as a performer, he has participated in masterclasses with teachers such as Katia Michel, Akiko Ebi, Jean Bernard Pommier, Galina Eguizarova, Dmitri Alexeev, Mikhail Voskresensky, Andras Schiff, among others. He regularly receives advice from Vladimir Viardo, Professor at North Texas University.
He has participated in the Francesc Viñas International Festival, in the Tres Cantos Festival in Madrid, in the Pianissimo Festival, in the Cicle AIE, in the Isaac Albéniz Festival, in the Camerata des Pyreness Festival, in the Mendelssohn Festival, and in the Chopin Festivals of Opole and Hamburg.
It has also paid tribute to the figure of the pianist Alicia de Larrocha on the centenary of her birthday, as well as other composers such as Carlota Garriga and Narcisa Feixa at the Feminale in Hamburg.
In addition, he maintains a chamber music ensemble, Fließen Duo, with the saxophonist Maria Torres.
Ricarte regularly gives concerts in Spain and Germany, but also works with young musicians in Catalonia. He is co-founder of the Piano Competition Maria Vilardell Viñas, granddaughter of the tenor Viñas, with the aim of strengthening, promoting and improving the future of young pianists in Spain. Also, during the summer, he teaches piano and improvisation courses for Juventudes Musicales, devoting himself to his pedagogical activity.
So far he has been a piano teacher at the Granados-Mashall Academia and is currently a piano teacher at the Jungemusik Akademie Hamburg.
Xavier Ricarte is currently studying for a Master's degree at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre Hamburg under the tutelage of Prof. Hubert Rutkowski.
