A tremendous natural talent. Eric James, Music Associate of Sir Charles S. Chaplin
A multifaceted artist and self-taught musician, Alessandro Simonetto has built a career spanning composition, performance, and production.
At age 14, Alessandro composed a cycle of Mazurkas inspired by Chopin. Over time, he deepened his study of composition — including music for silent films — and formed a close friendship with Eric James, associate composer of Sir Charles Chaplin. Shortly before a public performance, James described Alessandro as "a pianist of immense talent who will surely make his mark on the musical profession."
After completing formal studies in piano, harpsichord, and modern composition, Alessandro dedicated several years to producing over 500 recordings for renowned musicians and labels. He later returned to performing, earning critical acclaim on both piano and harpsichord.
His Suites for Harpsichord (Suites Op. 1) [BC94187] was named Recording of the Month by MusicWeb International, praised for its "nearly eighty minutes of enormously appealing, high-octane invention superbly rendered by Alessandro Simonetto."
His Erik Satie: Early & Esoteric Works (1887–1897) [AE16019], which includes the world premiere of Chanson Hongroise, received widespread acclaim and reached millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music.
A passionate advocate of ragtime, Alessandro recorded Scott Joplin's Complete Piano Works in 2017–18, becoming the only Italian artist to do so. In 2024, he re-recorded Joplin's complete rags with a more mature interpretation.
Alessandro's world-premiere recording of Leroy Shield: Laurel & Hardy's Original Piano Music [AE16024] earned five-star reviews from both classical and jazz/pop publications (Mojo, Piano International, Teatro, The Laurel & Hardy Magazine) and was featured on prominent radio stations worldwide (BBC, CBC/ICI Musique, RAI Radio 3, NPO, BR Klassik, among others).
In 2021, his recording of Paradisi's Keyboard Sonatas was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award and praised by international critics. Gil French of Fanfare magazine (3/21) wrote: "Listening to Simonetto is like listening to Martha Argerich."
As founder of OnClassical, a record label distributed by Naxos of America, Alessandro has significantly influenced the music industry. OnClassical was the first classical label to offer its full repertoire online for direct download.
Through this platform, Alessandro has nurtured exceptional talents and produced recordings that have surpassed 250 million streams worldwide.
Alessandro holds degrees in piano and modern composition (electronic music) from the Conservatories of Castelfranco Veneto and Padua. He also studied harpsichord, choral music, choir conducting, and jazz composition.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Alessandro is an accomplished landscape, portrait, and night photographer as well as a drone pilot.
Listening stats of Simonetto's performances on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc. Visual data from Naxos Digital / Fuga.
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Alessandro Simonetto has recorded over 30 CDs and albums, including the complete piano works by Scott Joplin and Leroy Shield, as well as numerous recordings dedicated to Erik Satie's piano music, featuring personal research and several previously unedited pieces.
These recordings have reached more than 20 million listeners on Spotify and other platforms, with several tracks featured in top official playlists.
Alessandro Simonetto on Spotify: most popular tracks and latest highlights.
The complete piano works of Erik Satie have been recorded across multiple albums, not only revisiting his famous cycles but also uncovering forgotten waltzes, cabaret pieces, unpublished scores, and neglected miniatures. Released by Aevea and OnClassical, with worldwide distribution via Naxos, these recordings have reached over 15 million listeners and earned critical acclaim in Classica and Audiophile Sound.
As noted by E. Filippini (MusicVoice): "Moments of pianissimo, almost inaudible, create an impalpable atmosphere through the masterful use of the sustain pedal, giving the impression of a continuous, flute-like sound."
The complete piano works of Scott Joplin — including 42 ragtimes, 5 marches, 5 waltzes, 1 tango, and 1 Afro-American intermezzo — have been meticulously recorded in three major projects, released in 2018–19 and in 2024 (all rags, new edition).
As noted by Valentina Lo Surdo (RSI, 2020), "This collection reveals a much more multifaceted portrait of Joplin than commonly assumed: the abundance of melodies shows an almost limitless inspiration, exploring unexpected solutions that touch upon foxtrot, blues, and even classical and romantic styles."
This album features original music for Laurel & Hardy, composed by the first Hal Roach Studios’ composer, Leroy Shield (also credited as Le Roy Shield). It includes piano transcriptions based on original scores recently uncovered by historian Piet Schreuders. The album was selected by Amazon as the featured Christmas release and has been widely reviewed internationally.
Recent recordings include original piano transcriptions by Ronnie Hazlehurst of works by composers such as Marvin Hatley and others, with a new album forthcoming.
A deep passion for the harpsichord led to the complete recordings of Piet Bustijn, Johann Mattheson, and Domenico Paradisi (also known as Paradies), released by Brilliant Classics and nominated for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
The repertoire also includes several sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, recorded across two dedicated harpsichord albums.
As Gil French wrote in Fanfare: "Listening to Simonetto is like listening to Martha Argerich: along with the utter command of discipline and technique."
A recent project involved meticulously transcribing Chico Marx’s medley from Animal Crackers, including his version of Silver Threads Among the Gold. This piece is considered "one of the most technically challenging and compositionally perfect". It also holds special significance as an introduction to Leonard 'Chico' Marx’s unique musical style, beloved since the Italian RAI broadcast of early Marx Brothers films in the 1990s.
"Never since Chico himself has there been such a faithful adherence to his distinctive style"—as noted in Facebook and YouTube comments by Marx Brothers fans, this performance "captures Chico's dazzling humor and bravura, while revealing an underlying pianistic sophistication often overlooked."
The work continued with the transcription of 8 of Chico’s piano routines, the dazzling musical interludes from the various Marx Brothers films.
Alessandro Simonetto possesses an in-depth, scientific understanding of piano mechanics, acquired from some of the finest Italian technicians. One of his two Steinways—a piano originally selected in the late 1960s by the legendary Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli—was later entrusted to Alessandro by the widow of one of Michelangeli's pupils, specifically for his work as a music producer.
Alessandro has worked with some of the most important musicians and recording labels, achieving wide recognition for his recording work:
“The recording quality is excellent, with beautiful clear tone and deep and natural left hand notes. The sound is considerably richer and more natural than the CDs used as a comparison.”
— Roger McCuaig, review on TNT Audio (11/06/2017)
