Roberto Poli

Roberto Poli joined the Conservatory in 2017 and is an instructor of music.

Born in Venice, Italy, Poli is an eloquent communicator and a rising exponent of the music of Frederic Chopin, which he has comprehensively studied through manuscripts and original editions and widely performed throughout the world.

His critically acclaimed debut recording, Shall We Dance..., was released in 2002 by Americus Records, and features his transcription of Maurice Ravel’s “La Valse” for solo piano alongside other unusual selections. A DVD titled Frederic Chopin: the Late Works was released in 2008 on the Rebus label, featuring a live performance of opuses 58 through 62. Poli’s first volume of his complete Chopin recordings was released by Piano Classics in 2010. In the spring of 2018, he recorded 11 works selected from William Byrd’s My Ladye Nevels Booke (1591), to be released in 2019 on the Piano Classics label.

Poli’s activity as an author began with the publication of a critically acclaimed book The Secret Life of Musical Notation: Defying Interpretive Traditions (Amadeus Press, 2010), which presents original insights based on the analysis of Chopin’s manuscripts and early editions. A second book, titled It’s about Time, examining the concepts of time, rhythm, pulse, and rubato through the eyes of both past and modern musicians, is forthcoming.

Poli graduated from the Venice Conservatory of Music summa cum laude and honors in 1993. In 1998, he attended New England Conservatory, where he received a master’s degree and the prestigious Artist Diploma, studying under Russell Sherman.

Poli is the artistic director of the Chopin Symposium, an event that gathers world-renowned performers, pedagogues, and lecturers in Boston. He also enjoys a busy schedule of master classes, and has been a guest lecturer and keynote speaker at institutions such as Cornell University, University of Virginia, Dartmouth College, New England Conservatory, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his private teaching, Poli leads four successful private classes on interpretation and performance for advanced adult pianists.