"Some of the finest, most transcendent Chopin I ever heard; as though Thomas Schwan has a kind of direct line to Chopin, whose essence is conveyed as surely here in sound as is his fiery introspection in the famous painting by Delacroix"
~ Peter Watchorn, harpsichordist and author
"The Bach pianist for our time… Mystical concentration and spiritual involvement resulting in an unparalleled level of inspiration and ethereal beauty. Bach's soul is absolutely palpable. The greatest example of selfless art I have ever encountered"
~ Jacob Krichaf, pianist
"Sublime pianistic artistry … And an exquisite example of someone living up to Stanislavsky's dictum, 'Love the art in yourself and not yourself in art'."
~ Michael Daviot, stage actor
"I was blown away. He's one with the music"
~ Mollie Hemingway, author
Thomas Schwan (Milano, 1985) is an Italian-German-American pianist and composer. As a pianist, he performed extensively in Italy, the Netherlands, France, England, Russia, Panama, and the United States. Music honors include First Prize at the World Bach Competition in Boulder, Colorado (2020) and the Honors Diploma and Monte dei Paschi di Siena Prize from Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy (2011). While cultivating a repertoire that spans the whole history of Western music, he is currently specializing in the music of J.S. Bach and recently gave multiple live performances of the complete Well-Tempered Clavier. His live interpretations of both books of the WTC (2019 and 2022) and the complete Chopin Nocturnes (2024) have gained an extraordinary following on YouTube and are widely appreciated by audiences, critics, and fellow musicians. He was deeply influenced by the instruction and mentorship of pianists Joaquín Achúcarro, under whom he studied at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and at Accademia Chigiana in Siena, and Pamela Mia Paul, his major professor at the University of North Texas in Denton. He is now a Joaquín Achúcarro Legacy Pianist.
As a composer, his music was performed and/or commissioned by members of the Asko|Schoenberg Ensemble Amsterdam, Voices of Change, Dallas Chamber Music Society, Meadows Wind Ensemble, Quartetto Mitja, Trio Chénier, and other renowned ensembles and soloists in Europe and in America. In 2017 he was awarded the Odyssée Artistic Residency as a composer and pianist at Abbaye Royale de Saint-Riquier (France), where he was commissioned a new work to be premiered onsite. He holds degrees from the University of North Texas (D.M.A., 2021), where he studied piano with P.M. Paul and composition with J. Klein, and Southern Methodist University (Artist Certificate, 2009; M.M., 2011 and 2014), where he studied piano with J. Achúcarro and composition with K. Hanlon. Former teachers include G. Galletta, A. Fortuna, G. Possio, E. Brusa, and S. Sargon. He taught piano and composition masterclasses in Italy, the Netherlands, and Panama, and maintains an active performing and teaching schedule worldwide.
