Flavio villani
biography
Flavio Villani is an Italian–New Zealand pianist, composer and educator based in Auckland. Born in Italy, he studied piano with Matteo Napoli at the Conservatory “G. Martucci” in Salerno before moving to New Zealand in 2008, where he completed a Master of Piano Performance with first-class honours at the University of Auckland under Stephen De Pledge.
In 2026 he released his debut solo album, In Memoriam, on Rattle Records. Recorded at Teldex Studio Berlin, the album brings together works by Bach–Busoni and Chopin with Villani's own In Memoriam suite, a work shaped through composition and improvisation following the death of his partner. The project also features a series of visual artworks created in collaboration with New Zealand painter Star Gossage.
Villani holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Waikato, where his research, supervised by Katherine Austin with additional research undertaken with David Dolan at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, explored the role of improvisation in classical music learning, performance and interpretation. His work investigates how creative exploration can deepen understanding, embodiment and expressive agency in modern classical practice.
He has performed widely as a soloist and chamber musician in Italy, Spain, North Macedonia, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. His festival appearances include the Venice Biennale, Pianino Festival (Mallorca), Lamezia Classica, The Gurwitz (USA), Auckland Arts Festival and Christopher Classics (NZ).
Pianist & performer
Flavio's preparation for his first solo performance with orchestra, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in Calabria in 2015, was documented in the feature documentary Crossing Rachmaninoff.
He has since appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Orchestra of CalArts (Los Angeles), New Plymouth Orchestra, Taranaki Symphony, Bay of Plenty Symphonia, Hawke's Bay Orchestra and Auckland Symphony Orchestra, performing concertos and concertante works by Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Addinsell and Saint-Saëns. In 2026 he returned to the Hawke's Bay Orchestra as soloist in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488.
arts and collaborations
Flavio is active in cross-disciplinary collaborations, having created and performed original music for theatre (Human with Dust Palace, The_Kiss at UCOL, When the Rain Stops Falling at Herald Theatre), cinema (The Heart Dances, Llueven Vacas, Crossing Rachmaninoff), and television (Anchor Milk Campaign).
Improvisation is central to his work as both performer and composer, creating a space between spontaneous creation, interpretation and written music. His collaborations often grow from this same spirit of exploration, bringing classical performance into conversation with other instruments, art forms and ways of listening.
His current projects include the Villani–Jamieson Duo with baritone saxophonist Michael Jamieson. Developed through many years of musical collaboration, the ensemble is one of the few active piano and baritone saxophone duos internationally. Other recent collaborations include projects with New Zealand painter Star Gossage and violinist and UC Head of Performance Mark Menzies.
pedagogy
Flavio's teaching is grounded in listening, curiosity and creative exploration. Alongside the development of technique and musicianship, he encourages students to experiment with sound, structure, gesture and improvisation, developing an understanding of music that goes beyond the reproduction of the written score. His approach draws on his doctoral research as well as work in memorisation, embodiment, the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method.
His students have gained diplomas and university places in Auckland and Melbourne. He teaches piano at the University of Waikato and has been invited to give masterclasses at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Lamezia Terme), Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok), Victoria University of Wellington, and schools across Italy and Spain.
He is the founder and Director of L'Accademia Music School in Auckland, where he teaches piano and curates a wide range of performances, events, and collaborations.