Born in 1990 in Vittorio Veneto, Chiara Opalio is the first prize winner of the prestigious International Prize “Rahn Wettbewerb” in Zürich, and the Solistenwettbewerb in Zofingen. More recently she is prize winner at the Kiefer Hablitzel Musikpreis in Bern.
In September 2011 she was the only European amongst the six semifinalists at the International "Clara Haskil” Competition.
Ms. Opalio has an active schedule as a soloist and has performed with many orchestras including Sinfonieorchester Basel, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Neues Orchester Basel, Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento, Virtuosi Italiani, Aargauer Sinfonie Orchester.
She has performed at the Auditorio Stelio Moro RSI in Lugano and the Tonhalle in Zurich and worked with conductors such as François Benda, Ion Marin, Tito Ceccherini, Kristiina Poska, Marc Kissoczy.
After a Masterclass in Gstaad 2017 Ms. Opalio had the honour of being chosen by Sir. Andràs Schiff for the 2019-20 season of his “Building Bridges” concert series, with performances throughout Europe in venues such as “Konzerthaus” in Berlin, “Beethoven Haus” in Bonn and the Chapel in Gstaad for the Matinée des Jeunes Etoiles.
Ms. Opalio has given recitals and open chamber music performances at many important festivals and halls such as the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, Austria, “Beethoven-Haus” in Bonn, Montebello Festiva in Bellinzona, Art Dialog Festival in Biel, Salle Cortot and Polish Library in Paris, Mondsee for Musiktage Mondsee 2015, in Trieste for Società dei Concerti, at Solitär Uni Mozarteum in Salzburg, in Wien at the Wiener Konzerthaus, in Torino for Unione Musicale, in Firenze at Teatro alla Pergola and Festival Internazionale di Musica in Portogruaro.
As an active chamber musician Ms. Opalio is the co-founder and pianist of the “Opalio Quintet ensemble”, formed at the Hochschule in Basel. The ensemble has racked up numerous prizes at international competitions such as “Ysaye International Competition”, “International Chamber Music Competition” in Pinerolo, Torino, International Bacewicz Chamber music Competition, Orpheus Competition and the Basel Duo Wettbewerb.
They have performed recitals internationally, and have been invited for festivals such as Engadin Festival, Art Dialogue Festival, Mezzano Romantica, Musikdorf Ernen, Adelboden Swiss Chamber Music Festival, Music for Galway and Spotlight Chamber Music Series amongst many others.
Opalio Quintet ensemble was recently welcomed as an European Chamber Music Academy-aspirant ensemble and have studied chamber music with international renowned musicians such as Rainer Schmidt, Claudio Martinez Mehner, Raphael Oleg, Silvia Simionescu, Ferenc Rados, Gábor Takács, Dénes Várjon and many others.
Opalio Quintet ensemble have regular lessons with Anton Kernjak.
Ms. Opalio also has an official Duo with Irish violinist Eoin Ducrot (Opalio Quintet), with whom she won 1st prize in the HSM Duo-Wettbewerb. They perform concerts regularly around Europe and are often praised for their sensibility and subtlety combined with impeccable togetherness and risk taking flair. They have also been personally invited by Sir András Schiff for the Beethoven festival in Bonn in June 2019.
Chiara has performed with renowned musicians including Leonidas Kavakos, Quatuor Terpsycordes, Kebyart Ensemble, cellist Julia Hagen, cellist Giovanni Gnocchi, singer Silvia Regazzo and pianist Alberto Miodini from Trio di Parma.
Ms Opalio has a great passion for helping young musicians and has worked as a teacher at “Fondazione Santa Cecilia” in Portogruaro and as a coach accompanist at “Chapelle Musicale
Reine Elisabeth” in Brussels.
Recently she was invited to teach for a Piano Masterclass at the CIT Cork School of Music. She is currently coach accompanist for the cello class of Thomas Demenga at the Hochschule in Basel.
At the beginning of her formation she attended the International Academy “Incontri col Maestro“ of Imola with E. Pace and she also studied with A. Lonquich, A. Ciccolini, A. Lucchesini, Trio Altenberg Wien, A. Schiff and T. Adès at the “International Musicians Seminars” of Prussia Cove (UK) , M. Raekallio, J. Swann, B. Lupo, H. Milne.
Chiara received top marks at both her Performance Master and Soloist Master at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel under prof. Claudio Martinez Mehner
Chiara is supported in her career by Seymour Obermer Foundation.