Hailed for his “breathtaking virtuosity” (Albuquerque Journal) and his “rhythmic integrity, singing tone quality, and refinement” (Clavier), Swedish-American pianist Elias-Axel Pettersson has established himself as a formidable soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. A Mason & Hamlin Concert Artist, he has garnered prizes on the national and international level, and has been heard on national radio.
Pettersson has collaborated with numerous artists, including violinists Krzysztof Zimowski, David Felberg, and Guillaume Tardif, violist Henk Guittart, Cantor Josh Perlman, and tenor Michiel Schrey. In 2008, Pettersson formed Duo Giocoso with French violinist Roland Arnassalon; in 2017, he formed Æterna Sirius with pianist Jessica Yam. Pettersson also champions contemporary composers such as Alan Belkin, Baptiste Cathelin, Alvin Curran, Drea Pressley Tischhauser, and Altin Volaj. Pettersson premiered Petroglyph for Piano (2011) by New Mexican composer Michael Mauldin, and performed in a recording of Gabriel Madden’s La Herse (2009), featuring a rare Sauter 1/16-microtonal piano.
A frequent performer, lecturer, and masterclass teacher throughout the USA, Canada, and Sweden, Pettersson has also been a jury member for regional and national competitions, including the Canadian Music Competition and Prix Opus, among others. He has three albums on the Axel Records label, featuring works ranging from Bach and Beethoven to Janáček and Carl Vine. Pettersson is Artistic Director of Southwest Piano Festival, a summer festival he founded in 2015, and Director of Program Development for Arizona Piano Institute. He has studied with Paul Stewart, Sergei Babayan, Larissa Dedova, Douglas Humpherys, and Maribeth Gunning; he also played for André Watts, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Arnaldo Cohen, Pavel Nersessian, Dina Joffe, and the Guarneri String Quartet. Pettersson holds a doctorate from the Université de Montréal.
Pettersson is a recent transplant to the Valley and is currently accepting private students. Please contact him for an audition.
Guadalupe/McClintock
Intermediate thru Advanced
Classical