Piano Duo Five O' Clock (Emilija Pinto and Massimiliano Chiappinelli), was formed within the Cultural Association Colle Ionci in 2007 in connection with the development of the Forty Fingers project. The Duo focuses on the concept of “music to see,” a systematic exploration of new music and the consolidation of repertoire that includes original transcriptions and arrangements.

Emilja and Massimiliano perform regularly in Italy and abroad, and have recorded for RTS in Belgrade and for Radio Vaticana. They are currently touring Europe featuring a program of music by Italian composers, which they have previously recorded. This month (April), the Duo will give the world premiere performance of a new version for piano four hands and orchestra of Zodiaco by Damiano D'Ambrosio.

Emilija Pinto graduated from the University of Musical Arts in Belgrade with highest honors. She attended master classes with V. Audino, V. Ashkenazy, M. Mika, S. Perticaroli, L. De Lisi, and T. Cohen. She won a scholarship to specialize in piano and chamber music at the Iternational Academy of “Trio di Trieste” and she also attended courses at the ‘Mozarteum’ Academy in Salzburg. While there, she worked as an accompanist for strings and woodwinds. She also extended her knowledge of oratorio, lieder and vocal chamber music repertoire in general at the Conservatory of Music ‘Luigi Cherubini’ in Florence. Emilija performs regularly in Serbia, Italy, Greece, Scandinavia, and the United States of America as a soloist and in various chamber ensembles and orchestras. She has made recordings for Radio-Televizija Srbije (SRT) and for the anniversary of Radio-Televizija Beograd (RTB) for which she performed piano concertos by G. Gershwin, N. Rimsky-Korsakov and A. Khatchaturian. She recently completed research on the effectiveness of ABRSM system for music education under the patronage of the Royal Academy of London in Abu Dhabi Schools (United Arab Emirates) where she taught piano, chamber music and worked as an accompanist. Mrs. Pinto currently holds a professorship in Cuprija (Serbia) in a state school for gifted young musicians.

Massimiliano Chiappinelli was born into a family of musicians in Foggia, Italy. He earned his Diploma in Piano Performance at the Conservatory of Music in Parma, and his Master in Piano Performance with highest honors at the Conservatory of Music in Frosinone, Italy. His musical background includes master classes with Roberto Cappello, François Joël Thiollier, Vincenzo Audino, and Giovanni Umberto Battel. Additionally, Mr. Chiappinelli holds a degree in Arts and Literature with a specialization in Musicology from the La Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. Mr. Chiappinelli won Italian piano competitions in Rome, Viterbo, Brindisi, and Taranto. As a soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Chiappinelli has performed in Italy, France, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, England, and the USA, and has recorded for the Acustica and AdP labels. His performances have been broadcast by Radio Vaticana, Italian Radiodue, and for the Serbian state radio and television. Aside from serving as artistic director of concert seasons and musical events, Mr. Chiappinelli is a certified teacher and teaches piano in the Italian middle school system. He regularly holds master classes in Italy and abroad. Massimiliano is the founder and speaker of the web radio program Classic Shock, featured week every week on Radio Libera Tutti (RLT).