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MONICA BENVENUTI
Department Chair
Professor of Vocal Technique

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Born in Florence, after having earned her degree in Letters and Philosophy from the university, she decided to study singing, concentrating on the lyrical and chamber repertories.
She has sung at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, at the Festival della Valle in Itria, at the Estate Fiesolana, at the Sagra Malatestiana in Rimini, at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, at the Bologna Festival, at Teatro Metastasio in Prato - and has collaborated with the Piccolo Teatro in Milano and the Orchestra della Toscana - under directors such as Daniel Oren, Marcello Panni, Franz Brüggen, Giampiero Taverna.
In 1993 she starred in the Incoronazione di Poppea di Monteverdi (Poppea) (at Teatro Verdi in Pisa and at Teatro Sociale in Mantova), and in Zanetto by Mascagni (Silvia) at the Puccini festival at Torre del Lago. Since then, she has starred in the following operas: Dido and Aeneas by Purcell, La serva padrona and Livietta e tracollo by Pergolesi, Orfeo and Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria by Blow, Tamerlano by Händel, Bastiano e Bastiana by Mozart, Giannina e Bernardone by Cimarosa, L'eroismo ridicolo by Spuntini, Hänsel and Gretel by Humperdonk, Il segreto di Susanna by Wolf-Ferrari. Monica is also versed in contemporary music, participating frequently in first executions of works, such as: Il paradiso degli esuli by Bruno de Franceschi, La sposa venuta da Plutone by Gian Carlo Menotti, Il teatrino delle meraviglie by Paolo Furlani, Dammi la luna by Pier Luigi Zangelmi, Un tram chiamato Arlecchino by Aldo Tarabella.
In recent years, after much experience as singer and actress, she has dedicated herself as well to musicals (La voix humaine by Poulenc, Mahagonny Songspiel by Weill, La tragedie de Carmen from Bizet), along with other works to which she is personally involved.
She has made recordings for the R.A.I. as well as the Rodolphe, Nuova Era, "Materiali sonori" (CGD) labels and, for the "Arts" label, she recorded Euridice by Jacopo Peri, in the roles of Venere and Ninfa. Recently she also recorded Incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi at the Teatro Antico in Sabbioneta for RAI 2.

LUCA SUMMER
Professor of History of Music

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In 1987 Prof. Summer received his diploma in Piano from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. In 1992 he graduated from the University of Florence in Letters majoring in the History of Modern and Contemporary Music, with a dissertation entitled “The Instrumental work of Antonio Scontrino”. Since 1993, he has been employed as an assistant to Prof. Marcello de Angelis of the department of Music History at the University of Florence, and has taught and lectured on Music History for numerous schools and associations in and around Florence. As a Musicologist, his specialization is in 19th and 20th century composers.
His publications include:
- Antonio Scontrino: An Exponent of the Italian Instrumental Re-birth in the late 19th cent. in “Ottocento e Oltre”, F. Izzo & J. Streicher eds., Roma, Pantheon, 1993.
- The renewal of Italian Music: Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero, in 51st Settimana Musicale Chigiana, Siena, Accademia Musicale Chiagiana, 1994.
- The Instrumental Aspect of the work of Riccardo Zandonai, in “Atti della Giornata di Studio Riccardo Zandonai nel 50° della morte”, Rovereto, Accademia rovertana degli Agiati, 1995.
- Theater programs for the 1996 & 1997 lyrical seasons for the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca.
- The Instrumental works of Antonio Scontrino in “Antonio Scontrino, Musicology and catalogue of works”, Trapani, Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese, 1999.

SUSANNA RIGACCI
Professor of Vocal Technique

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Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Susanna finished her musical training at the Luigi Cherubini conservatory in Florence and successively completed her specialisation with Iris Adami Corradetti, under whose direction, she was recognised and awarded at the International "Maria Callas" Competition (Concorso RAI 1983) and "Sängerförderungspreis" at the Mozarteum in Salzburg 1985.
She has performed in Italy's most prestigious theaters: la Scala in Milan, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La Fenice in Venezia, the Opera house in Roma, Filarmonico in Verona, Massimo in Palermo, Regio in Parma, Bellini in Catania, Comunale in Bologna.
She has also sung at: Carnegie Hall in New York, Opéra Comique and Théatre Châtelet in Paris, Prague Philharmonic, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Opéra de Wallonie in Liège, Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Fundaçao Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Wexford Festival, Teatro Municipalein Mallorca and Staatteater in Bern.
Her lyrical Soprano repertoire revolves mostly around the Italian Baroque (Vivaldi - Scarlatto - Cimarosa - Galoppi - Pergolesi - Boccherini - Stradella - Gasparini - Sacchini), of which she has made several recordings with the Solisti Veneti directed by Maestro Claudio Sciamone (Erato) and also for the labels Philips and Bongiovanni. She has completed a brilliant Rossini and Donizetti repertory (Don Pasquale - recorded for German television -, Elisir d amore, Figlia del reggimento, Il Signor Bruschino, Barbiere di Siviglia, La cambiale di matrimonio) and 19th cent. Italian and French Belcanto.
Susanna is also versed in the contemporary repertory, having performed for prestigious societies such as: La Biennale in Venice, London Sinfonietta, RAI in Rome, Turin and Milan, Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, Festival di Ghibellina.
She has interpreted Webern, Berg, Schönberg, Berio, Nono, Sciarrino, and has performed compositions of Togni, Pennisi, D'Amico for the first time in public. She was also the protagonist of the first Italian performance of The English Cat by Henze at the Comunale in Bologna.
Susanna sings in 6 languages and alternates her concert activity with that of refined chamber music.

VALERIA FERRI
Professor of Vocal Technique

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Valeria Ferri, soprano, began her studies with L.Kozma.
After receiving her diploma with the highest grade point average and a scholarship from the G.Briccialdi Conservatory in Terni,she moved to Florence to improve her skills with S.Rigacci.
She studied with A.Vespasiani, L.Magiera,G.Ciannella, and P.Venturi.
She studied one year Post-Diploma at Parma’s  A.Boito Conservatory.
Winner of many international competitions, she performed in:Menotti’s “Amelia al Ballo” and
“Il Telefono”, Galuppi’s “L’Amante di Tutte”, Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri”, Donatoni’s “Alfred’Alfred”, ”La Boheme”, Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” and “Elisir d’Amore”, Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and “Traviata”, Salieri’s “Prima la musica,poi le parole”, Da Capua’s “La Zingara”, Bizet’s “Carmen” and De Simone’s “Il Re bello”, and Mozart’s “Cosi’ fan tutte”.  She sang in Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Missa in Es, Haendel’s Messiah, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
She played Violetta in Marco Bellocchio’s “Addio del passato” for the Mostra del Cinema in Venice.
She was invited  to sing in Pyongjang (North Korea) and she received a Prize for the interpretation of Korean Songs; at the same time she sang  for the National Radio of North Korea.
She sang in the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino(Piccolo) in Florence,at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome, at the Teatro La Pergola in Florence, at the Teatro Verdi in Salerno, at the Teatro Morlacchi in Perugia, at the Teatro Romano in Benevento, at the Teatro Greco in Segesta, and abroad in Paris, Nice, Rouen(France), Malta, South Korea and North Korea, and in Shanghai.
She is a voice instructor at the ISTITUTO EUROPEO the Music School of Florence and an instructor of vocal technique for the choir Harmonia Cantata of Florence.

SANTINA TOMMASELLO
Professor of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Vocality

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Santina earned her diplomas in piano and singing at the A.Corelli conservatory in Messina and in Harpsichord at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. She also received a degree in Modern letters from the University of Florence.
She completed her specialisation with Sergio Catoni, Slavka Taskova, Susanna Rigacci and Gianfranco Boretti in lyric and chamber repertory (concentrating on early 20th cent. French composers) and she participated in a specialisation course on the Renaissance and Baroque technique and repertory, held by experts in the field such as, Claudine Ansermet, Jill Feldmann, Alan Curtis, Gabriel Garrido, Howard Arman, Andrew Lawrence-King and Andrew Parrot.
In 1992 Santina debuted in the role of Seconda Donna in Dido and Eneas by Purcell at Teatro Niccolini in Florence. She was a soloist in the Petite Messe Solemnelle by Rossini directed by F. Lombardo at the Festival di Pieve e Castelli, in the Johannes Passion e Mattheus Passion by Bach directed by N. Schaap, in the Stabat Mater and in the Missa in tempore belli by Haydn directed by R. Donati and in the Vespro by Monteverdi directed by A. Lawrence King. In 1996 she played Euridice Monteverdi's Orfeo at the Festival di La Chaise-Dieu, under the direction of Sergio Vartolo, and Aurora in Aurora ingannata by G. Giacobbi directed by G. L. Lastraioli. In 1997 she was Libia in La púrpura de la rosa by J. Torrejon directed by A. Lawrence-King at the Festival di Musica Antica in Utrecht. Santina was a soloist in the Weihnachts-Oratorium by J.S. Bach directed by F. Lombardo for the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. In 1998 in Florence, she interpreted the principle role in Rappresentazione di Anima e Corpo by E. de' Cavalieri directed by A. Lawrence-King (with subsequent tour in 4 Italian cities in 2000) and she sang Mozart's Requiem directed by R. Donati in the Cathedral of Pisa. She was also Sirena and Oreste in La Liberazione di Ruggero dall'isola di Alcina by F. Caccini, directed by Alan Curtis at Teatro Metastasio in Prato. In September 2000 she impersonated Amore in Erminia sul Giordano by Michelangelo Rossi at Teatro Manzoni in Pistoia under the direction of Andrea Perugi.
Active as well in the contemporary repertory, she starred in two unique acts Averroé by Marco Betta and Sogni Siciliani by Albino Taggeo, presented for the very first time at Teatro Vittorio Emanuele in Messina for the 1998-99 season.
Santina has worked with several of the most qualified groups in the Renaissance and Baroque repertories, such as: The Harp Consort, il Complesso Barocco, il Collegium vocale Nova Ars Cantandi, l'Homme Armé, Modo Antiquo, and has participated in tours in Germany, Brazil and Israel.
She complete two internships on Medieval music held by A. Lawrence-King, and participated in concerts on lyrics by Landini and Machaut organized by Homme Armé.
She has made recordings for the following record labels Tactus, Dynamic, Virgin Veritas, BMG Classics e Florentia Musicae.
As a harpsichordist she has attended specialization courses held by David Collyer, Andrea Perugi anf A. Lawrence-King, and she performs in a duo with lute player, Gian Luca Lastraioli, alternating the double role of singers and harpsichordist.
Santina is also the head of the department of Musical Theory, Solmization and Dictation at the "Nicolini" Conservatory in Piacenza.

EVA TONIETTI
Professor of Diction

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Eva Tonietti holds a degree in Art History from the University of Florence. She received diplomas in Singing with Renata Ongaro and in Chamber Singing with Lilliana Poli at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. She completed a specialisation at the Adria lyrical laboratory at the Scuola di musica in Fiesole with Ettore Campogalliani and another in operatic and chamber repertory in Paris with Noemi Perugina. She then studied lieder with Paul Schillawsky, and attended for several years courses on contemporary music (GAMO) with Lilliana Poli, (Genazzano) with Silvano Bussotti.
She is part of the musical ensemble "L'Homme Armé" with which she has participated in several Renaissance and Baroque music festivals, deepening her understanding on Baroque vocality with James Griffith, of the Pro Cantione Antiqua, and with Jill Feldmann.
Winner of several competitions, among which she was awarded first prize at the 6th National Vocal Chamber Music Competition "Città di Conegliano" and at the 5th Nation-wide Lyrical Competition "A. Lazzari" in Genoa. Eva performs concerts, chamber and contemporary repertories, as a soloist, throughout Italy and abroad. She teaches at both the Accademia Musicale and the Istituto Europeo in Florence.
She has also taken part in recordings for the RAI and recorded 2 CDs "L'Homme Armé" ensemble.

ANNA AURIGI
Professor of Diction

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Having studied under the direction of L. Sarsowska and A. Tomacewska, she earned a degree in Singing (1992) and another in Vocal Chamber Music (1997) under the direction of Liliana Poli, from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence, followed by a university degree in History of Music from the Philosophy and Letters Department of the University of Florence. Graduate courses were completed at the Accademia Chiagiana in Siena under Shirley Verret and Alfredo Kraus, at the Scuola di Music in Fiesole, under Soussanne Danco, and at the Amici della Musica in Florence with Irwin Gage and Julia Hamari.
She currently performs at concerts, covering the periods from Baroque to 20th cent., specialising in Chamber music. In 1994 she made her debut in the opera buffa La Serva Padrona by G. B. Pergolesi. She took part in the Italian polyphonic quintet directed by Clemente Terni, which, in 1998, performed the Laudario di Cortona for the Amici della Musica of Florence.
In 1999 she performed a concert of contemporary Italian music at the Palace Theatre in London ("The soprano Anna Aurigi acquitted herself admirably in Berio's Sequenza III, encompassing the whole range of emotional expression and articulation demanded", Barry Millington: The Times -11.XI.1999).
In September 2000, she interpreted the role of Erminia in Michelangelo Rossi's Erminia sul Giordano (directed by Angelo Savelli, musical direction Andrea Perugi) at Teatro Manzoni in Pistoia.

ELISABETTA SEPE
Professor of Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Lyrical Interpretation

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Born in Florence, Elisabetta graduated in piano from the Luigi Cherubini music conservatory in Florence under the guidance of Lucia Passaglia. She increased her repertory with Riccardo Risaliti and Pietro Rigacci and attended specialsation courses with Aquiles delle Vigne, Murray Perahia and Maurizio Pollini, and studied in Paris with Jacqueline Bourgès-Manoury, collaborator of Jean Fassina and follower of the school of Dinu Lipatti.
Along with her studies in Humanities, she received diplomas in Music Didactics, Choral Music, Choral Direction, and attended courses in Composition, Vocal and Instrumental Chamber Music, Organ, Harpsichord and B.c. , and Orchestra Direction.
Elisabetta has won several national and international competitions including: Stresa, Albenga, Osimo, F. Liszt in Lucca, etc. She debuted in Florence in 1987 in the Salone de' Dugento in Palazzo Vecchio. She has participated in many concerts, sponsored by important music centres and associations, such as: the Sala "E. Varese" in Paris, the "Borse Festsaal" in Vienna, the Teatro Comunale and the "Musicus Concentus" in Florence, Amici della Lirica and Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Società dei Concerti in La Spezia and in Ravello, "Amici della Musica" in Arezzo, Montecatini, Andria, il Ridotto del Teatro Comunale in Modena, Teatro Comunale in Ferrara, l'Associazione Musicale Etnea in Catania.
She has also performed with the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina directed by Giuseppe Lanzetta and Narciso Sofia, with the Stoliarsky Chamber Orchestra and with the Hungarian Chamber Philharmonic directed by Michel Hurshell.
Elisabetta is extremely dedicated to her chamber repertory with famous singers such as: Eva Mei, Susanna Rigacci, Elena Cecchi Fedi. She collaborates with well-known professors in the development of their courses (Agnes Giebel, Giuliano Ciannella, Bruno Rigacci, Marcella Reale) with whom she also performs concerts. She is currently involved as a substitute pianist in several opera performances and since 1999 she holds the title Maestro Collaboratore di Sala at the Teatro Comunale di Firenze where she has worked under the direction of maestros such as Daniel Oren, Bruno Bartoletti, Rico Saccani, Ivor Bolton. Since 1991, she has regularly collaborated with the concert series "Firenze Lirica" and "Foyer" at the Teatro Comunale di Firenze.
Among the more significant performances in which she has participated are: her role as pianist at the concert held by Rolando Panerai for the 50 year anniversary of his career and the execution of themes from Verdi, composed by herself, on occasion of the "L'aria di baule" award ceremony for Fedora Barbieri.
In December 1996, Elisabetta finished her three-year course for Choral directors at the Guido d'Arezzo foundation in the presence of Maestri: P. Righele (Gregorian semiology and vocal technique), F. Luisi (musicology), R. Pezzati (musical analysis), R. Clemencic, D. Fasolis, G. Graden, M. Balderi (Choral Repertory). She is currently the director of the polyphonic chorus "Novi Cantores" of Florence.
She is an assistant professor of piano at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica di Latina.
In 1988 she recorded two series of inedited vocal chamber music by Gaetano Donizetti for the Dongiovanni record label together with Susanna Rigacci and William Matteuzzi.

RACHEL SWEET
Professor of Viola, Chamber Music and English Language for Musicians

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Rachel Sweet was born in the island of Jersey, where she began playing the violin at the age of 7. During her teenage years she developed a passion for the viola and became a full-time viola player  when she began her undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester in 2001, under the guidance of Professor Mark Knight. She graduated with a honours degree in Music in 2005 before completing a two-year postgraduate course where she earned her Postgraduate Certificate in Viola Performance as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education with Specialist String Teaching and a Certificate in Dalcroze Eurhythmics.

Rachel has participated in a wide range of musical activities, working with a number of orchestras and chamber groups around Great Britain, as well as participating in the 'Music In Hospitals' scheme as part of a string duo. She has also been active in education, teaching violin, viola, double bass and classroom music in schools around Manchester and on the 'Junior Strings Project', providing accessible instrumental tuition for children aged 5-14 in the Greater Manchester area. Rachel also worked as a lead artist for the 'Greater Manchester Music Action Zone', helping 100 teenagers produce their own concert at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. In addition she has taught on a variety of projects including the 'Manchester Junior Strings Project' and 'Lake District Summer Music' courses, and as part of the Royal Northern College of Music's award-winning chamber music festivals and instrument focus days. Here in Italy she has played in the 'Cantiere Internazionale D'Arte di Montepulciano' (as part of the orchestra-in-residence), in the Festival Orchestra for the 'Festival Internazionale delle Orchestre Giovanili Europee' and with the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina.

In January 2008 Rachel moved to Florence where she combines her musical life with teaching English, and these two enthusiasms come together in the 'English for Musicians' course here at ISTITUTO EUROPEO. She gained her TEFL International TESOL Certificate from The Learning Center of Tuscany and now works for Associazione Sunrise in Florence, teaching English to children and adults of all levels and abilities, as well as implementing a program of music courses.

ELEONORA NEGRI
Professor of Piano, History of Music

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Prof. Negri was born and raised in Florence, where she attended classical studies at high school. Before attending university, she studied piano with Maestro Sergio Perticaroli for three summers at the Mozart Academy in Salzburg. In 1988 she received her diploma in piano studies from the Luigi Boccherini Music Institute in Lucca, having studied with Prof. Elena Boselli and Prof. Lydia Rocchetti Pezzati. She also holds language proficiency certificates in English (from the University of Cambridge in Great Britain) and in German (from the Geothe Institut in Munich). In 1997 she received her degree in Humanities (Laurea in Lettere) from the Università degli Studi di Firenze, after having presented her thesis in History of Music entitled: La biblioteca musicale di Felice Boghen presso il Centro Studi Musicali Ferruccio Busoni di Empoli: riflessi e testimonianze di una vita per la musica (Felice Boghen's Music Library at the Ferruccio Busoni Center for Music Studies in Empoli: reflections and testimony of a life dedicated to music)

Since completing her studies, Prof. Negri has been holding lectures on the History of Music at the University of Florence and teaching courses on the history of Music and the History of Italian Opera for the University of Arizona Program in Italy. Since 1999 she has been the President of the International Lyseum Club in Florence, organising lecture series, concerts and other musical activities, and she is also a member of he board of the music quarterly "Civiltà Musicale" Among her other activities, Prof. Negri cooperates with the Centro Studi Musicali Ferruccio Busoni in Empoli, where she teaches History of Music and History of Opera and where she catalogued the musical archive and Felice Boghen Foundation Library. She has also dedicated much of her time to cataloguing the music archives of the Regione Toscana, as well as to the organisation of various radio programs for Radio Montebeni Italia - Italy's only all-Classical Music station.

Her conferences and publications (listed below) include several music related topics ranging from the 17th to early 20th centuries. She is also involved in the compilation of cover notes for music CDs, concert program notes for the musical seasons in Tuscany (Teatro Communale di Firenze, Amici della Misica, Centro Studi Musicali Ferruccio Busoni, Musicus Concentus).

PUBBLICATIONS.

Books:
La biblioteca musicale di Felice Boghen: riflessi e testimonianze di una vita per la musica (Firenze: Casa Editrice Leo Olschki - collana "Studi" dell'Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere "La Colombaria", . Forthcoming 2002).

Essays:
Li tre Orfei di Luca Ronconi, "Civiltà Musicale", December 2001; Busoni e Felice Boghen, in Ferruccio Busoni e il pianoforte del Novecento, Lucca: LIM, forthcoming 2001. L'Oriente in scena: gli esotismi di due operisti toscani fra Otto e Novecento, in Firenze, il Giappone e l'Asia Orientale. Firenze: Olschki, 2001, pp. 231-248;
Alessandro Kraus figlio e La musique au Japon: l'opera pionieristica di un etnomusicologo ante litteram ("Avidi Lumi", IV, 9-June 2000, pp. 60-63, 94-95 and 104-106);
La musique au Japon (1878) di Alessandro Kraus. Prime osservazioni su un trattato pionieristico ritrovato ("Studi Musicali", XXIX-2000, 1, pp. 215-238);
La musica sacra rinascimentale e barocca; Il melodramma del Sei-Settecento; Mozart e Da Ponte; Lo Sturm und Drang e la musica di Ludwig van Beethoven; La concezione romantica della musica e il Lied; Il melodramma italiano dell'Ottocento; Il dramma musicale di Richard Wagner; Il Verismo musicale: Giacomo Puccini e i suoi librettisti; La crisi della civiltà europea e la musica del Novecento: essays inserted in volumes II (part 1, pp. 9-11, 156-159 and 657-662; part 2, pp. 943-944, 954-956 and 1202-1204) and III (pp. 4-6, 223-226 and 402-405) of L. POMA e C. RICCIARDI, Letteratura Italiana - La storia I testi La critica, Firenze, Le Monnier 1999;
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy ebreo e cristiano tedesco, in Gli anniversari musicali del 1997. Milano: Centro Culturale Rosetum, 1997, pp. 303-327.

Editions:
Debora e Sisara (1789) - dramma sacro di Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi su libretto di Carlo Sernicola [Debora and Sisara - Sacred drama by Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi on a libretto by Carlo Sernicola]. Collaboration with Drs. Anthony Robert Del Donna and Francesco Ermini Polacci. Yale University Press and A&R Editions. Forthcoming, Fall 2001.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES PRESENTATIONS.

Sacred music drama on the royal stage of the Teatro di San Carlo: A study of Guglielmi's Debora e Sisara (in collaboration with Drs. Anthony Robert Del Donna and Francesco Ermini Polacci). British Society for Eighteen-Century Studies, Annual Conference 2001 (St. John's College, Oxford, 3-5 January 2001).
Intorno al giapponismo di "Iris", Giornata di Studi Mascagnani (Mascagni symposium) organised by the Centro Studi Mascagnani Livorno (Livorno, Teatro Goldoni, 7 December 2000).
Busoni e Felice Boghen. "Ferruccio Busoni e il pianoforte del Novecento", International Conference organised by the Centro Studi Musicali Ferruccio Busoni (Empoli, Florence, 12-14 November 1999).
L'oriente in scena: gli esotismi nell'opera toscana del primo Novecento. "Firenze, il Giappone e l'Asia Orientale", International Symposium organised by the Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario G. P. Viesseux and the Japan Foundation (Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, 25-27 March 1999).

ANGEL ANDREA TAVANI
Professor of Violin

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Born in La Spezia , he graduated with a degree in violin from the A. Boito Conservatory in Parma in 1989, with Prof. Runza, while at the same time finishing his classical studies. Before having finished his degree, he attended a course for orchestra qualification at the Scuola di Musica in Fiesole, where he also attended courses on Chamber music and a specialisation course on trios, sustained by the Trieste Trio.
He also studied musical duos and trios with piano for three years under the Maestro P. Masi at the Accademia Musicale di Firenze.
He completed several specialisation courses on violin technique and interpretation with S. Lupu, A. Stern, A. Bologni, and C. Rossi.
Tavani performs regularly in concerts both as a solo artist and as a member of a chamber orchestras: Gruppi da Camera dell' OGI, Solisti del Teatro Bellini di Catania, Nuovi Cameristi Italiani, Complesso da camera di Luni, Camerata Musicale, Paganini Consort, Complessi da Camera del Teatro del Giglio di Lucca, Accademia Strumentale Toscana , Musici Mundi, Solisti Fiorentini
He has also performed with the following orchestras:
1988-89: Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, 1990: Charleston/Spoleto Festival Orchestra, 33° Festival dei Due Mondi, 1991-92: Teatro Bellini Orchestra in Catania, 1992: Spoleto festival Orchestra, 35° festival dei Due Mondi, 1993-94: Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI in Rome, Orchestra dell'Opera di Roma, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, 1994-95: Orchestra Regionale Toscana, 1996-1999: Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, 1999: Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Teatro La Fenice Orchestra in Venice, the Teatro Lirico Orchestra in Cagliari, Pomeriggi Musicali in Milano
1999: He performed as second violin during the opera season, Città Lirica for the theatres in Pisa, Livorno and Lucca, 2000: Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Orchestra A. Toscanini in Parma, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (First violins concert),Teatro Lirico in Cagliari.
2000: winner of the competition for the role of First Violin in the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, with which he is currently employed.

DUCCIO CECCANTI
Professor of Violin

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Born to a family of musicians, Duccio began studying the violin at the age of 5 under the instruction of his father. He received his diploma with full honours, at a very young age under the guidance of Andrea Tacchi, at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence and awarded the "Fondazione Banca F. del Vecchio prize for best scholar.
Five times he was awarded a diploma of merit and won the G. Chigi scholarship at the Accademia Chigiana, attending courses held by Uto Ughi, Boris Belkin, Riccardo Brontola and Alain Meunier. At the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Duccio attended courses held by the Trio Trieste and by the Trio di Milano. He also attended graduate courses held by Stofan Gheorhiu and Felix Andriewski.
His specialisation was completed at the conservatory in Maastricht with Boris Belkin , and at the "W: Stauffer" foundation in Cremona with Salvatore Accardo.
He has played for many important societies and festivals, such as: Teatro la Fenice in Venezia, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sala Bossi in Bologna, Aula Magna dell'Università degli Studi di Roma, Associazione Alessandro Scarlatti in Naples, Accademia Chigiana, Amici della Musica of Vicenza, Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano, Estate Fiesolana, Acquario Romano. Teatro Metastasio in Prato, International Festival in Prague and has toured in France, Germany, Spain and Portugal.
Duccio has executed first performances of S. Bussotti and L. Berio. He has recorded: "Pierrot Lunaire" by A. Schönberg for ARTS with the Contempoartensemble (of which he was a soloist), The trio for strings by Schönberg and Schubert with the Artes Trio and, with the pianist Vovsk Ashkenazy the quartet op. 47 by Schumann.
He has collaborated with the Italian Chamber Orchestra founded and directed by Salvatore Accardo with whom he has recorded for the EMI; FONE', and FONIT CETRA music labels, and with whom he has toured in Italy, South America, China and Japan..
He teaches at "G. Verdi" music school in Prato, and since the summer of 2000 is also assistant maestro of instruments of the specialisation course held by F. Donatoni and A. Corghi at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena.

DAVID BELLUGI
Professor of Flauto Dolce

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David Bellugi is a recorder virtuoso, concert and studio musician, Macintosh-enthusiast, Sound Designer editor and part owner of the Florence-based record company.
David has a B.A. in Applied Musicology which he received Summa cum Laude from the University of California at San Diego, where he studied with Bernhardt-Ambros Batschelet (flute), Robert Erickson and Bernard Rands (composition), Anthony Newman (harpsichord), Thomas Nee (conducting), and Bertram Turetzky (advisor for musicology). He continued his musicological research in Early Music performance practices under the guidance of Antoine Geoffroy-Dechaume in Paris (a student of Early Music pioneer, Arnold Dolmetsch).
As soloist David has performed with many orchestras including: the RAI-Torino, Radio France-Paris, Radio France-Lille, Radio della Svizzera Italiana, as well as with the orchestras of Bari, Cagliari, Cordoba, Emilia-Romagna, Firenze, Harvard University, Milano, Padova, Palermo, Sanremo and Torino. He has performed in recitals and concert/lectures in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and in the U.S.A.
He has premiered various works (Luciano Berio, Nuccio D'Angelo, Ugalberto de Angelis, Dan Locklair, A. Riccardo Luciani, Carlo Prosperi, and Giulio Viozzi have dedicated works to Bellugi) and has appeared successfully as conductor-soloist.
Bellugi teaches Recorder at the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory in Florence Italy.

At the present Stefano Margheri is the first flute in the Florentine Chamber Orchestra and component of the Michelangelo Ensemble. He teaches flute at the music school of Sesto Fiorentino and is also the chairman of the flute instructors at the “Guicciardini Poliziano” music school, as well as at the music department of Istituto Europeo.

STEFANO MARGHERI
Professor of Flauto

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Prof. Margheri began his studies and graduated with full scores from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence under the guidance of Maestro Alfieri and Prof. Di Sabatino, and perfecting his studies with K. Klemm and A. Marion. He has also attended chamber music courses held by Maestro Franco Rossi.

In his career, he has preformed as a soloist with the Florence’s Chamber ensemble (Complesso Cameristico di Firenze) as well as with other ensembles, among which the “J. Francaix” winds quintet, with which he also won the Stresa International Competition. He has performed with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentina orchestra, the ORT (regional orchestra of Tuscany), the International Orchestra of Italy and many others. Performing with these orchestras, he has also had the opportunity to record many works and participate in numerous concerts with some of the finest directors: Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, and Carlo Maria Giulini. His solist performances also include sound and televised recordings of J. S. Bach’s concerts for flute, for a national TV network. Interested as well in contemporary music, Prof. Margheri is involved in the execution and diffusion of contemporary pieces, written by young composers.

At the present Stefano Margheri is the first flute in the Florentine Chamber Orchestra and component of the Michelangelo Ensemble. He teaches flute at the music school of Sesto Fiorentino and is also the chairman of the flute instructors at the “Guicciardini Poliziano” music school, as well as at the music department of Istituto Europeo.

ANDREA MARCHETTI
Professor of Oboe, Flute

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Born and raised in Florence, Andrea graduated from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory with a diploma in oboe, under the guidance of Maestro G. Patroniti. He also attended a specialisation course in Chamber Music at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and specialisation course in oboe at the Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg, under the direction of Hansjorg Schellenberger, first oboe of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Andrea has performed and continues to perform as a soloist and as a member of chamber groups and orchestras and events such as: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Musicus Concentus (under the artistic direction of L. Berio), International Academy of Salzburg, “Insieme Barocco Fiorentino” chamber ensemble, “Gli Amici della Musica” of Arezzo. At the present he performs with the orchestra of the Università degli Studi di Firenze.

His recordings include “Il Figlio dell’Uomo” and “Frate Francesco” with the Musica Instrumentalis ensemble of Florence, the works Maestro C. Terni. Edizioni Fonografiche e Musicali Pro Civitate Christiana-Assisi; numerous concerts as a soloist on a National level.

Music studies alone not being sufficient for Andrea, he also earned a degree in Education Sciences from the Università degli Studi di Firenze. The thesis was titled, “Distance learning for the disabled: beneficial or detrimental? An analysis of the problems of social and work-related integration”. His passion to helping the disabled led him to pursue a career in teaching children with handicaps. Combining education with his love for music, Andrea also teaches music education in several public schools in and nearby Florence.

NUCCIO D'ANGELO
Professor of Guitar

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Nuccio D'Angelo began playing music at the age of six, immediately showing a remarkable interest for the guitar and for composition.
His most important teachers have been Alvaro Company for the guitar and Gaetano Giani-Luporini for composition.
He has performed in concerts as soloist and in chamber music in Italy, Greece, Holland, France, USA, Canada, Germany and Portugal.
He won the first prize at the "Festival of contemporary music" (Tokyo 1984) with "Due Canzoni Lidie" and the "A. Segovia" competition in Almunecar (1991) with "Magie".
He received a special prize in 1996 at "The European International Competition for Composer" in New York and "La chitarra d'oro per la composizione" (Alessandria - 1997)

His music has been appreciated by musicians such as L. Brouwer, T. Riley, R. Smith-Brindle, R. Aussel , A. Pierri and played and recorded by famous guitarists: "Due Canzoni Lidie" was recorded nine times in the last years. He teaches classical guitar at the "P. Mascagni Musical Institute" in Livorno and led courses of guitar and composition in Rome, Lucca, Macerata, Agropoli, Florence, Portoferraio (Elba), Catania, Monza, USA, Canada, Hamburg and Marktoberdorf (Monaco).

VITTORIO CECCANTI
Professor of Cello

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Born in 1972, he began studying the cello at the age of 5 and performed his first "concert" to an audience of seven people. After having graduated with honours from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence under the guidance of Andrea Nannoni, Vittorio went on to study with such renowned musicians as: Yo Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, David Geringas, Valentin Berlinsky, Anner Bijlsma, Karine Georgian, Alain Meunier, Riccardo Brengola, the Trieste Trio and the Milano Trio. Since 1996 he has been one of Natalia Gutman's 5 pupils at the Hochschule in Stuttgart, where he earned his master's in Cello and his degree as a soloist (Solistenklasse) with the highest of marks.
Vittorio has won national and international competitions and prizes such as: first place plus a special Honourable mention of merit at the "City of Vittorio Veneto" competition in 1989; a diploma from the Eurovision competition in Vienna in 1990; the European Yamaha Music Foundation award in 1992; the special "Libero Lana" award and the International "Trio of Trieste" Competition in 1996 and the "Karel Hilsum Prjice" in Amsterdam in 1997.
After having performed in Vienna with the Radio Orf Orchestra directed by Pinchas Steinberg in 1990, and in Naples at the Teatro San Carlo with Pier Luigi Urbini in 1991, Vittorio was called to perform for the occasion of the Gala Concert of the winners of the Eurovision Competitions, which was televised by the RAI TV. Since then, he has been regularly invited to perform as a solo artist in many concerts and festivals in Italy and abroad: Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Festival of Prague, Festival of Lyon, Chigiana Music Week, Amici della Musica in Firenze, Vicenza and Palermo, Teatro Rendano in Cosenza, Festival of Ravello, Festival of Todi, Festival Pontino, in Rome for Radio Tre Suite, RAI International and at the Acquario.
He currently participates in the Trio Artes and the Contempoartensemble (of which he is the founding president). He has recorded 5 CDs with the music of Berio, Boulez, Sciarrino, Steve Reich, Schoenberg e Vacchi, among which he executed the cello solo of "Les mots sont allés…" by L. Berio, and the trio for strings op. 45 by Schoenberg, and played first ever executions by F. Vacchi (for trio with piano), by Peter Maxwell Davies (Trio for strings) and by L. Berio ("Chanson" for Pierre Boulez-cello solo).
Vittorio also recorded the music of F. Vacchi for BMG-Records, among which pieces "In alba mia dir…" - solo for cello, for the soundtrack of the film "Il mestiere delle armi" by Ermanno Olmi.
He also collaborates as first cello soloist with the RAI's National Symphonic Orchestra.
Vittorio, since 1996, teaches the cello at the G. Verdi Music School in Prato, was invited by the Accademia Chigiana in Siena as Assistant Instrumental Maestro for the composition courses in 2000 and 2001, held by Azio Corghi, and was called by the Accademia Musicale in Florence to hold special courses for cello since January 2002.
Recently he has had a huge success with the Trio Artes during their long tour in Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay).
Vittorio plays a priceless cello constructed in Venice around 1720-1 by C. Tononi, which once belonged to Amedeo Baldovino.

"One of the rare true musical talents among all of the students that have passed through me" (Amedeo Baldovino).
"He played for me in September 1992. I was deeply moved by his great talent."
(Sir Georg Solti).
"From the first time I met Vittorio Ceccanti, I was impressed with his maturity and his intelligence. He is an exceptional musician, both technically and intellectually. He is gifted with an extraordinary instrumental ability and a profound perception of the music." (Luciano Berio).

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