Piano and piano section 4 hands

GIORGIO VERCILLO, President of the jury, pianist

Born in Alessandria in 1954. Main piano professor at the A. Vivaldi Conservatory of Alessandria from 1978 to 2019, where he graduated in 1976 with top marks and distinguished honors under the guidance of Maestro Giuseppe Binasco, former student of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Alfred Cortot. He studied composition with Maestro Carlo Mosso and graduated in music teaching with musicologist Lidia Palomba. He has been present on the international concert scene for over fifty years with hundreds of recitals for prestigious organizations and institutions, often accompanied by well-known soloists. Awarded several times in competitions, he won the International Piano Competition “Concours Musical de France” in Paris. Among the various recognitions in his career, he was awarded the "COMMENDA PALESTRINA" in Brazil (the only European concert performer) by the Federal Minister of Education. Also involved in the contemporary music front, there are many works dedicated to him by important Italian and foreign composers and entrusted to the first performance both in concert and in record productions. Invited to juries of national and international competitions, he holds courses, seminars and masterclasses in Italy and abroad.

GIANFRANCO CARLASCIO,  pianist

Livorno, he graduated under the guidance of Itala Balestri Del Corona with full marks and honours. He then perfected his skills with Ilonka Deckers Kuszler and Antonio Bacchelli, and with Marta Del Vecchio and Dario De Rosa for the chamber and four-hand repertoire, which he regularly practiced together with the solo one. He has distinguished himself in various competitions, first prize at the “F: Liszt” festival and in Osimo, and at the Young Concert Artists Festival in Rome; he also established himself as the best classified in the competition, also dedicated to Liszt, held in Sopron (Hungary) and reserved only for the winners of the various European National Festivals named after this author. He has performed concerts as a soloist, also in Germany and Austria (in particular at the Estérhazy Castle in Eisenstadt), also invited among the pianists who performed in Liszt's birthplace in Raiding: – He also performed in various chamber ensembles. He attended the Composition Course and also graduated in Philosophy at the University of Pisa with a thesis on Aesthetics. He has held the chair of Principal Piano in various Italian Conservatories and in particular, since 1996 at the “N.Paganini” Conservatory of Genoa. Invited to the jury in various competitions, he collaborates with various institutions, including the Unitre of Alessandria for which he has been a speaker for the History of Music course for years.

LUIGINA GANAU, pianist

Luigina Ganau was born in Turin in 1966, studied piano with Maestro Walter Bozzia, graduating brilliantly in 1988 at the “A. Vivaldi” of Alessandria. Passionate about the baroque repertoire, she began studying the harpsichord at the “G. Verdi” of Milan with Prof. Marina Mauriello and then continued with Prof. Francesca Lanfranco under whose guidance she graduated in 2002 again at the “Vivaldi” of Alessandria. Piano teacher, trained in Milan at the "Yamaha Music Foundation", since 1989 she has collaborated with various cultural associations such as the "Circolo Amici della Musica" of Valenza (AL) and "The Instrumental Academy of Chamber Music" of Alessandria, where he held courses for children and adults for several years. She is a music teacher at lower secondary school, she played with the Classical Orchestra of Alessandria and was the founder and harpsichordist of the orchestra" G. B. Somis” and the “Somis Quartet” dedicating themselves to the recovery and dissemination of some of the most significant works of the Piedmontese baroque composer of the same name. A musician given to the word, she has two publications to her credit: "Hebdomas, hostaria delle pene" and "Bianconeve, le parole dei Suoni" which describes her personal relationship with the keyboards, a cathartic gesture through which she tells her story by reliving a childhood lived on the edge of Turin in the seventies, to illustrate a contemporaneity experienced in the role of educator and musician.

Chamber music section and soloists

MARIO CARBOTTA, President of the Jury, flutist

A soloist appreciated by the public and international critics, he has held concerts in some of the most prestigious locations in the world including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Rudolfinum in Prague, the Tonhalle in Zurich, Bulgaria Hall in Sofia, the Cairo Opera House, Glenn Gould CBC Halls in Toronto, Seoul Arts Center and also in New York, Montreal, Tokyo, London, Beijing, Geneva, Sao Paulo, Istanbul, Bucharest and at the festivals of Santander, Perelada, Ljubliana, Varna, Zagreb. Among the few contemporary flautists to have performed a large part of the solo repertoire accompanied by over 80 symphony and chamber orchestras of international importance including: European Union Chamber Orchestra, Tonkünstlerorchester Nieder österreich Wien, Sofia Sinfonietta, Slovak Sinfonietta, Cairo Symphony Orchestra, lstanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico, Israel Sinfonietta, Archi della Scala and also in Italy with the I.C.O. of Milan (Pomeriggi Musicali), Bari, Parma, Sanremo, Palermo, L'Aquila, Ancona, in Germany with the orchestras of Mainz, Mannheim, Frankfurt (Deutsches Kammerorchester), Oldenburg, Sondershausen (Loh-Orchester), Konstanz (Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie ), in Poland with the philharmonics of Bydgoszcz, Kraków, Rszezòw, Szezcin, Katowice, in the Czech Republic with the philharmonics of Ceske Budejovice, Teplice and Zlin. The musicians who directed his performances were authoritative: Stefan Asbury, Massimiliano Caldi, Alvaro Cassuto, Philippe Bernold, Elio Boncompagni, Diego Fasolis, Piero Gamba, Angelo Persichilli, Jan Talich, Johnatan Webb to name a few. He has edited critical editions of Briccialdi's pieces. Ciardi, Fioroni, Nardini, Lichtenthal, Mercadante, Rolla, Veginy for the Suvini Zerboni, Carisch, Rugginenti, Vigormusic editions. Numerous certificates from the specialized press for his 21 CDs with the labels Dynamic, Tactus, Brilliant classics, Nuova Era, Veermer, including in co-production with RSI the Masonic Songs by C. Fürstenau with the RTSI choir under the direction of Diego Fasolis and A. Rolla's duets for flute and violin with the violinist Mario Hossen which recently appeared on Lugano, Cult - a cultural monthly magazine on Swiss radio written by Giovanni Conti: The flautist Mario Carbotta gives an extremely convincing reading, confirming himself as only a musician of the highest caliber but also a researcher capable of bringing the results of his musicological experience into practice. Mario Carbotta is a flute teacher at the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali “Luigi Boccherini” in Lucca and in the summer courses of the International Music Academy Orpheus in Vienna.

MASSIMO COCO, violinist

Violinist, violist and composer, he completed his musical studies at the N.Paganini Conservatory in Genoa, graduating in 1984 under the guidance of Renato De Barbieri, and also attending courses at the Sommerakademie of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, again under the guidance of De Barbieri. After the death of his teacher, he continued his studies by following the lessons and masterclasses of Devy Erly of the École Superieure de Musique in Paris and Lewis Kaplan of the Juilliard School in New York. In 1995 he obtained a self-taught diploma in viola at the “Antonio Vivaldi” Conservatory in Alessandria. He began his professional career both as a solo violinist and collaborating with numerous chamber ensembles, including the Trio Esiodos of Rome, while as a violist he was part of the Aurora Quartet of Trieste and currently plays in the Elleboros Quartet of Florence. As a violin teacher he has taught since 1986 at the “L.Canepa” Conservatory of Sassari, since 1990 at the “G.F.Ghedini” Conservatory of Cuneo, since 2000 at the “N.Paganini” Conservatory of Genoa and has held the professorship since 2018 at the “L.Cherubini” Conservatory in Florence. From 2000 to 2004 he was assistant to Lewis Kaplan at the Sommerakademie of the Mozarteum in Salzburg. As a composer he wrote the Requiem “Beati Qui” for mixed choir and orchestra, performed in 2013 in Genoa by the choir and orchestra of the Teatro Carlo Felice, plus numerous chamber pieces (including the “Fantasia sopra una tregenda” and the “CInque danze Speechless”) which boast numerous performances also abroad. His activity as an orchestra professor, after his first numerous experiences in orchestral ensembles active in traditional theatres, has led him from 1980 (violin in a row at the Orchestra of the Teatro Lirico of Cagliari) to today to collaborate as a supporter of the first violins, as concertino of the first violins, as first of the second violins and occasionally as first viola with numerous opera-symphonic institutions, including the Rai National Orchestra of Milan, the Arena of Verona, "i Pomeriggi Musicali" of Milan, the “Milano Classica” Chamber Orchestra, the “A.Toscanini” Emilia Romagna Symphony Orchestra, the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale of Spoleto, the Puccini Festival Foundation, the Carlo Felice of Genoa, the “Luglio Musicale Trapanese”, the National Symphony Orchestra of Tunis, the Chamber Orchestra of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Musical and Symphonic Institution of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Florentine Chamber Orchestra and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

CARLO DEMARTINI, organist and composer

Born in 1981, he began his musical studies privately under the guidance of Maria Pia Cabona, to continue in Massimo Gabba's Organ class at the Diocesan Academy of Sacred Music of San Rocco in Alessandria. Already titular organist of the Parish of Saint Pius V in Alessandria, and of the Diocesan Youth Choir of Alessandria, he served as organist for about 20 years at numerous celebrations of the Cathedral of Alessandria. At the same time, he served at celebrations in various Italian dioceses, including the Vicariate of Rome, and at some pontifical celebrations. He graduated in Sacred Music from the Novara Conservatory, with a thesis on the ministry of the liturgical organist, and in Composition from the Alessandria Conservatory. He followed masterclasses in organ improvisation with Fausto Caporali, Stefano Rattini and Paolo Oreni, in orchestration with Stefano Fonzi, on 19th century Italian organ music with Marco Ruggeri, and on synthesizers with Roberto Pagani. He further perfected himself in composition with Alessandro Ruo Rui. He is a certified teacher of music word processing with the Finale ® software and, in addition to collaborations with schools, he deals with transcriptions and music publishing. He founded, in collaboration with Marcello Bianchi, violin teacher at the Conservatory of Alessandria, the tenth "Hdemia ensemble", as arranger and accompanying pianist, with whom he served at celebrations of the Cathedral of Alessandria and performed in numerous concerts . He is the artistic director of the "Musica, Immagine, Word, Prayer" event at the Rectory Church of Santa Maria Immacolata all'Esquilino in Rome, which offers chamber, vocal and instrumental music, in the form of a concert or spiritual elevation, with particular attention to the valorization of young musicians, chosen from among the best graduates of Italian conservatories, and from winners of international competitions. He is the artistic director of the “Cordophonia” exhibition, organized by the LE.ARTI Cultural Association. in Rome, and dedicated to stringed instruments. He is Master Director of the Servite Musical Chapel of San Carlo in Turin. He is a teacher of "Elements of analysis and composition for the liturgy" at the "Beato Angelico" school of sacred art in Milan. He has held and holds regular liturgical musicology courses, in person and online, for choirs, associations, parishes or dioceses, with the aim of increasing the awareness and preparation of those who deal, in the liturgy, with the ministerial service of singing and music. He is active as a composer, arranger and orchestrator, mainly in the liturgical field: his compositions are regularly performed throughout the national territory, including in concerts and choral festivals. He is regularly invited to the most prestigious national and international conferences on sacred and liturgical music, organized by the Episcopal Conferences and the Holy See. He is regularly invited to take part in the juries of prestigious international chamber, vocal and instrumental music competitions.

Opera Singing Section

SILVANO SANTAGATA, President of the Jury, tenor

Graduated in Flute at the Conservatory “N. Paganini ”of Genoa, he subsequently studied singing with the Baritone Paolo Ancarani and perfected himself under the guidance of Maestro Rosetta Noli. He took part in important musical events such as: Villa Imperiale Festival in Genoa – Musical evenings in Milan – September music in Turin and others. He performed in France - Germany - Switzerland and Sweden where he performed the Petite messe solennelle by G. Rossini. He performed the ode Columbus by the composer Angelo Canepa for the first time at the Carlo Felice Theater in Genoa and the opera Moro per amore by Alessandro Stradella. He sang under the direction of world-renowned maestros such as: D. Sthall – H. Handt – F. Molinari Pradelli – G. Gavazzeni – D. Oren G. Morelli. C. Mandeal. Interpreter of the lyrical repertoire, he dedicated himself to operetta as a protagonist, performing with success among the public and critics The Merry Widow – The Land of Smiles – Frasquita – Dream of a Waltz The Count of Luxembourg and other titles. He has recorded: Mozart's Requiem – Moro per amore by Stradella Valentino Bucchi's double bass – Rossini's Stabat Mater Rossini's Petite solennelle – Mozart's Requiem and the complete CD series of Canto l'opera. He recently performed Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu), Tosca (Mario Cavaradossi) and Verdi's Requiem. – Puccini's Messa di Gloria and Mascagni's Messa di Gloria – Simon Boccanegra (Gabriele Adorno) La Traviata (Alfredo) Pagliacci (Canio) For several years he has collaborated as a maestro with the Claudio Monteverdi opera choir of Genoa and dedicated himself to orchestral conducting.

NANA MIRIANI, soprano

Born in Tbilisi (Georgia), she graduated in singing at the Conservatory of her city. In Italy, he attended the Accademia Chigiana of Siena and the Training and Specialization Course of the “Arturo Toscanini” Singing Academy of Parma, in Busseto, under the guidance of Carlo Bergonzi, obtaining diplomas of merit and scholarships, and the Specialization and Vocal Interpretation Course “Verdi Opera Studio”, of the “Verdi Festival Foundation” of the Teatro Regio of Parma, under the guidance of Renata Scotto. She is currently studying with the Soprano Aprile Millo. She made her debut in 1998 in Busseto, playing Abigaille in Nabucco, under the direction of Maestro Romano Gandolfi. She participates in the “Radio France” Festival at the Opera Berlioz in Montpellier in D. Monleone's Cavalleria Rusticana and in F. Alfano's Resurrection. During her career, she played the roles of: Tosca at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, National Theater in Bratislava, State Opera Z. Paliashvili in Tbilisi. Abigaille in Nabucco, in Busseto, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Teatro di elefeld, Teatro Wielki di Poznan, Z. Paliashvili State Opera Theater di Tbilisi, Steinbruch Rohrdorf Festival di Munich, National State Opera Theater A. Dvorak di Ostrava, Prague State Opera. Lady Macbeth in Macbeth at the Teatro Regio in Parma, Teatro Wielki in Poznan, National Theater in Prague, National Theater in Bratislava, and engaged at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence, for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, State Opera House of Banska Bystrica. Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Z. Paliashvili State Opera House in Tbilisi, at the State Opera House in Prague. Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera at the Teatro Regio in Parma, in the theaters of the Circuito Lirico Lombardo, Teatro A. Ponchielli in Cremona, Teatro Grande in Brescia, Teatro Sociale in Como, Teatro G. Fraschini in Pavia, and at the Teatro dell'Opera in State Z. Paliashvili of Tbilisi. Odabella in Attila at the Paliashvili State Opera Theater in Tbilisi. Aksinja in the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mzensk District by D. Shostakovic at the Teatro Comunale of Florence, for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Leonora in Il Trovatore at the Toscana Opera Festival. Aida at the Z. Paliashvili State Opera Theater in Tbilisi. Leonora in La Forza del Destino at the Griboedov Theater in Tbilisi. Fedora at the A. Dvorak State Opera House in Ostrava. Gioconda at the Batumi Opera House (Georgia) Turandot at the Z. Paliashvili State Opera House in Tbilisi. Messa di Gloria by G. Donizetti, in the role of soprano soloist, at the Olomouc Sacred Music Festival. Requiem Mass by G. Verdi, in the role of soprano soloist, at the Olomouc Sacred Music Festival. Symphony No. 9 by L. v. Beethoven, as Mezzo-soprano soloist, at the Rossini Theater in Pesaro, conducted by Maestro Hideaki Hirai (2019). Gala concerts, “Verdi Gala”, “Puccini Gala”, Recitals in various locations in Italy and abroad, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, at the Perez Galdòs Theater in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, at the Salle Pleyel of Paris, which saw her perform arias from works by Italian and foreign authors, and Richard Wagner, from the roles of Brunnhilde and Isolde, at the Tbilisi Philharmonic Theater in 2015, presented by the famous actor Alain Delon, alongside other famous artists operas of an international level. You have sung in operas and concerts with various colleagues, including Dolora Zajick, Elisabetta Fiorillo, Nicola Martinucci, Salvatore Licitra, Franco Vassallo, Leo Nucci, Ambrogio Maestri, Lorenzo Saccomani, Lado Ataneli, Paata Burchuladze, Alberto Rinaldi, Carlo Guelfi . He has worked with numerous conductors, including Romano Gandolfi, James Conlon, Lorin Maazel, Tiziano Severini, Antonello Allemandi, Valery Gergiev, Alberto Veronesi, and directors, including Daniele Abbado, Jean Louis Grinda, Luca Ronconi, Lev Dodin, Andrey Konchalovsky, Alfonso Signorini, Giancarlo del Monaco. In 2018 she followed a course of lessons by Maestro Riccardo Muti on Giuseppe Verdi's opera Macbeth at the "Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy" in Ravenna.

FEDERICO LONGHI, bass – baritone

An internationally established artist, Federico Longhi has played various roles alongside international celebrities and directed by internationally renowned masters and directors. Of particular note are his interpretation of the title role in Rigoletto in the theaters of Verona, Nice, Linz, Wurzburg, Parma and Bonn, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Gianni Schicchi at the Carlo Felice in Genoa, Guy de Montfort in Les vêpres Siciliennes in Wurzbug and at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Fastaff in Linz, Amonasro in Aida at the Arena di Verona conducted by Maestro D. Oren and in Ravenna conducted by Maestro R. Muti, Sulpice in the Fille du Régiment in Bologna, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Michonnet in Adriana Lecouvreur and Gianni Schicchi at the Teatro Filarmonico of Verona. In China he played the role of Escamillo in Carmen, while at the Savonlinna Festival he was Ford in Falstaff directed by Maestro R. Muti and subsequently, at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, he debuted the role of Tonio in Pagliacci, while in Linz he debuted the role of Count di Luna in the new production of Il Trovatore. Also in Parma, for the Teatro Regio season, he debuted the title role in Don Pasquale and subsequently, again in the Emilian capital, he sang in Carmina Burana. At the Luglio Musicale Trapanese he plays the role of Don Pasquale and returns to Genoa at the Carlo Felice Theater in the role of Tonio in I Pagliacci. His activity continues both in Italy and abroad in primary roles, such as Isidoro in the world premiere contemporary opera Le Baruffe by Maestro Battistelli at the Fenice in Venice, his debut in the roles of Nabucco and Miller in Luisa Miller in Erfurt, while in Bonn he made his debut in the role of Don Carlo in the opera Ernani and in the title role of Rigoletto. He sees him as the protagonist in France in the theaters of Angers, Rennes and Nantes in the role of Miller in Luisa Miller. Of note is the debut of the role of Scarpia in Tosca at the Teatro dell'Opera Giocosa in Savona. The same role sees him protagonist in the theaters of the Rete Lirica Marchigiana Foundation in Ascoli Piceno, Fermo and Fano. On the occasion of the "Celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the death of Giacomo Puccini 1924-2024" he performed in Piacenza, in G. Puccini's Messa di Gloria. The spring of 2024 saw him engaged at the Nice Opera House, in an artistically ambitious project, with Le Rossignol by I. Stravinsky and Les mamelles de Tirésias by F. Poulenc. The next projects will see him involved in the 2024-25 opera season of the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, in the role of Giorgio Germont in Traviata. The teaching activity is also intense with Masterclasses in various cities, including: Parma – Accademia Verdiana Teatro Regio San Josè – University of Costa Rica Milan – Accademia Donizetti-Tebaldi Milan – Accademia Cantoalato Novara – Accademia AMO Teatro Coccia Palermo – Kaleidos Musica Academy Novara – Dedalo Musical School Arona – Arona Music Academy Novara – Musical Theater School Milan – Orpheus Musical Academy Of particular importance and artistic interest is the release of the CD “Vie” Voyage vocal de la France a l'Italie, published by Da Vinci Publishing and distributed worldwide.

SILVIA COLOMBINI, soprano

Silvia Colombini is a soprano, graduated in violin and singing, with twenty years of experience on the main international stages. As reported by critics, she is an exceptional interpreter of Mozart and Bel canto. An expert connoisseur and selector of voices, she has been a member of the jury, president of the jury and artistic coordinator in various international singing competitions, including the world competition "Vincerò". She is the creator and teacher of the innovative ARS singing method, a method that teaches singing in flow without effort, taught internationally since 2000. She is also the creator of "Voiceforstage" a training program for young singers; she is the creator and artistic director of the musical project “Alloro” (Italy-China cultural exchange). She has been a musical consultant for international associations and festivals, including the prestigious Armonie d'Arte Festival.You come from a family that belongs to the history of Opera: "Puccini's baritone" Edoardo Camera for whom the role of "Scarpia" was written; the La Scala baritone Giuseppe Bellantoni; the tenor Roberto Stagno, first historic “Turiddu”, the composer Giancarlo Colombini. She began her career as a musician as a professional violinist, but at the age of 27 she discovered her natural soprano voice thanks to the famous soprano Edita Gruberova and thus began her career as a singer. Immediately winner of three international opera competitions, she made her debut in Vienna with one hundred performances of Die Fledermaus. She has performed on the main international stages: Semperoper in Dresden, Staatsoper in Berlin, Opera of Cologne, Bonn, Frankfurt, Regio of Turin, Fondazione Arena of Verona, Festival of Salzburg, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Opera of Rome, La Monnaie of Brussels, Opera Tel Aviv, Festival MITOSettembremusica, Auditorium Verdi Milan, I Pomeriggi Musicali, Loggione del Teatro alla Scala, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Gewandhaus, Sala Gasteig, Auditorium Parco della Musica Rome, Sala Nervi in ​​the Vatican, Quirinale di Roma, Shanghai Concert Hall, Bunka Kaikan of Tokyo, etc.You have collaborated with well-known directors and conductors: Zubin Mehta, Fabio Luisi, Zoltán Peskó, Milan Horvat, Stefan Soltesz, Donato Renzetti, Mario Martone, Luca Ronconi, Filippo Crivelli, Willy Decker, Davide Livermore. You have sung for two Presidents of the Republic (Sergio Mattarella and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi) and two Popes (Francis and G. Paolo II). She has recorded for DECCA and has performed in front of large audiences such as in the opera Elisir d'amore, for the Tel Aviv Opera, in front of 50 thousand spectators.She is also known by the epithet “Soprano D' Arti” for the unpublished formats of her performances in which she sings in 13 languages ​​and juxtaposes opera singing with other art forms, literally giving voice to works of art. material and non-material art. As an artistic soprano you recently held a concert with the opera star Vittorio Grigolo. She is considered an “ambassador” of Italian music in the world with concerts in Africa, India, Japan. In China, she is known as "The Queen of Italian Opera" because she is present with recital tours and master classes from 2011 to 2023. She carries out a cycle of performances on the theme of Human Dignity with many performances in defense of human rights and against violence against women (including the official Memorial Pavarotti concert for UNHCR in Piazza Grande in Modena). She is the Italian spokesperson for the REB and Debra Italia foundation, in defense of "butterfly children", affected by the rare genetic disease Epidermolysis Bullosa.

ROBERTO MUSSI, theatrical agent

FRANCESCO ELLERO D’ARTEGNA – Agente lirico – Operadartegna