Massimo Lonardi

.....Born in Milan, Massimo Lonardi was a pupil of Ruggero Chiesa at the Conservatory of Milan, where he also attended the composition course held by Azio Corghi. After graduating in guitar, he has focused on the lute repertoire and the performance of renaissance and baroque music, under the guidance of such an important teacher as Hopkinson Smith, whom he studied with in Italy and Switzerland.

.....Currently considered one of the best lute performers in Europe, Massimo Lonardi is very active as a soloist and as chamber musicians with several ensembles all over the Old Continent. His discography includes dozens of recordings on the labels Ricordi, Erato, Teldec, Tactus, Jeklin, Nuova Era, Stradivarius, Edelweiss and Agorà, and notably monographic CD’s devoted to the music of Francesco da Milano, Pietro Paulo Borrono da Milano, Joan Ambrosio Dalza and Vincenzo Capirola, an anthology of italian Baroque lute music, the vihuela works by Luys Milan and the lute works of John Dowland, that were given the "Musica e Dischi" prize awarded every year to the best instrumental music album. He is professor of lute and chamber music at the Civico Istituto Musicale in Pavia and the Scuola di Musica Antica (School of Ancient Music) in Venice.

 

Paolo Pegoraro

He is considered today to be one of the best italians guitarists of his generation.
The specialized press as well as recognized figures of the music world appreciate in Paolo Pegoraro his ability of communication with the audience, his brilliant technique, but above all, his highly refined artistic sensibility.
Inside an interview in one of the most important specialized magazines, David Russell cited him as one of the best young concertists of the present time and in 2003, the Italian magazine Guitart has elected him as the best italian guitarist of the year.

He began to study music at a very early age, quickly demonstrating a distinct talent. He received from his family an environment rich in musical stimuli.
His formation initially took place at Maestro Tommaso de Nardis' class at the «Benedetto Marcello» Conservatory of Venice, where he graduated with the first class honours degree. He consecutively frequented master classes of Manuel Barrueco and David Russell, as well as receiving the Merit Diploma at the Chigiana Academy of Siena in Maestro Oscar Ghiglia's Class.
Between 1986 and 1993 he received First Prize in a numerous amount of national and international contests (Rome, Viareggio, Stresa, Sanremo, Bari, Paris, Taranto).
He is regularly invited as soloist to the most important international festivals in more than 20 country around the world. With the Symphonic Orchestras of Sanremo, Ljubljana , Kyev and Plovdiv he has performed the most important concerts for guitar and orchestra. Moreover, he is frequently invited as a jury of member of music and guitar competitions in Italy and abroad.
He is creator and artistic director of the Friuli Venezia Giulia International Guitar Festival, which has taken place at Pordenone for 13 years, and founder of the “Francisco Tárrega” Guitar Center, a famous and recognized all over Europe school that boasts students coming from every part of the world. Many Paolo student’s have a regular concerts activity and won more than 80 prizes at national and international competitions.
He has published for the Sinfonica Musical Editions and Farandola Editrice, a own transcriptions series and some revisions.
He recorded three CD’s. For the CD “Solo” (Real Sound Label) he received enthusiastic reviews in the most important musical magazines; the German magazine “Gitarre & Laute” wrote about him “…the guitarist revelation of the year”.
www.farandola.it/pegoraro