THE ARTISTS

David Russell

Opening concert, Sala dei Giganti, Friday 8th , 8 pm
David Russell returns to Festival Homenaje, after the great success of his recitals and masterclasses at Barco Teatro during the first, the second and the third editions and will play right at the Sala dei Giganti in the where he performed in 1970, when he was invited by the Centro Chitarristico Veneto at the beginning of his career. It is now not only a great honour for the Festival to feature his concert again, but also a moment of great emotion and memory for the city of Padua, as well as for the guitarist himself.Grammy Award winner in 2005 for his CD “Aire Latino” in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music, with an Honorary Doctorate in Music by the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2014 and inducted into the Guitar Foundation of America Hall of Fame in 2018, classical guitarist David Russell is world-renowned for his musical and artistic sensibility. He has received numerous and prestigious awards worldwide, of which we will only mention a few: he was nominated a member of the Royal Academy of Music of London in 1997; in 2003, he was awarded the honour of being made "adopted son" of Es Migjor, the city of Menorca where he grew up (which later named a street after him, "Avinguda David Russell"); in November 2003 he was awarded the Medal of Honour by the Conservatory of the Balearics; in 2005 the Vigo Auditorium was named after him and in 2009 he was named honorary member of "Amigos de la Guitarra", the oldest guitar society in Spain.
David Russell has released more than 17 solo albums.
He also started the “David Russell y Marìa Jesùs” NGO, providing support to developing countries (including by financing projects for water extraction and access to safe drinking water in Africa).
He is an active concert artist, appearing regularly in some of the world’s most prestigious venues (including New York, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Toronto and Seoul) and holding popular masterclasses.
www.davidrussellguitar.com

Pavel Steidl

Solo Guitar, Barco Teatro, Sunday 8th, 8 pm
The magic world of Pavel Steidl charmed us in a delightful program, where classic welcomes varieties of incredible new ideas of how a guitar can create precious effects thanks to his ability to awaken what is normally quite inactive in our imagination and hands!

(Oscar Ghiglia)

Pavel Steidl was born in Rakovnik (Czech Republic). Since he won First Prize at the Radio France International Competition in Paris in 1982, he has become one of the most widely celebrated soloists of his generation. Among the members of the jury where names of such artists like Alexandre Tansman, Antonio Lauro, Maria Luisa Anido.
He studied with such guitarists as Milan Zelenka and Stephan Rak in Prague. In 1987 he decided to emigrate to Netherlands where, after years of studying and getting inspiration from many different artists, he has created his own style.
Since 2004 he moved back to Czech Republic and since 2019 he has been a lecturer at the Conservatoire in The Hague.
He had the honour to work together with such artists like Leo Brouwer, Carlo Domeniconi, Paolo Paolini, John Williams, Miroslav Vitous, Karin Schaupp, Edin Karamazov and others. Together with Zoran Dukic, Reentko Dirks and Thomas Fellow, he is a member of “Europian Guitar Quartet” since 2012.
Pavel Steidl also composes himself and his own compositions are often featured in his concerts and recordings. He played in more than 40 countries of the world including Canada, USA, China, India, Japan, Europe, South and Central America, Australia and many others. The readers of the Italian Guitar Magazine “Guitart” decided to name him as a “Guitar Player of the year 2004”.
Pavel Steidl plays many instruments, but mainly Francisco Simplicio (1926), Walter Verreydt, Franz Butcher, Federico Sheppard. Romantic guitars: copies of J. G. Stauffer guitar made by B. Kresse and original instrument from the beginning of the 19^thcentury: Nikolaus (G. Ries. 1830 ca) and Johann Anton Stauffer (1840 ca).
www.pavelsteidl.eu

Maccari-Pugliese Duo

Guitar Duo, Barco Teatro, Tuesday 10th , 8 pm
Claudio Maccari and Paolo Pugliese are considered the leading specialists of the 19^th century repertoire.
After making their New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1992 they have been invited to give concerts and masterclasses by famous Institutions and international Festivals such as the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Yale University, the Sydney Guitar Society, the Parco della Musica, and as well in Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America, US, in duo and as soloists with orchestra.
Classical Guitar wrote: “A listener would have to have cloth ears and a heart of stone not to be profoundly affected by this superb performance of music”.
Their extensive discography includes the complete works of the most important composers of the era and they were the first artists to record the complete Concertos for guitar and orchestra by Mauro Giuliani on period instruments.
They teach 19^th century guitar at the Civica Scuola di Musica “Claudio Abbado” in Milan (IT).

Discography

- “Rossini –Giuliani”, Rugginenti 1994

- “Johann Kaspar Mertz, Opere scelte”, Zecchini editore 2001

- “I Concerti per chitarra e orchestra di Mauro Giuliani”, Amadeus, 2003 (2 Cd)

- “Giuliani Complete Concertos for guitar and orchestra”, Brilliant Classics 2005 (2 Cd)

- “Mauro Giuliani: Complete works for guitar duo”, Brilliant Classics 2007 (3 Cd)

Awarded by prize “Chitarra d’oro” as best guitar recording of 2007

- “Sor-Coste”, Seicorde, 2007

- Mauro Giuliani: “Rossiniane”, Pot Pourri (complete), Brilliant Classics 2008 (3 Cd)

- “Fernando Sor-Napoleon Coste: Complete Works for guitar duo”, Brilliant Classics 2009 (2 Cd)

- “Giuliani-Hummel-Moscheles: Works for guitar and fortepiano”, Brilliant Classics 2011

- “Beethoven: Sonatas for two guitars” (Appassionata, Patetica, op.10 n.2), MP Ed. 2020
www.maccaripugliese.com

Pablo Márquez

Solo Guitar, Barco Teatro, Friday 13th, 8 pm
Regarded as one of the most accomplished and complete musicians of our time, Pablo Márquez takes the guitar to rare levels of expression, combining spontaneity and profound intellectual rigour. The extraordinary extent of his repertoire, which embraces the full historical spectrum from the earliest lute and vihuela publications to the most recent and sophisticated contemporary works – which are often dedicated to him – is unanimously admired.
Awards such as the Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros or the Japan Record Academy Award bear witness of this, as do the countless reactions from the press.
His discography also includes first recordings of works for guitar and orchestra such as Berio’s Chemins V (with Dennis Russel Davies and the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana), Luca Francesconi’s A fuoco (with Susanna Mälkki and the Ensemble Intercontemporain), Zad Moultaka’s Hanbleceya (with Lorraine Vaillancourt and the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne of Montreal) and Javier Torres Maldonado’s Fénix by with Maurizio Grandinetti, Jürg Henneberger and the Phoenix Ensemble.
Pablo Márquez studied guitar in Argentina with Jorge Martínez Zárate and Eduardo Fernández. At the age of twenty he unanimously won the Villa-Lobos competition in Rio de Janeiro and the Concours de Radio France in Paris, the most prestigious guitar competition at the time.
He then studied conducting with Rodolfo Fischer and Peter Eötvös, and followed the teachings of the legendary pianist György Sebök, who would deeply mark his artistic development.
His career has flourished in more than 40 countries, being acclaimed in the finest concert halls.
He has worked with some of the greatest composers of our time, such as Luciano Berio, Mauricio Kagel and György Kurtág.
As a conductor, he founded the KlangMundo Kammerorchester in Basel, an ensemble dedicated to exploring the soundscapes of the world’s different cultures, combining music with action in the fields of human rights, ecology and humanitarianism. With this orchestra, he has already recorded Eduardo Falù Suite Argentina for ECM (forthcoming), with Fabián Cardozo as soloist.
Pablo Márquez is teaching at the Musik-Akademie in Basel, and he gives master-classes all around the world. He was awarded a “Chitarra d’oro” Prize in Milan for his video of Ponce’s Folia Variations, as well as a “Konex Prize” in Buenos Aires in recognition of his entire career.
www.pablomarquez.com

Marco Riboni

Conference, Barco Teatro, Thursday 10th, 10 am
Marco Riboni studied at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan under the guidance of Ruggero Chiesa, graduating with top marks. He also graduated with top marks in History of Music - supervisor Prof. Francesco Degrada - at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy of the Università Statale in Milan.
The degree thesis, on Mauro Giuliani, was published in the U.S. from University Microfilms International. Also on Giuliani, he published a book in 2011 for Edizioni L'Epos with the patronage of the Università Statale in Milan (prof. Cesare Fertonani) and the collaboration of the Ohio State University, U.S.A. (Prof. Thomas F. Heck).
He is editor and music critic of the guitar magazine "Il Fronimo" - the most important in this sector in Italy - and his articles are published in Italy and abroad. He is also a collaborator and specialized critic of the magazine "Amadeus": in 1996, 2003 and 2004 he edited three monographic issues entirely dedicated to the guitar.
He has made radio recordings and has participated in prestigious music Festivals in many Italian cities, playing with numerous instrumentalists.
In 1996 he recorded the CD “Filippo Gragnani. Chamber music with guitar” (Stradivarius, Dulcimer series, STR 33385) which obtained flattering acclaim from critics in Italy and abroad, as well as, in 1999, the first ever recording of the “25 Études de Genre, op. 38 by Napoléon Coste” for solo guitar (Nuova Era 7350) with a rare original seven-string instrument.
He has held conferences, seminars, masterclasses in various Conservatories and Universities and has participated as a juror in international competitions.
In October 2004 he was awarded a “Chitarra d’oro” Prize in Milan for musicological research.
He is a guitar teacher at the Civica Scuola di Musica. In Milan.
www.marcoriboni.it

Gabriele Lodi luthier

Conference, Barco Teatro, Thursday 10th, 10 am
Gabriele Lodi's guitars are loved by leading international concert players and by young students alike.
Born in 1976, he learned the art of guitar making from the age of 13 in the workshop of his father Maurizio and uncle Leandro in Carpi. In the afternoons after school, Gabriele would learn by observing the work done by his father and uncle and he gradually grew to master the craft. At the age of 20 he was officially active full time in the F.lli Lodi workshop.
In recent years, Gabriele has worked hard to promote his work at national and international exhibitions, offering his instruments to a growing international market. Thanks to his commitment, he has developed important relationships with Japan, China, Canada, USA, Australia and Argentina.
Gabriele continues the research work he started in the family workshop on historical instruments, not only by continuing the art of restoring and recovering old guitars, but also by launching his own project to reinterpret the instrument and bring innovation, starting from the most unique and significant characteristics that have made the history of the guitar.
Gabriele has been a professor of “history and development of plucked string instruments” at the Frescobaldi Conservatory of Ferrara since 2010. He has organised exhibitions of ancient musical instruments and conferences in prestigious locations including MondoMusica in Cremona.
"The Lodi lutherie places a strong focus on the relationship with the musicians who come to our workshop. We constantly work with them to seek the truest and most practical musical meaning of the guitar today. We also believe that we need to study and understand the past so we can do our work better”.
www.lodiguitars.com

Carlo Galante

Conference, Barco Teatro, Tuesday 12th , 10 am
Carlo Galante was born in Trento in 1959. He lives and works in Milan where he teaches composition at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi.
He writes works for the theatre and composes symphonic and chamber music performed in Italy and abroad in prestigious venues such as the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Fondazione Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Fondazione Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the RAI in Rome and Naples, the Orchestra dei Pomeriggi musicali in Milan.
His compositions are performed and recorded by leading interpreters in the international panorama of contemporary classical music.

www.carlogalante.it

Stephen Goss - composers

Conference, Barco Teatro, Tuesday 12th , 10 am
The participation of the Welsh guitarist and composer Stephen Goss will add an international edge and state-of-the art research to the Festival.
His music is played by the world’s major classical guitarists, who have also commissioned many works from him. These include David Russell, SoloDuo, Zoran Dukić, Aniello Desiderio, Miloš Karadaglić and Xuefei Yang (including chamber works with cellist Natalie Clein and tenor Ian Bostridge).
As a guitarist, he has worked with Takemitsu, Henze, Peter Maxwell Davies and Elliott Carter and has performed and recorded with several ensembles including the Tetra Guitar Quartet, as well as a soloist.
Recent projects have included the legendary guitarist John Williams, who recorded and toured his “Guitar Concerto” (2012) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014. Some of the world’s major orchestras have performed his works.
He has released over 80 albums with more than a dozen record labels, including EMI, Decca, Telarc, Virgin Classics, Naxos and Deutsche Grammophon. His oeuvre includes large-scale orchestral compositions, choral works, chamber music and solo pieces.
Stephen Goss is currently Professor of Composition and Director of the International Guitar Research Centre at the University of Surrey, UK, and a Professor of Guitar at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2018 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, an honour limited to 300 living people.
He was born in Wales on February 2, 1964.
www.stephengoss.net

Francesco Antonioni composers

Conference Barco Teatro, Tuesday 12th , 10 am
Francesco Antonioni hails from a family of musicians. He was born in Italy, in 1971. He graduated with honors in composition and piano. He continued his studies at Rome’s Santa Cecilia National Academy, under Azio Corghi. He was then awarded The Queen Mother Scholarship and studied under Julian Anderson at the Royal College of Music in London.
Antonioni’s compositions have been performed by some of the music world’s biggest stars, and have been broadcasted on radio and TV throughout Europe and in the United States. He has received commissions from prestigious music institutions, as well as from his mentors, George Benjamin and Hans Werner Henze, for whom he worked as an assistant for three years.
Over the course of his career he has worked with world-renowned conductors and musicians and has collaborated with some of the world’s leading symphony orchestras and ensembles.
Antonioni’s music reflects the breadth of his cultural interests, as he seeks to distill an array of contemporary trends and combine them with traditional classical music forms. Known for his originality and independent spirit, Antonioni has delved into a plethora of musical genres and composed pieces for a host of diverse occasions, which have been performed at some of the world’s most important concert venues and festivals. He has also written music for television, including documentaries produced by Italy’s RAI network, as well as for a photo exhibition by the late Italian photographer Gabriele Basilico.
Francesco Antonioni has also won a number of international awards. In 2009 he was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, and served as a visiting scholar at Cornell University (USA). He has also taught at the Dartington International Summer School.
www.francescoantonioni.com

Giacomo Susani