Artists
QUARTETTO PROMETEO string quartet
Giulio Rovighi - violin
Aldo Campagnari - violin
Carmelo Giallombardo - viola
Francesco Dillon - cello
«Cinq oeuvres caractéristiques, admirablement exécutées par ces quatre jeunes italiens...Le Quatuor Prometeo, d’un bout à l’autre de ce concert, a été digne de sa jeune réputation» Pierre Petit, "Le Figaro"
«Depuis la disparition de leurs illustres aînés du ‘Quartetto Italiano’, on avait rarement entendu une telle sensibilité et telle sincérité» François Clairant, "Sud-Ouest"
Winner of the 50th «Prague Spring International Music Competition» on May 1998, the Quartetto Prometeo, in the same occasion, was awarded the «Special Bärenreiter prize for best performance of Mozart’s Quartet K 590 according with the original score», the «City of Prague» prize as best quartet and the «Pro Harmonia Mundi» prize. The Quartetto Prometeo has been designated resident group at the Britten Pears Academy (1998) in Aldeburgh and was recently awarded the «Thomastik Infeld» prize at the Internationale Sommer Akademie Prag-Wien-Budapest-1999 for «outstanding performance of a chamber music work» and the second prize at the Concours International de Quatuors in Bordeaux. In 2000 the Quartetto Prometeo was awarded the Special Bärenreiter Prize at the ARD Münich Competition.
Since the beginning the quartet received many important scholarships from the Scuola di Musica of Fiesole and from the Accademia Chigiana of Siena, where in August 1995 won the prestigious diploma of honour.
Quartetto Prometeo’s brilliant international career include performances at Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Wigmore Hall, Aldeburgh Festival, Wexford Festival, Prague Spring Festival, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Roma (world premieres of Salvatore Sciarrino’s Esercizi di tre stili and Uvietta’s Numi both dedicated to the Prometeo), Società del Quartetto di Milano (world premiere of Ivan Fedele’s Târ), Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival, Orlando Festival, Festival “Die Lange Nacht der Elektronischen Klange 2000” in Berlin, Waterfront Hall in Belfast for the BBC, Grand Théâtre in Bordeaux, Foundation Royaumont (world premiere of Stefano Gervasoni’s Strada non presa dedicated to the Prometeo), Auditorium Musée d'Orsay in Paris, Boswil Festival, Schloss-Elmau Kammermusikfest, Würzburg Mozartnacht, Le Printemps Musical de Saint-Cosme (2001, 2002 & 2003), Engadiner Festwochen, Kammermusikfest di Saarbrücken (Nono’s Fragmente-stille an Diotim), Rencontres Musicales de Fontainebleau, Colmar Festival (world premiere of Jacques Lenot’s new string quartet), Sanssouci Festival in Potsdam, as well as tours in South America, The Netherlands... Upcoming engagements include the world premiere of the new string quartet of Salvatore Sciarrino (dedicated to the Prometeo) co-commissioned by Società del Quartetto in Milano, Ultima Festival in Oslo, Aldeburgh Festival and MaerzMusik Festival in Berlin.
Quartetto Prometeo recorded for the German ARD, Saarländischer Rundfunk and Bayerishe Rundfunk, the English BBC, Radio France, the Austrian ORF, and regularly for the Italian RAI Radio 3.
February 2009
Giulio Rovighi was born in 1970 in Bologna, Italy. He graduated with full marks and honours degree at "G. B. Martini" Conservatory of music in Bologna. He continued his studies under Dora Schwarzberg and specialized with Salvatore Accardo at the "W. Stauffer" Academy in Cremona from 1992 to 1999. In 1994 Salvatore Accardo nominated him tone judge of "Stradivari Violin Making Competition" in Cremona.
He was awarded prizes in many competitions, and he has performed as a soloist Paganini 1st Concert, with "Orchestra del Teatro Comunale" of Bologna, also he frequently performed as a soloist with "Orchestra da Camera Italiana" together with Salvatore Accardo. In chamber music he collaborated with many important musicians, like the famous violist Bruno Giuranna and tehe cellist Alain Meunier.
In 2002 he was the first one at the International Audition called by "Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala" of Milan and, in the same year, he was the only finalist in the Assistant Concertmaster Competition of "Teatro alla Scala", in the presence of Riccardo Muti; for that results he is usually invited as Assistant Concertmaster by Teatro alla Scala.
After the 2007 Competiton he is invited as Concertmaster by Orchestra dell’Accademia di S.Cecilia di Roma. He is invited to held a number of concerts as Concertmaster also by Teatro "La Fenice" of Venice and by "Philarmonia Wien".
In 2008 he begin performing, as first violin, with Prometeo Quartet.
He also dedicates himself to teaching: winner of the Competition for teaching posts held by Italian Ministry of Public Education, from 1994 he is violin professor at the State Conservatory of Music in Benevento (Italy).
He plays a violin by Goffredo Cappa (Cremona 1682) and a violin by Carlo Tononi (Bologna 1720).
Aldo Campagnari, violin (Italy): is a member of the Prometeo Quartet with whom he tours internationally. He performs in various chamber ensembles and is a member of the Alter Ego ensemble (Rome). He currently teaches violin at the “F. Gaffurio” Academy in Lodi and as visiting professor at the Conservatorio in Trento.
Carmelo Claudio Giallombardo received his Diploma under the guidance of Mr. Farulli and he was admitted to Mr. Hatto Beyerle Viola Master Class. He also studied with other professors such as: Bruno Giuranna, Vladimir Mendelssohn, and Wolfgang Christ.
He was the first viola of the ‘Orchestra Giovanile Italiana’, first viola of the ‘Orchestra Regionale Toscana’ and worked in collaboration with the ‘Teatro Comunale of Florence’ and the ‘National Academy of Santa Cecilia’.
He performed intensively as both soloist and in a duet Viola-Piano in various prestigious concert halls and concert series in Italy and abroad.
He premiered several new works. For instance, he performed the music of Donatoni in Luxemburg. In 2000, he performed the music of A. Brizzi at the Die Lange Nacht der Elecktronischen Klange in Berlin, and the music of Scelsi at the Schloss Elmau musiche in Monaco.
He is one of the founding members of the Prometeo string quartet who won the 50th edition of the Prague Spring International Competition in 1998. On the same occasion, the quartet received the Barenreiter special award, the City of Prague award and the Pro Harmonica Mundi award. Since then, the quartet has won the second prize at the Concours International de Quatuor de Bordeaux, in France and the Berenreiter Special award at the ‘ARD Quartet International Contest in Munich.
The quartet has toured throughout Europe (Italy, England, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Albania, Czech Republic, Ireland), Japan, and South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil). The quartet has also collaborated with famous soloists and chamber ensembles such as: Massimo Quarta, Marianna Sirbu, Pavel Vernikov, Andrea Lucchesini, Ludmilla Berlinskaia, Enrico Pace, Claudia Antonelli, Michele Campanella, Raphael Drouin, Paolo Beltramini, Marc Desmins, Vladimir Mendelssohn.
The quartet has recorded for the BBC Radio 3, RAI Radio 3, ORF National Austria Radio, ARD Munich. They have recorded the music of several composers, including: F. Pennisi for BMG Ricordi s.p.a., Stupper for the label Real Sound, G. Kantscheli for the label Stradivarius, and S. Sciarrino for the French label Zig Zag.
Giallombardo was a String Quartet coach at the O.Vecchi Institute. He is presently professor of viola at the Music School of Florence, Italy, and at the Istitute Musicale Pareggiato Rinaldo Franci in Siena, Italy.
Francesco Dillon was born in Torino in 1973, he graduated with the maximum of degrees at the Conservatorio “L.Cherubini” in Firenze under the inspirational guidance of Andrea Nannoni. Other very influential teachers where David Geringas, Mario Brunello and Amedeo Baldovino and for the composition studies Salvatore Sciarrino.
Beside his solo activity (with Orchestra nazionale della RAI, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana,Orchestra Haydn among the others) he’s very active as cellist of the Quartetto Prometeo (wich tours regularly in Europe, Japan and South America).
His deep interest in contemporary music led him to collaborate closely and regularly with some of the most important composers of today such as Gavin Bryars, Ivan Fedele, Luca Francesconi, Philip Glass, Vinko Globokar, Jonathan Harvey, Toshio Hosokawa, Giya Kancheli, David Lang, Henri Pousseur, Steve Reich, Kaja Saariaho, Salvatore Sciarrino, John Zorn, and with well renowned electronic musicians such as Matmos, Pansonic, Scanner, Alva Noto, Midaircondo.
As a member of the internationally acclaimed group AlterEgo and for his solo projects he has performed in all the major contemporary music festivals (Stockholm New Music, MaerzMusik, Festival Archipel, Ircam, Romaeuropa Festival, Ultima Festival Oslo, Wien Modern, Gaida Festival, Huddersfield Festival, Nous Sons Barcellona, Taktlos Berna, Musica Electronica Nova Wroclaw,Teatro San Martin Buenos Aires,Munich Biennale,Bologna Festival,Milano Musica,Biennale Venezia among others).
He regularly plays chamber music with partners such as I. Arditti, G. Carmignola, M. Campanella, P. Farulli, V. Hagen, A. Lonquich, A. Lucchesini, E. Pace, R. Schmidt (Hagen string quartet), P. Vernikov. He won several competitions and with the quartet prizes at Pague spring (1st prize 1998), ARD Munich, Bordeaux. His performances were broadcasted by the German ARD, Saarländischer Rundfunk and Bayerische Rundfunk, the English BBC, Radio France, the Austrian ORF, Australian ABC and regularly for the Italian RAI Radio 3. He recorded for the labels Aulos, Dynamic, Ricordi, Stradivarius and Touch. His most recent releases are the first world recordings of Variazioni for cello and orchestra by Salvatore Sciarrino, rewarded with the prestigious “Diapason d’or” ,the recently discovered Ballata by Giacinto Scelsi with the Italian National Radio Orchestra, and the debut album of his improvisation project with David Marana, Bowline. He teaches at the Scuola di musica di Fiesole.
Links: 
MySpace, Resia Artists.
Matteo Pennese
Composer, improviser, performer and videomaker, was born in Verona (Italy). He studied composition with Franco Donatoni, electronic music with Alvise Vidolin and trumpet with Francesco Grigolo. He received an DEA in “Music and musicology of 20° century” at EHESS (École des hautes ètudes en sciences sociales) in Paris. His compositions were played at Akademie der Kunste of Berlin, Fondazione Pistoletto, Roman Theatre of Fiesole, Ars Musica in Bruxelles, “Opera Totale” in Venice, Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid. He worked as teacher at “Centro Tempo Reale” of Florence, music research center Agon in Milan, Foundation Music Schools of Milan, Music Center of Modena. He traverses the experimental terrain between music, space and image using technology in unconventional ways. His diverse body of work includes music compositions, soundtracks, performances, video, music for theatre and installations. The video "Della schiuma dell'acqua" from "Delle Acque" was selected for SoundImage IV in Stockton (USA). His live shows are usually built around specific and peculiar use of MaxMsp/Jitter.
He is part of different project as duo with Walter Prati (Evan Parker Electro-acoustic ensemble), Tevut with Massimo Falascone, the quartet The Universe with Xabier Iriondo, Walter Prati, Paolo Tofani (Area guitarist). He is member of Spio (Sound Painting Italian Orchestra). He leads various theatrical projects with the actor and director Claudio Marconi.
Links: home page.
Walter Prati
Composer, cello and electronics player. Improvised Music, Contemporary and electronic music from analog time to digital domain. Always involved in experimental projects with Giancarlo Schiaffini, Evan Parker. Founder member of Evan Parker Electroacoustic ensemble. Music performed at Teatro alla Scala, Akademie der Kunste - Berlin, CCA Glasgow, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival; Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco, Bogotà, Melbourne.... President of MM&T (Musica Musicisti & Tecnologie) in Milan. [from his Myspace page]
Links: Musica Musicisti e Tecnologie.
Antonella Bersani
She was born in Milan (Italy) and received her master's degree from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Later she spent time in England studying botany, an experience that had an enormous influence on her art. She has worked in many diverse mediums, ranging from sculpture and drawing to video, stepping outside of the field of contemporary visual art in order to experiment with less orthodox genres including musical theatre.
She has been short-listed for the Agenore Fabbri Prize and a new work of hers will be exhibited in various European museums and galleries in 2010.
Links: home page.