Viola player | |||
| There is
something called viola
player, otherwise called violist (which is not violinist
misspelt, as someone and even the Italian Google might think!) and I am
one of those. The viola (and viola
players consequently) are almost unknown to the public, so I've done
something to remedy this lack of information, you'll find a link at the
end of this page. Here I'm supposed to write what I've done, so here is a short overview in a very colloquial style (as opposed to a dry CV style), so I hope you enjoy reading it and find it interesting and maybe you can get some ideas for yourself.
Stamitz's Vola concerto in the church of St. Michael at the North Gate, Oxford | |||
Student viola playerIn short,
I'm Italian,
studied viola
in Italy at the "G. Verdi" Conservatory of
Music in Milan, and also baroque
performance practice. Since I always loved travelling and I
wanted to learn English,
as a student I decided to attended several chamber music and orchestral
music courses in United Kingdom (including Canford
Summer School of Music, Lake
District Summer Music School with Gabrieli and Chilingirian
Quartets, Rehearsal Orchestral in Edinburgh) which were very useful for all my purposes (of improving as a viola
player and in English as well as of travelling and visiting new places). Working viola playerAlready
before and, even more, after the end of my studies, I
worked as a freelance, performed extensively
with many symphony and opera house orchestras
in different parts of Italy, such as Orchestra
Sinfonica della RAI, Milan; Orchestra
del Teatro Massimo “Bellini”,
Catania; Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana,
Piacenza; summer opera seasons in Taormina and rest of Sicily; opera
seasons at Teatro Sociale, Como; Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia di Lecce; Orchestra
Sinfonica Abruzzese, L’Aquila; Orchestra
Filarmonica Lavinia, opera seasons; Orchestra
del Teatro del Giglio, Lucca: Puccini
Opera Festival in Torre del Lago; Orchestra
del Teatro Lirico, Cagliari and many
more.
This way I acquired a broad knowledge of and experience in opera and symphonic repertoire (and a bit more travelling too). I also had been playing in chamber music groups and as a soloist. In 1991 I was part of EUBO
(the European Union Baroque Orchestra) conducted by Roy Goodman, with
which I took part in the most important European festivals (great music
and great places!). | |||
Violin and viola teacherI've
alway
been interested in the different aspects and views of music education and
string teaching issues,
so I read extensively writings by and about Geminiani, L. Mozart, Auer,
Tertis, Kreisler, Primrose, Havas, to know different points of view and
solutions proposed. I also enjoy teaching violin and viola, helping the students to overcome their problems, read more about how I teach in this page. Then, following the study and the translation of works by Kató Havas, I attended courses, run by Kató Havas herself in Oxford, about teaching violin and viola, becoming specialized in the prevention and elimination of problems and physical injuries (tendonitis etc.) caused by playing violin and viola and problems related to nerves during public performances.
With Kató Havas when the Italian
version of the book These are issues have recently become very burning, there are even clinics to cure musicians' physical problems, not to mention the problem of more and more musicians who make use of medical drugs or other substances to cope with tension in view of concerts or other public performances. Kató Havas was indeed ahead of times in 1961 when she wrote her first book on these subjects; furthermore she offers solutions which tackle the cause of the problem, not the symptom (and don't have side effects). Viola player and music translator
I also translated the lovely children's musical tales "Journey into jazz" by Gunther Schuller and "Tubby the Tuba" by George Kleinsinger for an orchestra performance in Milan and a computer music educational game based on Mozart's Magic Flute. I really enjoyed doing these translations and I like to think that by doing them more fellow musicians and music lovers can know and enjoy these works. Viola player in OxfordAt a certain point in my life I decided that I wanted to change a few things, especially about playing. So in 2003 I temporarily moved (I'm still there, though!) to the beautiful city of Oxford, in UK, seeking the advice of the great violin player and violin and viola teacher Kató Havas, choosing to follow her advice and apply her method and "philosophy".In the beautiful inspiring Oxford I also met the violin player Caroline Duffner. After going through different paths in our musical careers, having common views on music making, we decided to form the Duo Concertante to explore and specialize in the unusual yet rich and charming repertoire of Sinfonia Concertante (Double Concerto) for violin, viola and orchestra.
A performance of Mozart's Sinfonia
concertante for violin, viola and orchestra in Dorchester
Abbey, Oxford
Cadenza from Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for violin, viola and orchestra Also I've been performing regularly as a soloist, with piano (among others, Brahms, a programme of Italian music with works by Boccherini, Rolla, Paganini) and orchestra, including Bach's Brandenburg Concerto n.6, Telemann's and Stamitz's viola concertos, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra, the rare Concerto for clarinet, viola and orchestra by Bruch, just to name a few. Find out about my next concerts and come to listen. About the violaBeing so mad about music and the viola, wishing to make classical music and especially the viola, better known, I've created a website about the role of viola, www.viola-in-music.com. Visit it and you'll find information about famous players, composers, compositions, free music and much more. | |||
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