Dane Richeson, ModernStrings, Daniele di Bonaventura, I Visionari, Francesco Colatorti.
Marco Albonetti
Standing ovation at his recent solo debut at Carnegie Hall of New York, Marco Albonetti is engaged in performing and teaching around the world. He has appeared at a myriad of
Italian theaters and at numerous international venues such, Wiener Saal of Salzburg, Wits Great Hall of Johannesburg, Palau de la Musica de Valencia, Palau de la Musica
Catalana de Barcelona, Berlin Konzerthaus, Gewandhaus Leipzig.
He is active in the performance of both traditional and contemporary music
having worked with Luciano Berio and premiered works by many major
composers. His concert tours have taken place in Italy, France, Finland, Switzerland,
Germany, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, South Africa, Canada,
China, Taiwan and the United States. He regularly performs as soloist with
Italian and international orchestras and takes part in many important international
music festivals. He has been awarded first prize at several international solo
music competitions, has performed for radio and television, RAI 1, SABC, PIK1, CBS, LTV Lumier, Cypriot Radio, and Wisconsin Public Radio, and recorded for Nar International,
Albany Record and Abeat Record.
Since 2005 he is the saxophonist for the legendary italian “diva” Milva,
performing music of Astor Piazzolla and Kurt Weill giving recitals in the
predominant European theaters.
He is the Artistic Director of the SaxArt Festival, Italy,
holds a tenured position as Professor of Saxophone at Conservatorio “N.
Piccinni” in Bari, Italy and was named external examiner for Doctoral Studies
at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Frequently invited to conduct master classes
at universities and conservatories in Europe, China and the United States,
among which were the Universität der Künste Berlin, Sibelius Akatemia, St.
Petersburg Conservatory, Mussorgsky State Conservatory, Hartt School of
Hartford University, Ohio State University, State University of New York at Stony
Brook, Lawrence University, Xi’An Conservatory of Music, Shih Chien University.
Marco holds diplomas from Conservatorio “G. Rossini” in Pesaro, Italy and the Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Saltzburg, Austria, as well as a Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University as student of Dr. John Sampen, and Doctor of Musical Arts (summa cum laude, Dean’s Award of Excellence) at Michigan State University,where he studied classical saxophone performance under James Forger and Joseph Lulloff and jazz saxophone performance with Andrew Speight and Brandford Marsalis.
Vincenzo Rapanà, born in 1977, graduated in saxophone in 1997, with the maximum one of the votes, at the Musical Conservatory "NICCOLO' PICCINNI" in Bari, with M° Claudio CESCHINI, he studies for seven years composition and subsequently he achieves the specialistic Degree of 2° level with 110 and praise and unanimous applause of the examing board with M° Marco Albonetti to have introduced a thesis on the music of the shakuhachi and the composer Ryo Noda.
Winning of 5 first prizes which three absolute, two second prizes and the prize "Claudio Ceschini" as good saxophonist in the European contest of the association Culture and Music "G. Curci", he has held numerous concerts collaborating with various formations like: “APULIA SAXOPHONE QUARTET”, “YOUNG SAXOPHONE QUARTET”, “DUO OBLIVION”, “ITALIAN SAXOPHONE ORCHESTRA” and orchestra like: PROVINCIALE di LECCE, di BARI, del PETRUZZELLI, “SONORA CORDA”, “COLLEGIUM MUSICUM” collaborating among the others with artists like Nicola Martinucci, Katia Ricciarelli, Cecilia Gasdia, Giorgio Gaslini, Massimiliano Quarta, Joaquin Achucarro, Francesco Libetta. He has participated in the realization of theatrical representations with actors like Leopoldo Mastelloni and Gigi Proietti.
He has collaborated to the incision of two CDs with the "Italian SAXOPHONE Orchestra" and the "RIGEL SAX Piano Duo".
He has frequented various courses of musical improvement with exponents of the classical, contemporary and jazz music like F.Moretti, F. Mondelci, D.Liebman, R.Ottaviano, besides seminars of formation and refresher courses on the value of the musical education.
Often on the regional and national newspapers the musical critics have expressed unanimous appreciation of his performances.
The interest toward the musical art currently pushes him busy in the Jazz music, in the realization of a musical on Romeo and Juliet and in a project with the sax in the contemporary dance.
He is 11 years old when he begins to play with the village band of his town guided by the musician M° Eolo Visani. He attends Sarti School Music in Faenza guided first by the musicians M° Albonetti Marco and then by M° Petretti Fabio.
In 1994 he begins to study at the Music Academy “Rossini” in Pesaro guided by M°Alberto Domizi obtaining at the end the diploma with full grades. He starts playing saxophone with the “Ensemble Sax Chorus” recording the homonymous disc with Gian Luigi Trovesi as special guest. He receives a grant as the Academy’s best student playing at Rossini Theatre in Pesaro. He follows specialization courses held by the musicians M° J.M. Londeix and Eugene Rosseau.
He achieves the diploma in Music Didactis at the Music Academy in Bologna.
Afterwards he attends the summer course during Siena Jazz Event playing and studying with Mauro Negri and Ettore Fioravanti.
He also attends some workshops in Italy and in France held by Steve Coleman & Five Elements, creating his own band named “Collective”.
Moreover he attends others specialization courses with Fabio Petretti, Achille Succi, Bruno Tommaso, Tomaso Lama, Paolo Ghetti, Robert Bonisolo and Massimo Manzi.
Since 1999 he works as a Music Teacher at the Pimary and Secondary School in Lugo and Faenza and he is also Saxophone teacher at the Ca’ Vaina Music School in Imola.
