Stefano Montanari - conductor

After graduating cum laude in Violin and Piano, he focused his studies on the historically informed practice. Since 1995, he is the first violin of the Accademia Bizantina in Ravenna (on period instruments). M° Montanari collaborates with the leading exponents in the field of early music, particularly with Christophe Rousset and his ensemble, Les Talens Lyriques. He teaches Baroque Violin both at the International Academy of Music in Milan and at the "E.V. Dall’Abaco" Music Conservatory in Verona. Mr. Montanari conducted Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Baroque Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, for a Christmas concert in 2007 and for a gala in honor of the 150^th anniversary of Italy’s unification in 2011; both events have been broadcast live on Italian National Television. As a conductor he is regular guest in theaters such as: Opéra de Lyon, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Opera Atelier in Toronto. Stefano Montanari is Principal Director of the “Jugendspodium Dresden-Venice” project. His recording of Corelli’s Violin Sonatas op. 5 for Arts received widespread recognition and numerous international prizes, including a Diapason d’Or and the Midem award as the best Baroque Music Cd of the year (2007 and 2010). M° Montanari was recently nominated for a Grammy Award (Best Classical Vocal Solo) for his recording of Purcell’s O Solitude for Decca. His recording of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas has just been published for the Italian music magazine Amadeus. M° Montanari has edited a Baroque Violin method for Carisch. Amongst his recent engagements it is worth mentioning: Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and Carmen at the Opéra de Lyon (Carmen has been awarded as the best opera staged in France in 2012); Dido and Aeneas at the Teatro Ristori in Verona; Die Zauberflöte in Lyon;: Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. His concert appearances include: a Liederabend with Marianna Pizzolato for the opening of the Amici della Musica di Firenze (playing the fortepiano); Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin in Taranto; a series of concerts on tour in Australia with the Brandenburg Consort; concerts in Palermo, Milan, Florence, Turin, Padua and Bern in the role of solo violin and conductor.

Future plans include: Le Comte Ory and a series of concerts in Lyon; Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Don Giovanni, L’Inganno Felice and symphonic concerts at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice; Così fan Tutte at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow; Handel’s Alcina in Toronto; Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona; Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas in Treviso; concerts in Bolzano and in Messina with L’Estravagante, in Venice with the Teatro La Fenice orchestra, in Milan with LaVerdi and with the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali.

Arianna Donadelli - Giannetta

Raina Kabaivanska’s student, won two consecutive editions of the “Toti dal Monte” competition in Treviso (2009-2010) as a result of which she was engaded with L'Elisir d’Amore (Giannetta) in Treviso and an international tournée with La Vera Costanza by Haydn at the Teatro Real in Madrid, and in the theaters of Treviso, Reggio Emilia, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, Liège under the baton of Jesus Lopez-Cobos. Among her recent commitments: Un giorno di Regno by Verdi (Giulietta), directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi and conducted by Donato Renzetti at the Teatro Regio in Parma and the world premiere in modern times of Il Finto Turco by Piccinni at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. She collaborated with conductors as Hubert Soudant, Jesus López Cobos, Antonio Montaño, Federico Guglielmo, Matteo Beltrami, Paolo Vaglieri, Antonello Manacorda, Donato Renzetti and directors as Pier Luigi Pizzi, Roberto De Simone, Damiano Michieletto, Elio De Capitani, Enrico Beruschi, Italo Nunziata, Bepi Morassi, Enzo Dara.

More recently Ms Donadelli performed Federico in L’Osteria di Marechiaro at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples with the direction of Roberto De Simone and the conduction of Donato Renzetti, L'elisir d'amore (Giannetta) and Le nozze di Figaro at La Fenice in Venice and Le nozze di Figaro at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari produced by Marina Bianchi and conducted by Hubert Soudant.

Among her future plans it is worth mentioning Battistelli’s Il Medico dei Pazzi at the Opéra National de Lorraine in Nancy.