EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Michele Benuzzi studied the harpsichord with Ottavio Dantone and obtained the harpsichord Performing Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London. He also studied musicology at the University of Pavia.

He attended master classes with Andreas Staier, Andrea Marcon, Bob van Asperen, Ketil Haugsand, Jaques Ogg, Jan Whillelm Jansen, Christine Whiffen, and Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini. He was awarded scholarships for three consecutive years by Istituto Fernando el Católico of Zaragoza, where he followed courses on the eighteenth-century Iberian repertoire with Professor J. L. González Uriol.

In 2003 he won the third prize at the seventeenth Yamanashi International Harpsichord Competition in Japan.

He performs in Italy and abroad as soloist and with different groups of chamber musicians, and is invited to perform as soloist by different Italian orchestras. He plays for important music organizations such as Serate Musicali in Milan, the Festival of Aix en Provence, the Festival of Arles, Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio, the Ancient Music Festival at Massa e Carrara, the Foundation Querini Stampalia in Venice, the Castle of Annecy, the Bach Festival in Modena, Società dei Concerti in Milan, Tiroler Festspiele in Austria, Música Antigua de Daroca in Spain, the Tochigi Kuranomachi Early Music Festival in Japan, the Hakuju Hall - Tokyo, and the Esplanade Hall - Singapore.

In the UK, Michele Benuzzi has twice given solo recitals at the Handel House Museum, and also at St Anne’s, both in London. He has performed at Sheffield University, and is due to play at St Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh, in both August and November of this year (2008).

He promoted, and played with other harpsichordists, the opera omnia of Domenico Scarlatti's Sonatas, which were performed from 1995 to 2002 in France.

He has founded Arcomelo, a group performing seventeenth and eighteenth-century music, and examining baroque music - especially problems concerning execution on ancient instruments. A great deal of effort goes into recovering and executing music from unedited manuscripts in European libraries.

He has recorded three harpsichord concertos by C. P. E. Bach for La Bottega Discantica: the CD had excellent reviews. In 2007 he recorded the harpsichord concertos and sinfonias by W. F. Bach, which is due for release at the end of this year. Next year will see the release of a Vivaldi CD with recorder-player Mitsuko Ota and Arcomelo. Michele Benuzzi’s first solo CD will be recorded in the autumn of this year, probably for release in Spring 2009. He recently signed a contract to record the complete W. F. Bach harpsichord works, which will be a substantial longer-term project. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Category: Ensembles/Performers/Associations/Societies / Keyboards

Added on: Aug 14, 2008 | Hits: 402