The Italian Cultural Institute is pleased to present again, after a seven years hiatus, a piano concert by the piano virtuoso Alessandra Garosi.
In 2016, it was a solo performance by the pianist from Siena. This time Garosi is accompanied by Melbourne-based saxophonist Adam Simmons, with whom she has some shared projects and collaboration that dates back almost 15 years.
Garosi and Simmons met in Prague in 2010 during the Alternativa Festival, and since then they have played in duo and trio with David Jones both in Europe and Australia. Among other venues, worth mentioning are: Musica negli Horti in S. Quirico d’Orcia, the Mona Foma Festival in Tasmania, the Slow Music Festival in Ballarat and the Melbourne Recital Hall Series. Their collaboration has led to three recordings, “Melting Pot” in 2015, “Zappa in Recital” published by FatRain, and “Zodiaco” with songs by Damiano Santini.
The latter album is the inspiration behind the evening at the IIC: the duo will perform all the twelve songs written by Santini as well as songs by May Howlett, Simmons himself and Fabrizio De Rossi Re, for an ideal symbiosis of contemporary Italian and Australian music. In the program, De Rossi Re’s piece Centauromachia stands out, a tribute to the Infernal Bestiary of the Divine Comedy written in 2021 on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri.
Alessandra Garosi is a pianist of international standing. She is a historical member of the Harmonia Ensemble, known for chamber versions of music by Frank Zappa, Nino Rota, Roger Eno and for other international projects. Garosi is based in Tuscany, but also has a longstanding relationship with Australia, both as a student of Sonya Hanke and a collaborator of composers such as Peter Sculthorpe, May Howlett and Robert Davidson.
Adam Simmons (Melbourne) is a multi-instrumentalist, an artist and a teacher very active in Melbourne in both the contemporary classical music and jazz scene. His projects include his own trio, Origami, and the acclaimed The Usefulness of Art concert series with Michael Kieran Harvey, Arcko Symphonic Ensemble, Ray Pereira and Wang Zheng-Ting. He is also the editor of Dingo magazine.
Entry: $5
Booking essential: www.eventbrite.com.au