This site uses technical, analytics and third-party cookies.
By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies.

Preferences cookies

Concert by Ensemble “I Bassifondi”

Simone Vallerotonda, Federico Toffano e Gabriele Miracle

Vivacissimo Suono Italiano Sydney. Yearly Music Program of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Sydney

The Italian Cultural Institute in Sydney continues with its series of concerts called Vivacissimo Suono Italian Sydney, a cycle made possible by the collaboration with CIDIM – Italian National Music Committee, an organization founded in 1978 with the aim of contributing to the development and promotion of Italian classical and contemporary music abroad.

The second concert of the series features well-known early music ensemble I Bassifondi, whose members are: Simone Vallerotonda (theorbo, baroque guitar and musical direction), who is considered one of the best lute players in the world, Federico Toffano (bass colascione) and Gabriele Miracle (percussion). They will present their latest album Alfabeto Falso at the Canberra International Music Festival before performing at the Institute, where they will play music by Giovanni Paolo Foscarini, Hieronimus Kapsberger, Antonio Carbonchi, Ferdinando Valdambrini romano, Alessandro Piccinini, Santiago de Murcia and Gaspar Sanz.

Most 17th-18th-century music for lute, guitar, theorbo and archlute was devised and written down to be played in consort with different instruments. Authors such as Kapsberger, Corbetta, Piccinini, de Visée, Granata, Weiss and many others either composed their solo pieces with an added continuo accompaniment or arranged them from the original tablatures into regular multi-part scores. Moreover, in some more explicit instances they wrote directly for a consort of lutes, or for lute and sundry instruments. Several period chronicles witness on how such multi-instrumental music used to be performed. Guitarists were typically expected to be accompanied by theorboes, colasciones, lutes – and vice versa. Relying on written testimonies as well as on musical and iconographic sources, the ensemble I Bassifondi, founded and hand-picked by Simone Vallerotonda, aims at rediscovering and offering the audience that repertoire in chamber format.

vallerotondaBorn in Rome in 1983, Simone Vallerotonda started his musical studies concentrating on modern guitar. Captivated by ancient music, he started his lute studies with Andrea Damiani at the Santa Cecilia Conservatorium in Rome, where he obtained his diploma with high distinction. Subsequently he obtained a Master in Theorbo and Baroque Guitar with high distinction at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen, under the guidance of Rolf Lislevand. He obtained a Degree in Philosophy with high distinction at the “Tor Vergata” University in Rome, specialising in Aesthetics and concentrating on the relationship between the music of the 18th century and the Philosophes. In 2011 he came first, in the soloist section, at the National Lute Competition “Maurizio Pratola”, and in the same year he won the REMA Competition (Rèseau Européen de Musique Ancienne) with the “Duo B.L.U”. He performed at important Festivals such as: International Festival of Early Music in Urbino, Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Sferisterio Opera Festival, Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music in London, Settimane Musicali in Stresa, Festival Grandezze & Meraviglie, Ravenna Festival, Beaune Festival, Ambronay Festival, Ribeauvillé Festival, Musikfestspiele Potsdam, Bruges Festival, Utrecht Festival, Festival Hactus Humanus Danzig, Festival OperaRara Kracow, Poznan Festival Baroque, La Società dei Concerti in Milan, “Monteverdi” Festival in Cremona and in prestigious concert halls and theatres such as: London’s Wigmore Hall, Auditorium de Espinho, Vlamsee Opera in Gent and Antwerpen, Teatro Municipal de Santiago del Chile, National Academy Santa Cecilia in Rome, Salle Poirel Nancy, Casa da Musica in Oporto, Herkulessal in Munich, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Philarmonic Concert Hall in Lodz, Great Hall at the University “La Sapienza” in Rome and the Theater an der Wien. He has recorded for important radio and television stations such as: RAI, BBC, Mezzo, France Musique, Radio4, Arte, Polskie Radio, Kulturradio, RSI, Radio Classica, Radio Vaticana and for recording companies Naïve, Sony, Erato, EMI, Amadeus, Brilliant, Aparthé, E Lucevan Le Stelle Records, Tesori Musicali in Roma. Besides his activity as a soloist, he collaborates as continuo player with various ensembles such as: Modo Antiquo, Les Ambassadeurs, Academia Montis Regalis, Musica Antiqua Roma, Silete Venti!, Soqquadro Italiano, Il Pomo d’Oro, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. In 2014 he establishes the I Bassifondi ensemble, which specialises on the repertoire for Guitar, Theorbo and Lute from the 17th and the 18th centuries, both instrumental and vocal. Their first album, Alfabeto falso, has been nominated at the ICMA 2018 (International Classical Music Award) as one of the best compilation of instrumental baroque music.

www.ibassifondi.com 

IIC MEMBERS: Free – NON-MEMBERS: $15

Limited seats. Booking essential: www.eventbrite.com.au 

  • Organized by: Istituto Italiano di Cultura
  • In collaboration with: CIDIM