Riccardo Minasi (born 1978) is an Italian violinist and conductor in the field of

historically informed performance Historically informed performance (also referred to as period performance, authentic performance, or HIP) is an approach to the performance of Western classical music, classical music which aims to be faithful to the approach, manner and style of ...

Life

Born in Rome, Minasi received his first music lessons from his mother, studying modern violin with Paolo Centurioni and Alfredo Fiorentini. He then turned to the

baroque violin A Baroque violin is a violin set up in the manner of the baroque period of music. The term includes original instruments which have survived unmodified since the Baroque period, as well as later instruments adjusted to the baroque setup, and moder ...

and its repertoire, his teachers in this field being Enrico Parizzi and Luigi Mangiocavallo. He was a soloist as well as ''

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German language, German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (UK) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (clarinet or oboe in a concert band). After the Conducting, conductor, the concertma ...

'' in numerous ensembles, such as the:

Le Concert des Nations ''Le Concert des Nations'' is an orchestra using period instruments, which performs the orchestral and symphonic repertoire from the Baroque to Romanticism: 1600 - 1900. The orchestra was created in 1989, the youngest of the groups conducted by the ...

under

Jordi Savall Jordi Savall i Bernadet (; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish Conducting, conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol ...

, the Accademia Bizantina, the Concerto Italiano, with

Il Giardino Armonico Il Giardino Armonico ("The Garden of Harmony") is an Italian ensemble well noted for its practice of Historically informed performance, Historically Informed Performance and founded in Milan in 1985 by Luca Pianca and Giovanni Antonini, primarily ...

, the Concerto Vocale Gent under

René Jacobs René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera. Biography Countertenor Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his musi ...

, the Collegium 1704 and the Ensemble 415 under

Chiara Banchini Chiara Banchini is a Switzerland, Swiss violinist, involved in the historical performance practice movement. She specializes in the music of the Baroque music, Baroque. Banchini was born in 1946 in Lugano, Switzerland. She graduated from the Gen ...

. Among the important musicians with whom he has performed are Enrico Onofri, Viktoria Mullova,

Albrecht Mayer Albrecht Mayer (born 3 June 1965) is a German classical oboist and conductor. The principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic, he is internationally known as a soloist and chamber musician and has made many recordings. Biography Born in Erlang ...

, Christophe Coin, Sergio Azzolini and Reinhard Goebel. He has also worked as a conductor with several renowned ensembles, including the , the

Ensemble Resonanz The Ensemble Resonanz is a German string instrument, string ensemble that combines the performance and promotion of Neue Musik with the interpretation of classical repertoire. It sees itself at the interface between chamber orchestra and Solo ( ...

, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the and the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, of which he has been 1st ''Kapellmeister'' since 2008. In 2007 he founded the chamber music ensemble "Musica Antiqua Roma", with which he performs works of the 17th and 18th centuries. One focus is on the forgotten Roman composers from this period. In 2009, Minasi received an appointment as historical advisor to the

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra () is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. History Several orchestras were precursor ensembles to the curren ...

. In 2010, he served as assistant conductor and concertmaster for the

Theater Dortmund Theater Dortmund is a theatrical organization that produces operas, Musical theatre, musicals, ballets, plays, and concerts in Dortmund, Germany. It was founded as the Stadttheater Dortmund in 1904. Supported by the German Government, the organiz ...

production of the opera ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) ** Norma Lizbeth Ramos, a Mexican bullying victim Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral ...

'' by Bellini with the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble alongside

Thomas Hengelbrock Hans Thomas Hengelbrock (born 9 June 1958) is a German violinist, musicologist, stage director and conductor. Biography Hengelbrock was born in Wilhelmshaven, the son of teachers Günther and Dorothea Elisabeth (Schliefert) Hengelbrock. He stud ...

. From 2004 to 2010, Minasi taught chamber music at the Vincenzo Bellini Conservatory in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

. He has taught master classes and courses for violin, chamber music and baroque orchestra at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge (US), the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Chinese Culture University in Taipei, the Kùks Residence in the Czech Republic, the Conservatory of Sydney and the Scuola di Musica in Fiesole. Minasi's works include violins attributed to the violin makers David Tecchler (1666-1748) and

Amati Amati (, ) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nico ...

(1623) are at his disposal. Minasi was principal conductor of the ensemble

Il pomo d'oro ''Il pomo d'oro'' (''The Golden Apple'') is an opera in a prologue and five acts by the Italy, Italian composer Antonio Cesti with a libretto by Francesco Sbarra (1611-1668). It was first performed before the imperial court in a specially constr ...

from its foundation in 2012 until 2015. The new orchestra already won prizes with its first recording -

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

's ''L'imperatore'' - and in its founding year also edited solo albums by the countertenors Max Emanuel Cenčić,

Franco Fagioli Franco Maximiliano Fagioli (born May 4 1981, in San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán) is an Argentine operatic countertenor. Life Born in Argentina, Fagioli initially studied piano and then singing at the Superior Art Institute of the Teatro Colón ...

and

Xavier Sabata Xavier Sabata Corominas (born 1976 in Avià, Catalonia) is a Spanish operatic countertenor. Discography *''I Dilettanti'' - cantatas and arias by Emanuele d'Astorga, Giacomo Maccari, Benedetto Marcello, Giovanni Maria Ruggieri. Latinitas nost ...

, as well as an album with Venetian Barcarole. Since 2013, the ensemble has given guest performances in important houses throughout Europe, for example in the

Theater an der Wien The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prim ...

, Paris, Munich, London, St. Petersburg, Zurich and Barcelona. In December 2016, Minasi was appointed chief conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra, succeeding

Ivor Bolton Ivor Bolton Ivor Bolton (born 17 May 1958) is an English conductor and harpsichordist. Early life and education Bolton was born in Blackrod, Greater Manchester, England. He studied at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn and Clare C ...

. In September 2018, Minasi began working for two seasons as the

's "Artist in Residence" at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie. This collaboration has since been extended until 2024. Minasi conducted the ensemble on their debut at the UK Proms on 20 August 2024, with an all-Mozart programme, featuring the Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major, played by Clara-Jumi Kang, violin and Timothy Ridout, viola. Many of the more than 20 CD recordings in which he has participated as a soloist have won recording awards. The recording of

Heinrich Ignaz Biber Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber correctly ''Biber von Bibern'' ( bapt. 12 August 1644, Stráž pod Ralskem – 3 May 1704, Salzburg) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Biber worked in Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally left ...

's ''Rosary Sonatas'' was entered as an album in the final round of the for 2009 with Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's '' Rosary Sonatas''.

Recordings

, Rosenkranz-Sonaten (ARTS, 2006) *

Arcangelo Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , ; ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an List of Italian composers, Italian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque music, Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of Sonata a ...

's Legacy, Violinsonaten von Corelli und seinen Schülern (Passacaille, 2007) * Francesco Veracini, Sonaten für Violine und Bc (Sony, 2009) *

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

, Violin Sonatas (Sony, 2011) *

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

, Concerti per l’imperatore (Naïve, 2012) * ''Bad Guys. Arien von Georg Friedrich Händel'':

, Il pomo d’oro (Aparte A048, harmonia mundi, 2013) *

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque and Classical period. He was the fifth ch ...

I ''6 Hamburg Symphonies'', Ensemble Resonanz, Label: Es-Dur (2014) * Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach II, ''4 Symphonies'', Wq 183 – ''6 Sonatas'', Wq 184, Ensemble Resonanz, Label: Es-Dur (2016) *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

: Symphonies Nos. 39, 40 & 41 'Jupiter', Ensemble Resonanz, Label: harmonia mundi (2020) *

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Giovanni Battista Draghi (; 4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736), usually referred to as Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (), was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and organist, leading exponent of the Baroque; he is considered one of the g ...

: Stabat Mater, Ensemble Resonanz, Label: harmonia mundi (2021) *

: Symphonies Nos. 36 'Linz' & 38 'Prague', Ensemble Resonanz, Label: harmonia mundi (2023)

References

External links

* with curriculum vitae and numerous audio examples * {{DEFAULTSORT:Minasi, Riccardo Academic staff of the Palermo Conservatory Italian classical violinists Italian conductors (music) Italian performers of early music 1978 births Living people Musicians from Rome