Documentary of the 6th edition of Festival

The Festival

Chamber Music

The Lago Maggiore Festival is a place open to everyone wanting to exchange musical experience and learn through Chamber Music master classes and concerts. We concentrate our time mostly with Strings, including Classical Guitar, pianoforte, lyric singing, trumpet and clarinet.

The Lago Maggiore Festival IX Edition 2024 Winter Edition happened from dicember 14th until the 17th. It is open to musicians of all ages and levels. The Lago Maggiore (large lake) is situated in the Piemonte region, in northern Italy. It is located between the cities of Turin and Milan, not far from Switzerland, Germany and France, and it is only 45 minutes away from Malpensa airport. We welcome participants who are willing to exchange music experiences, rehearse and perform concerts in the city of Verbania. In the past editions, we wellcomed guitar, voice, piano, and flute players from countries such as Switzerland, England and France. The Festival will take place in june 2024. The focus of the program is to improve guitar playing skills through chamber music practice and masterclasses. Although players of all instruments are welcome, most chamber music groups formed during the festival include, at least, one guitar. Like in previous editions, there will be concerts every night where participants will be invited to play before the faculty’s concerts. Coaches will play in various chamber music formations such as classical guitar duos, trios with piano and chamber formations with strings. Each year we have coaches from various instruments and in 2023 we welcomed Elisa Villa, classical guitarist and Donato Tucciariello, pianist and composer. Players will also perform the music created in collaboration with composers during the closing concert of the festival. The Festival has ACMP and EDUCANDO as the main the sponsors, we also got private contributions from friends of the festival. Visit the website of the Associated Chamber Music Player from New York, U.S.A. to know more about.

Dates for The Winter edition of the festival will be in May from th 14th until the 17th..

Strings by the lake

Is an event, with a duration of 5 days, in the month of december dedicated to the strings. It is open to all paticipants who want to come to the Lago Maggiore and practice Chamber Music. For more information please email us at info@lagomaggiorefestival.it

Composition

Since the beginning of the Festival in 2015, we offer a composition component, where participants have the chance to write their own pieces with the supervision of a composition teacher. These pieces are eventually performed at the end of the festival. So, besides fostering chamber music practice, the festival also creates opportunities for expanding its repertoire, especially the one suited for every level of playing. Additionally, having a composer in residence helps participants to get better insights into chamber music playing while participating in a valuable collaborative creative experience.

Faculty

Christian Cocolicchio, guitar and Artistic Director

guitar and artistic director, started his studies at Palestrina Conservatory, Porto Alegre, Brazil. During this period, he developed extensive concert activity, representing both the city and the conservatory abroad, an achievement for which he was awarded the Comenda Palestrina. From 1997 to 2002, Christian attended the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, where he studied guitar with legendary jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini (NYU and Eastman), and harmony with Greg Hopkins (Berklee College), trumpet player and arranger of Buddy Rich’s big band. He got his bachelor and masters degree in guitar pedagogy from A. Vivaldi Conservatory, Alessandria, Italy. Since 2012, Mr. Cocolicchio has been a guitar and ensemble teacher at Rina Monti Stella Institute, Verbania, Italy. As an artistic director, he has been responsible for the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Città di Stresa. since 2016, an event that attracts students and ensembles from several parts of the globe. He is also director of the Lago Maggiore Festival di Chitarra, an event that blends composition, guitar, chamber, and music practice. He also oversees the Stresa Concert Season. Mr. Cocolicchio actively collaborates with composers, commissioning and having pieces dedicated to him. He has performed and premiered works in countries such as Brazil, USA, Switzerland, Slovakia, and Italy.

Donato Tucciariello, piano and composition

diploma in Pianoforte in 1998, in Didactis of Music in 2007 and Composition in 2014 at the Conservatory “G. Cantelli” from Novara as pupil of Maestro Franco Balliana. From 1999 until 2009 teacher at the school “Euclide Spantaconi” in Stresa (Vb). Partecipated numerous times as jury and president of the jury at the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Città di Stresa. From 1992 al 1999 taakes part as cantore del Coro “De Veterum Musicae” under the guidance and direction of Maestri Fausto Fenice and Alberto Magagni. From 1999 until 2010 is the curator of the Festival Canoro di Musica Leggera intitled “Certe Note”. Donato takes part and directs many Choirs and plays concerts as a solo pianist and in chamber music formations and several diferent styles such as Classical, Rock, Pop and Jazz. As a Composer, Donato won the second prize at the first Composition Competion "Festival Fiati" at the Conservatory “G. Cantelli” in 2012. Also took part at the Master Class of composition of Maestro M°Luis De Pablo. From 2005 is teaches Music Theory at the public school system in Northern Italy.

Mauro Bonelli, guitar and composition

studied guitar at the Paganini Conservatory, Genova, and Composition at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory, in Florence. Music teacher at the Conservatories A. Vivaldi, Alessandria, and N. Rota, Bari, and the Accademia di Musica Moderna, Genova. Eclectic musician has worked as performer and arranger with Amii Stewart and Lou Reed. He is also a performer and researcher of the Early and Romantic guitar. Mauro has recorded works by Ferdinando Carulli for two guitars with Sandro Volta. Among the labels that Bonelli is featured are Tactus, Guitart, Map Lyra Classica, Gendai, Dryno and Airplane. His works have been published in Italy, Germany and Japan. Some of his works for Harpsichord are in the catalog of the important Harpsichord Association of Bologna. He wrote the piece Epico in 2010 for orchestra, commissioned by the Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura in Genova. Bonelli’s works have been performed in Italy, France, Switzerland, U.K. , China, Brazil and Venezuela. He has been president of the Classical Guitar Jury of the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Città di Stresa since 2016. Since 2012, Bonelli has been the guitarist (Professor di Orchestra) of the Theatre Carlo Felice in Genova. He currently teaches guitar and chamber music at the school De Andre in Liguria.

Alex Maltauro, guitar

born in Verbania and raised in Stresa. Diploma in Classical Guitar at the Conservatory of Milan "G. Verdi". Attended to master classes of Guido Margaria, David Russell, Judicael Perroy, Leo Brower, Giulio Tampalini, Giulia Ballarè and Andrea Ferrario. Participated at the "Sorrento Guitar Fest" taking lessons with maestri Andrew Zohn, James Duglas e Pasquale Rucco about the guitar from the 19th century. Pupil of the flamenco guitarist M° Juan Lorenzo, at the Terni conservatory in Italy. Attended masterclass of flamenco guitar at the Conservatory of Barcellona with M° Manuel Granados. Alex from 2021 is president of the association Stresa Festival Young.

Sandro Volta, guitar, lute, and theorbo

An eclectic musician, Sandro Volta is a reference on early music performance. Has has appeared in concerts all over Europe and North America. Guitarist and researcher of the italian baroque and classical repertoire, Sandro recorded a large number of titles with a deep personal interpretation. Awarded by Diapason, Le Monde de la Musique and Alta fedeltà, has won The Gran Prix Du Disque de Paris in 1994 under the direction of Claudio Abbado. Sandro has recorded for Arion, Tactus and Brilliant with broadcasts aired by Radio France, BBC, ABC, Radio Beethoven, just to name a few. He is responsible for the first recording of Oratorio San Giovanni Battista by Antonio Maria Bononcini. He conducted the great opera drama Tamerlano by G. F. Handel and also the Coronation of Poppea at the Sabbioneta Theatre with Nigel Rogers as Nerone. With Maurizia Barazzoni, Sandro has recorded the complete serie “Nuove Musiche” by Giulio Caccini and “Le Musiche da Cantar solo” by Sigismondo D’India. Also recorded music by Kasperger, De Viseè, Roncalli, Paganini, Giuliani and F. Carulli (published by Gendai Guitar, Tokio). An active teacher, he is featured as teacher on several festivals and masterclasses such as Ravello, Stresa, Zurich and Budapest. Sandro plays historical instruments made by Charpitel, PetitJean, Panormo, and Fabbricatore.

Matteo Bertolina,piano and composition

born in Valfurva, Italy, he studied piano, electronic music and composition at the A. Vivaldi Conservatory, Alessandria, where he also participated in the exchange program with University of Georgia (USA). Matteo has participated in several composition competitions and events such as Festival 5 Giornate (Milan), Shanghai Electronic Music Week, Fifteen Minutes of Fame (New York), and Festival de Música Contemporanea Brasileira. He won the first prize in V Concorso Internazionale di Musica AMIGDALA, and the second prize in Fratelli Pedrotti Composers Competition in Trento (Italy). His works have been performed in countries such Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, China, and USA. Matteo is conductor of the Coro Stelvio, and President of the Academic Committee of the Concorso Internazionale de Musica Città di Stresa.

Maurizia Barazzoni, soprano

graduated from the Martini Conservatory, Bologna, with high marks. Maurizia was one of the first sopranos devoted to early vocal performance research and has interpreted most of the Italian Baroque composers. Among many of her recordings is the complete madrigals and arias of Giulio Caccini (Arion France: 1992) along with Sandro Volta, which was awarded the Diapason Dor. She is also heard on the soundtrack of the 1996 film “The Portrait of a Lady”, by the australian movie director Campion. In 2011, Maurizia published her Method of Italian Singing: from recitar cantando to Rossini (UT Orpheus). She has taught early music international courses at the Urbino Early Music.

Andrea Leveratto, guitar

born in Genova. He holds a degree in classical guitar from Paganini Conservatory, Genova. He attended masterclasses with Guillermo Fierens, Gianni Nuti e Tilman Hoppstock. Andrea was awarded first prize at important national and international guitar competitions such as Pasquale Taraffo, Jupiter, and Città Casarza. Along with Mauro Bonelli, he recorded Capolavori del Barocco, an album featuring baroque harpsichord masterpieces transcribed for two guitars. Andrea published Bach’s Italian Concert transcribed for two guitars (Berben, 1997). He is currently classical guitar and chamber music teacher at the Recagno School, Liguria.

Blagovest Georgiev, guitar

started his guitar studies in his native Bulgaria. After obtaining his baccalaureate, he moved to France to join the class of Pascal Polidori, a disciple of Alexander Lagoya, where he graduated with the highest distinction. He received his masters degree in concert classical guitar from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts of Plovdiv, where he studied with Stella Miteva-Dinkova and graduated with full excellence. Additional music training includes classes with Marco Tamayo and Aniello Desiderio, besides numerous training courses with great masters such as David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, Emanuel Rossfelder, and Frederick Zigante. His soloist and chamber activities have taken him to different countries in Europe, Asia and the Balkans. Blagovest performed Rodrigo’s Fantasia para un Gentilhombre with the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra. He was recently invited as a soloist by the Wind Orchestra of Grasse, France, and participated in projects with the Symphonique Orchestra of Vence with whom he played Franz Schubert’s Sonata Arpeggione and Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto in D major. Since 2009, he has taught classical guitar at the city of Conservatoire de Nice at Beaulieu-sur-Mer, alongside Laurent Blanquart and Isabelle Lo Presti. He is regularly invited to teach and give master classes at festivals and summer academies in France, Italy and Bulgaria. He is particularly involved in chamber music and participates in many projects in collaboration with different musicians and various instruments in diverse musical genres and formations such as a duet, trio and quartet. In 2018, he performed at the State Opera of Nice with the Municipal Guard Orchestra of Nice.

Guido Parma, violoncello

, strings coach. Pupil of Alfredo Riccardi, later studied with E.Dindo, M.Scano e M.Brunello, then deepening the Brahmsian repertoire with M. Chen and M. Dancila. He has collaborated with the RAI orchestras of Milan, of the Angelicum, of the Bergamo and Como. From 1995 to ’98 he was the first cello of the Simphony orchestra of the Catholic University of Milan with whom he also performed as a soloist in concerts in Europe, Canada and Thailand. From 2000 to 2003 he studied at the Fiesole Academy with the R.Filippini and the B. Canino. Winner of numerous National and International chambre competitions in trio (with violin or clarinet and piano) and in duo with piano. Since 2000 he has been playing regularly with the classic trio of Milan: He teachers cello invarious music schools. Parma manages to combine remarkable punctuality with an innate musical flair; this allows him to enhance certain apparently minor details of the score that make his performances always of great interest and, sometimes, amiably surprising. He is a cello teacher at the Brera Civic School of Music in Novara

Agnieszka Afrodyta Bakowska, violin

, strings coach. Born in Poland, began her musical education at the age of seven at the state music schools in Gdynia – her hometown and in Gdansk, at the first and second grade State Music School where she graduated in 1990 continuing her studies at the S. Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk at the faculty of instrumental pedagogy. She began teaching the instrument at the first grade Music School in Gdynia very early and collaborated during that time with local orchestras and with the Musical Theater of his hometown. In Italy for many years, she performed in numerous concerts with orchestras, instrumental ensembles and as soloists, in particular in recent years has collaborated with the Pietro Generali Choir and Orchestra in which played the role of collaborator teacher and with the Verunese Philharmonic performing in 2016 during the final concert of Settembre Musicale under the direction of M° A. M. Carnelli. Agnieska has participated in various trainings deepening his teaching knowledge, dedicating herself to the study of new methodologies. During the year 2015/16 she participated in the training with the exponents of the "El Sistema" method - Naybeth Garcia and Johnny Gomez of the Manos Blancas Choir and founders of the special education program of the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela practicing the application of this methodology throughout the year 2015/16 at the Rigutini Elementary School in Novara during the instrumental project in which she supported Maestra E. Santandrea for the Dedalo Music School in Novara for which she also conducted the choral project at the Elementary School of Pernate. He participated in the training course for teachers - "Cantadocenti" and in the masterclass "NYC Jazz Workshop". Agnieska collaborated for three years (2015 -2018) with the "Emisferi Musicali" association of Borgomannero in the role of violin teacher for musical/instrumental training and in-depth courses with the MTO methodology for disabled and able-bodied people. In that period was part of the large integrated and participatory orchestra of Emisferi Musicali. In 2016 for Emisferi Musicali she was responsible for the organization of the "Festa della Musica" event in Borgomanero in collaboration with the Municipality. Has collaborated with the association for various projects including: the instrumental project at the pediatric and child neuropsychiatry department of the Verbania Hospital and in 2017 at the Summer Campus with disabled children in Druogno. Has conducted a musical literacy course aimed at the population of Gattico and Veruno in 2015 for a project supported by the Municipality of Gattico in collaboration with the Pietro Generali Musical Cultural Association. She currently teaches violin in various local associations: Borgomusica and Four Music School in Borgomanero, Academy in Oleggio.

Elisa Villa, chitarra

Elisa Villa was born in Milan in 1986. She approached the study of music at the age of 6, first playing the piano, then she chose the guitar as her favorite instrument. She attended the "A.Vivaldi" Conservatory in her second city, Alessandria, where, under the guidance of Dora Filippone, she graduated in 2005 with honors. Dora Filippone gave Elisa a strong interest in contemporary music and in the world of composition. In the years between 2002 and 2004, at the Alessandria Conservatory, Elisa and other students participated in the "instrumental theater" group, founded in collaboration between Luca Valentino's stage art class and the Danish composer Andy Pape, who also wrote a chamber work for this group. Through this first contact with a composer, Elisa Villa understood the importance of creative work on music together with the composer. Since 2005 Elisa Villa has studied concert guitar at the University of the Arts "Mozarteum" in Salzburg (Austria), in the class of Matthias Seidel and Marco Tamayo; completes the Master in guitar in 2010 with honors. At the Mozarteum he perfected his instrumental technique and the interpretation of many musical styles: he studied early music with cellist Howard Penny and lutenist Jurgen Hubscher; contemporary music with conductor and composer Simone Fontanelli and violinist Martin Mumelter. At the Mozarteum he worked with the composers Simone Fontanelli (first recording in 2009 of the piece for solo guitar “Mi corazòn escribirìa una postrera carta”), Klaus Ager, Jee Soo Shin (first complete performance of the guitar Sonata) and Agustin Castilla-Avila. In 2007 Elisa Villa was the first guitarist to become a scholarship holder of the Desono Music Association of Turin for the next three years. In 2009 and 2010 he received a scholarship from the Lions Club of Turin. Between 2008 and 2010 he also studied at the Landeskonservatorium in Klagenfurt (Austria) in the class of Marco Tamayo. In 2008 Elisa Villa worked as a music teacher at the Alessandria Conservatory, in the musical preparatory course and in the music for adults course. He has attended masterclasses with internationally renowned guitarists such as Oscar Ghiglia, Elena Casoli, David Tannenbaum, Tillman Hoppstock, Pavel Steidel, Flavio Sala, Sergio Sorrentino, Eduardo Fernandez. In 2008 he won the third prize at the "Accademia Santoro" International Competition in Bojano (CB). He played in Salzburg at the Museum of Modern Art in 2006 and 2009 as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles. In 2011 he played in Turin in the "Corde Pizzicate" Festival. In 2012 he made his debut as a soloist with orchestra performing Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto Andaluz" for 4 guitars and orchestra with Marco Tamayo, Anabel Montesinos and Francisco Bernier. In 2015 he performed as a soloist in the Modern Art Festival in Civitella (AR) in the personal painting of the artist Gustavo Giulietti. In 2017 he participated in the musical review "Turin city of 1000 strings" and in "Six Ways Festival 2017". Since 2015 he has been a guitar teacher at the Musical Middle School of Crescentino (VC). Elisa Villa edits the complete work for guitar and chamber music with guitar by Arthur Johannes Scholz (1883-1945) being published by the Canadian publishing house "Les Productions d'Oz" in a series entirely dedicated to the author ( 2017). Since 2017 he has been a guitar teacher at the musical middle school of Arborio (VC). In the academic year 2017-18 she is regularly enrolled at the Conservatorio “A. Vivaldi” in Alessandria where he attended specialization courses in the Didactics department in the socio-psycho-pedagogical, anthropological and teaching methodologies fields. He plays a guitar by Camillo Perrella, Bojano (CB).