Tiziana Portoghese - mezzosoprano
Graduated with full marks from Conservatory “N. Piccinni” in Bari in opera singing and vocal chamber music.
She attended Masterclass in opera singing with S. Bertocchi , A. Felle, B. Manca di Nissa, liederistic interpretation with L. Gallo, V. Valente, C. Ludwig, H. Deutsch. She graduated from specialization school “Paolo Grassi” in Martina Franca in opera singing, connected to Valle d’Itria Festival (winning a fellowship reserved to best students in 2002 and 2004). Moreover, she specialized with Maestro Elio Battaglia and Erik Battaglia winning a fellowship for a biennal Master financed by CEE in opera singing and liederistic interpretation, graduating with full marks.
She sang as solo contralto in numerous oratorios and operas, live broadcasted by Radio Rai. She recorded for Dynamic and Bongiovanni.
Finalist and winner of national and international vocal chamber music contests: first place at “Stravinskij” contest, distinguished at ”Ibla Grand Price” 2002, honourable mention at “Concorso Società Umanitaria” 2004 (jury director M. Abbado), finalist at International opera singing contest “Renata Tebaldi” 2005, winner of International vocal chamber singing contest “S.Omizzolo” 2006 in Padova.
Committed to philosophical and humanistic studies, she recently published the essay “La dimora sonora, dal rumore metropolitano alla nostalgia del silenzio” (The sounding home, from metropolitan noise to silence nostalgia) in the book “Metropolitania. Aspetti e forme di vita della città postmoderna” (Metropolitania. Features and life forms of postmodern city) edited by F. Semerari, for Ghibli ed.
Francesco Palazzo (Martina Franca 1969) studied with Salvatore di Gesualdo. He graduated with honors in Accordion (the first in Italy) at the Conservatory "L. Cherubini "in Florence, completing his training through the humanities, Composition, Choral Music and Choral Conducting.
Special Mention "S. Gubaidulina "all '" Ibla Grand Prize "2001 and 2002 got the opportunity to perform in prestigious concert halls in the United States and Europe (New York - Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, NY University, Amsterdam IIC)
It also played an important concerts in the main Italian cities and abroad (Holland, Germany, Albania, Congo) for important concert associations and music festivals.
He led a staff technical and expressive research, also based on comparison with other instruments, which prompted him to re-establish his playing technique on a new basis and to design and to build a concert instrument more responsive to the changing demands of art.
Since 1993 he has been teaching accordion at the Conservatory "N. Piccinni "in Bari, parallel to the concert and teacher, act as the auditor and composer with a number of publications of transcriptions, adaptations and his own compositions for accordion as well as an important work of didactic entitled" Fundamentals of Technical Accordion "for the Berben music publishing and for Physa Musical Editions.
He has recorded for Smile Ed Mus., Rugginenti and as a soloist for the Phoenix Audiosystem, a recital includes music by J. S. Bach, C. Franck, F. Lattuada, F. Alfano, L. Ferrari-Trecate, S. Calligaris, B. Bartolozzi and S. Gubaidulina and Digression Music. With the latter has published a new record on the original literature for accordion avant-garde of the last forty years of music by L. Andriessen, T. Hosokawa, T. I. Lundquist, F. Palazzo, S. Gubaidulina, G. Tailleferre, O.Schmidt, S. di Gesualdo.
In chamber music and orchestral have to report important collaborations with the "Tamborrino Ensemble", the "Xenia Ensemble", Fondazione Adkins Chiti-"Women in Music", the orchestra "Musica Judaica" and the "Collegium Musicum", with which performed, alongside the cellist Elizabeth Wilson, the opera "Sieben Worte" by the Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, for accordion, cello and string orchestra, the Orchestra of the concert Society of Bari, with which he performed for the first absolute in 2008 the "Concert for the people" for accordion and orchestra, dedicated to him by the composer Luigi pugliese Morley, the "Morley Mediterranean Quartet" Duo "with the mezzo-soprano Tiziana Portuguese Folksongs, the Duo" Palazzo Squillante, "with the mandolin player Mauro Squillante.
In 2005 he made his debut as a composer, winning the first prize to the Eighth Edition of the International Composition Competition "Franco Evangelisti", organized by the New Consonance, with "Perpetual Motion" - Studio Concert for accordion, published by Suvini dell'Edizioni Zerboni.
His performances and compositions have been broadcast by RadioTre, Vatican Radio, Classical Radio Network and other European broadcasters.
In May 2011 at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari has performed in world premiere, a concerto for solo accordion and orchestra, written for him by composer Vito Palumbo.
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“Francesco Palazzo is a highly talent musician, gifted with wonderful expressive and technical qualities; hence an element that raises the accordion to unexpected artistic heights.”
Aldo Ciccolini
“A pondered touch and strict tone-control…A highly reasoned Bach, with nob concessions to superficiality or any forcing…When played this way, the classical accordion becomes a truly noble instrument.”
L’Arena
“A technically flawless execution and deeply emotional interpretation...With his accordion he cuts notes of pure crystal…”
Il Corriere di Roma
“The intensity of his interpretation and his technical masterly could not be further from the stereotype of accordion…It was almost a concert-lecture…”
Barisera
“Elegant and highly expressive, his performance is the result of a detailed study on the dynamic sound. His interpretation is simply marvellous.”
Sergio Calligaris
"Those at mass were able to hear Francesco Palazzo's performance of Sofia Gubaidulina's accordion work, De Profundis. Mr. Palazzo brought out the inner intensity of the work, which though uncompromising in its harmonic language, communicated directly with a powerful dramatic integrity."
J.D. Hixson , founder and Artistic Director of STUDIO for New Music -NY