Italian Saxophone Quartet

The Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, in collaboration with Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, presents a concert of the Italian Saxophone Quartet.  

The Italian Saxophone Quartet was founded in 1982 by four saxophone soloists, close friends determined to join together to perform chamber music for saxophone at the very highest artistic level. Since then, they have played to wide acclaim in more than 500 concerts in Italy (including the most important concert institutions), France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Japan, USA, Sweden, Lebanon, Bermuda and Russia. The quartet’s concerts have been recorded and broadcast by the Italian RAI-Radio 1 and RAI-Radio 3 as well as by Swedish, German, Japanese and American national radios. 

ITALIAN SAXOPHONE QUARTET

Federico Mondelci soprano     Davide Bartelucci contralto

Pasquale Cesare tenore    Michele Paolino baritono

PROGRAM : 

The Italian Saxophone Quartet is represented by Lisa Sapinkopf Artists, www.chambermuse.com

DOORS OPEN BETWEEN 6:00PM AND 6:55PM

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LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven St, NW
Washington, DC 20008

ITALIAN SAXOPHONE QUARTET

The Italian Saxophone Quartet was founded in 1982 by four saxophone soloists, close friends determined to join together to perform chamber music for saxophone at the very highest artistic level. Since then, they have played to wide acclaim in more than 500 concerts in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Japan, USA, Sweden, Lebanon, Bermuda and Russia. The quartet’s concerts was recorded and broadcast by the Italian RAI-Radio 1 and RAI-Radio 3 as well as by Swedish, German, Japanese and American national radios. 

The quartet won a number of important chamber music competitions, including the unanimous First Prize. They also won a special prize at the prestigious “Premio Ancona” in Italy.

Among their important projects, in 1999 the quartet performed Berio’s work “Outis” with the Symphony Orchestra of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. They appeared as soloists with the Malipiero Symphony Orchestra in works by Piazzolla and Dubois, and collaborated with the “Fonè String Quartet” on the creation a new arrangement of the “Art of the Fugue” by J.S. Bach for string and saxophone quartets, which was premiered at the XXII International Chamber Music Festival in Asolo.

ISQ’s annual tours of the United States have brought them to New York City (where they showcased at the annual Arts Presenters Conference), the Da Camera Society of Los Angeles, and venues in New York State, California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Idaho, and Alaska. A highlight of their current season is their Washington DC début with two concerts on the prestigious Dumbarton Oaks series in Washington DC.

International activities include concerts at the Bermuda International Festival, the Alicante Festival (Spain), the Oleg Kagan Musikfest in Munich (Germany), the Palaces of St. Petersburg Chamber Music Festival (Russia), and the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut (Lebanon). Their discography includes two CDs on the Delos label and a CD of contemporary music on the Pentaphon label.x

FEDERICO MONDELCI, soprano saxophone

In the last 20 years, Federico Mondelci has established himself as one of the leading saxophonists of his generation. His principal studies were at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica ‘G. Rossini’ in Italy and later with Jean-Marie Londeix at the Bordeaux Conservatoire, France. In 1981, he was awarded the ‘Premier Prix et Médaille d’Or à l’Unanimité. Alongside the saxophone, his studies also included singing, composition and conducting. Federico Mondelci represented Italy on several occasions in the World Saxophone Congress. These include performances in Germany, Japan, USA, and Spain. In Italy, he performed as soloist with all the major orchestras, including the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala at La Scala, in Milan, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

During more recent seasons, Mondelci frequently performed in Russia and now enjoys a particularly close relationship with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Federico Mondelci is an active promoter of contemporary music and innovator of instrumental techniques. Numerous compositions were dedicated to him and subsequently performed and broadcast for many important venues in Europe and America. His recording of ‘Kya’, by Giacinto Scelsi, was recently awarded the ‘Diapason d’Or’ and a CD for RCA included music written for him by Italian composers. In 2006, Mondelci performed in the world premiere of the Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra by the New Zealand composer, John Psathas.

As a conductor appeared regularly throughout Italy with many important orchestras. In recent seasons, Mondelci has been a frequent guest in Germany and Russia, directing concerts to great acclaim including outstanding soloists as Ilya Grubert, Michael Nyman, Kathryn Stott, Pavel Vernikov, Massimo Mercelli, Francesco Manara, Luisa Castellani.

On saxophone, following his recording for Delos in 1999, Federico Mondelci has given highly successful tours throughout Europe and America, performing his own arrangements of Tangos by Astor Piazzolla. Other recordings, in collaboration with the Italian Saxophone Quartet and with the English pianist Kathryn Stott, are listed in Chandos and Delos catalogues.  In 2017 he will appear again as soloist and conductor in the main season of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

DAVIDE BARTELUCCI, alto saxophone

Davide Bartelucci started studying music when he was 7 years old. He specialized at the Gioacchini Rossini Academy of Music in Pesaro where he received a degree with merit, guided by his teacher, Federico Mondelci, and won the scholarship as the best wind instrument player. 12 national and international contents’ winner, he held concerts in the most glamourous Italian and international theatres, with appearances in Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Russia and U.S.A. As a soloist, he collaborated with important Italian and foreign orchestras, like the Filarmonica of Saint Pietroburgo, the Filarmonica of the Theatre La Fenice of Venice, The Orchestra of Padova and Veneto, The Orchestra Toscanini of Parma, The Filarmonica Marchigiana, and The Orchestra Città Aperta. He recorded for Brilhart, Parco della Musica Records, Rai, Sky and Warner Bross, and collaborated in jazz and “pop” music productions with artists such as Javier Girotto, Fabrizio Bosso, Raphael Gualazzi, Peppino di Capri, and Ivana Spagna. While playing in concerts, he also continued attending specialization courses, and he is now a saxophone teacher at the Scuola Media “Donatello“ in Ancona.

PASQUALE CESARE, tenore saxophone

Pasquale Cesare is an acclaimed Italian saxophonist with an international reputation for excellence. For many years, he studied with talented Italian instructors, in particular with the esteemed M° Federico Mondelci, who guided him towards a brilliant Master’s Degree at the Conservatory of “G. Rossini” in Pesaro. He was awarded various prizes from international contests. He collaborates with the Theatre “San Carlo” in Naples and with the Philharmonic Orchestra “Marchigiana”, performing classical and contemporary music of composers such as: George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel and Bruno Maderna. His future promises two CD’s already recorded entitled Saxofonie and Tribute to Adolphe Sax. For the future Pasquale is planning to tour Italy and abroad with his music, as a soloist and as a component of chamber orchestras, to fulfill his dream job and cherish his passion for music.

MICHELE PAOLINO, baritono saxophone

Michele Paolino started his musical studies at the age of 9 and, after completing his professional studies with M° Gabriele Buschi, he participated in several musical competitions, awarding him 15 first prices in Chamber Music Categories. During his last meeting with his teacher, the international saxophone player and conductor Federico Mondelci and while studying at the “G. Rossini” Music Conservatory in Pesaro, he discussed the possibilty of a collaboration with the Italian Saxophone Quartet and the Italian Saxophone Orchestra, playing at the ‘First Saxophone Festival’ in Saint Petersburg, on the occasion of the 200th Birthday of Adolphe Sax. He is now involved in musical activities as a soloist and as chamber musician in Italy and abroad.