Britten's Serenade

Hi everyone,

the recording of my last concert in Italy is online!

As I said in my last post, at the end of April I went back to Italy to perform Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Guglielmo Pellarin, Orchestra San Marco and conductor Eddi De Nadai. I'm so happy I had the chance to sing such wonderful music, one of the most beautiful pieces Britten wrote for the voice of Peter Pears! I'm pleased I can share the recording of our performance with you:

If you want, please have a look at my YouTube channel: you'll find more of my performances and a few recordings of my singing teacher bass Alfredo Mariotti and other singers I love.

Hope you enjoy!

Spring Update!

The last few months have been quite eventful!

First of all, at the end of January, I had a super quick trip to Edinburgh to celebrate Burns Night! We got the tickets for the last concert of the Burns&Beyond Festival with Kinnaris Quintet and singers Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart. It was great to be again in Scotland!

The highlight of February was the visit to the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. Composer Luka Venter and poet David Bottomley are writing an opera about marine biology and lantern fish and visited BAS to get some first-hand info and gain some precious knowledge to proceed with their work, so my friend Jen (who is a researcher at BAS) invited me to join the party! It was an amazing day and I got to meet not only two very interesting artists but also some amazing scientists!

Luka, David, me, Jen & Lorena

At the beginning of March, I had my concert with Ralph Woodward in Cambridge: Italian Journey. We performed for a packed hall and I was very happy to share the Italian music with which I grew up for an English audience. It was particularly moving for me to sing, as an encore at the end of the concert, a popular song from my region, the touching melody of Stelutis Alpinis. Here you can listen to an extract:

Also, you can enjoy a short bit from Girometta, a very nice and funny Italian song:

The biggest event of the month - and indeed of my whole life - happened at the end of March (to be precise, at the very last few minutes of the month): my first daughter Nora Elizabeth arrived, and stole Mummy's and Daddy's hearts - and their sleep as well!

After only a few weeks, feeling a bit guilty for leaving home already, I went back to Italy to join horn player Guglielmo Pellarin, Orchestra San Marco and conductor Eddi De Nadai for my first concert as a dad! We were to perform Britten's Serenade for tenor, horn and strings and I was very excited because it was my first time singing it. Britten's music holds a special place in my heart. I've been lucky to perform in his native Lowestoft with my friend and gorgeous singer Stephanie Lewis and in Aldeburgh in the church where he and Peter Pears are buried. Now, performing the Serenade is a dream coming true. And I couldn't ask for better companions for this new musical journey!

Orchestra San Marco

Me, Eddi De Nadai, Gugliemo Pellarin

Now, I have a couple of quiet months - if dealing with a 5 weeks baby can ever be quiet - before all the summer concerts!