Ensemble

 

The ensemble Concerto Scirocco, founded in 2009, is dedicated to historically informed performance practice. This eclectic ensemble of early instruments is united by a common enthusiasm for the music of the renaissance, of the early baroque and of the baroque Era, and seeks to combine personal creativity with an awareness of historical performance practices garnered through experience of the world of early music.

Concerto Scirocco performs regularly in international Festivals such as: Midi Musique  Basel, Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Festival Internacional de Musica de Gaia, Brunnenthaler Konzertsommer, LAC Lugano Arte Cultura Concert Hall, Les Concerts de l’ADMA in Fribourg, Festival di Musica Antica in Magnano, Italy, Fabulous Fringe Festival in Utrecht, Holland, Festival Alte Musik Live in Berlin, Festival Freunde Alter Musik Basel, La Tribune des Jeunes Musiciens Genève, Les Concerts de Romainmôtier, Festival AMIA Alsace, Festival La Folia Rougemont, Label Suisse Festival Lausanne, Les Concerts au Château de l’Hermitage Condé-sur-l’Éscaut, Ceresio Estate Festival in Lugano, Festival Les Riches Heures de Valère Sion, Festtage Alte Musik Basel, CaronAntica Festival, Festival I Concerti delle Camelie Locarno, Altstadt Serenaden Basel, Festival Misteria Paschalia Krakow, Kammermusik Konzerte Theater Bern, Concerti d’Organo Venezia, Museo San Colombano Bologna Collezione Tagliavini, Festival Murten Classics, Domkonzerte Arlesheim, Festival d’Art Sacrée Sion, Les Concerts Bach de Lutry, Festival Cantar di Pietre Ticino, Davos Festival Young Artists in Concert,  Musiksommer am Zürichsee. Concerto Scirocco was broadcasted live for RSR Espace 2, Radio Svizzera Italiana Rete 2 and Concertzender.nl.

Concerto Scirocco’s recordings, in collaboration with Voces Suaves vocal ensemble and released by ARCANA / Outhere Music, were rated 5 Diapasons and the Diapason Découverte by Diapason Magazine, 5 stars from MUSICA Magazine, the “CHOC du mois” by CLASSICA Magazine and were nominated for the “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik”. 

Concerto Scirocco’s third recording, dedicated to the rediscovery of the venetian composer Giovanni Picchi and his “Canzoni da Sonar per ogni sorte d’Istromenti”, was also nominated for the “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2020” in the category “early music”, reviewed by BBC, France Musique, BR Klassik, SRF, nominated “disc of the months” in december 2020 by Rete Due, editor’s Choice in September 2020 by “The Classic Review” and and awarded 5 Stars from MUSICA Magazine. 

In 2021, Concerto Scirocco was one of the 4 winners of the “Kulturplatz” competition by SRF Schweizer Radio Fernsehen, selected among more than 60 cultural projects from Switzerland. A detailed reportage about the ensemble was filmed at the prestigious StadtCasino Basel. 

They say about us…. 

 

“The performance impresses with rhythmic verve, spontaneity and such a joy of splendid and varied colours that the ear can only enjoy it. Phrasing, ornamentation and, last, not least, emotions in the music are natural and testify to a deep understanding of this epoch’s music” PIZZICATO, August 2020

“Concerto Scirocco, lead by dulcian and recorder player Giulia Genini, manage to project wonderful diversity of sound and maintain interest as the music flows. Solo players’ ornamentations are done with good taste, never turn the attention to themselves (…) In the final three compositions, the brass, violins, winds and continuo form a superb early Baroque ensemble (…) an illuminating release.” THE CLASSIC REVIEW, August 2020

“Rythmée et joufflue, l’interprétation du Concerto Scirocco exprime pleinement la vitalité artistique qui régnait à Venise au début du XVIème siècle” MUSIKZEN , October 2020

“Finely judged sonorities, clarity of detail and flawless eloquence bespeak intelligently balanced musicianship (…) three sinfonias from Concerti academici, Op 8 (1615 16) give the full complement of Concerto Scirocco scope to flex their muscles. As with their groundbreaking album of music by the Venetian Giovanni Croce (Arcana, 2017), the endeavours of these gifted musicians unveil another intriguing composer whose works have hardly made a dent in the discography until now.” GRAMOPHONE, April 2020

“Les vents, cornet à bouquin et sacqueboutes, embrassent les voix et les élèvent dans une grande plénitude sonore. Ce splendide «doublage» des voix, en réalité subtil et avec une riche ornementation, avait cour à la chapelle du prince-archevêque de Salzbourg. C’était au début du XVIIe siècle, lorsque Stefano Bernardi était maître de la chapelle musicale. Un témoin de l’époque, cité dans le livret, dit des œuvres de Bernardi: «[…] il n’y eut rien de plus beau ni de plus joyeux dans le ciel». On ne peut que lui donner raison à entendre son Requiem à six voix, ainsi que d’autres pièces sacrées pour chœur et instruments. On entend également des cordes, mais ce sont bien les vents du Concerto Scirocco qui donnent cette amplitude aux voix de l’ensemble Voces Suaves.” LA LIBERTÉ, March 2020

“Les timbres des deux ensembles se conjuguent admirablement. Cordes frottées, cuivres, orgue et doulciane donnent ainsi un relief extraordinaire aux œuvres concertantes, sans jamais nuire à la parfaite transparence de la polyphonie” DIAPASON MAGAZIN, January 2020

“… musicians do justice to the Venetian technique of the Cori spezzati (…) associated with an almost madrigal treatment of the image of biblical texts. The absence of a chef makes the homogeneity of textures and the synchronization of the footage even more impressive (…) essential for any baroque music discs-collector ” CLASSICA Magazine, April 2020

“On devine les longues heures de travail, pour arriver au résultat final. L’attention portée aux voix se double d’ailleurs d’un souci de faire entendre chacun des instruments des sinfonias. Ce dernier transparaît tout particulièrement dans la Sinfonia seconda concertata, où la conversation entre les diverses lignes mélodiques est particulièrement belle. Loin d’occulter les voix, ces parenthèses instrumentales semblent au contraire les transposer dans un univers plus incarné, non moins divin (…) ces artistes parviennent à faire entendre la musique qu’on n’écoute plus assez. N’est-ce pas le sens d’un chef d’oeuvre ?” CULTUREAUPOING.COM, December 2019

Photo @Alejandro Gomez Lozano