Academic Study Abroad In Florence, Italy

MONICA BENVENUTI
Department Chair
Professor of Vocal Technique

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Monica Born in Florence, after having earned her degree in Letters and Philosophy from the university, she decided to study singing, concentrating on the lyrical and chamber repertories.
She has sung at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, at the Festival della Valle in Itria, at the Estate Fiesolana, at the Sagra Malatestiana in Rimini, at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, at the Bologna Festival, at Teatro Metastasio in Prato - and has collaborated with the Piccolo Teatro in Milano and the Orchestra della Toscana - under directors such as Daniel Oren, Marcello Panni, Franz Brüggen, Giampiero Taverna.
In 1993 she starred in the Incoronazione di Poppea di Monteverdi (Poppea) (at Teatro Verdi in Pisa and at Teatro Sociale in Mantova), and in Zanetto by Mascagni (Silvia) at the Puccini festival at Torre del Lago. Since then, she has starred in the following operas: Dido and Aeneas by Purcell, La serva padrona and Livietta e tracollo by Pergolesi, Orfeo and Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria by Blow, Tamerlano by Händel, Bastiano e Bastiana by Mozart, Giannina e Bernardone by Cimarosa, L'eroismo ridicolo by Spuntini, Hänsel and Gretel by Humperdonk, Il segreto di Susanna by Wolf-Ferrari. Monica is also versed in contemporary music, participating frequently in first executions of works, such as: Il paradiso degli esuli by Bruno de Franceschi, La sposa venuta da Plutone by Gian Carlo Menotti, Il teatrino delle meraviglie by Paolo Furlani, Dammi la luna by Pier Luigi Zangelmi, Un tram chiamato Arlecchino by Aldo Tarabella.
In recent years, after much experience as singer and actress, she has dedicated herself as well to musicals (La voix humaine by Poulenc, Mahagonny Songspiel by Weill, La tragedie de Carmen from Bizet), along with other works to which she is personally involved.
She has made recordings for the R.A.I. as well as the Rodolphe, Nuova Era, "Materiali sonori" (CGD) labels and, for the "Arts" label, she recorded Euridice by Jacopo Peri, in the roles of Venere and Ninfa. Recently she also recorded Incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi at the Teatro Antico in Sabbioneta for RAI 2. She is a voice instructor at the ISTITUTO EUROPEO the Music School of Florence.

LUCA SUMMER
Professor of History of Music

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In 1987 Prof. Summer received his diploma in Piano from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. In 1992 he graduated from the University of Florence in Letters majoring in the History of Modern and Contemporary Music, with a dissertation entitled “The Instrumental work of Antonio Scontrino”. Since 1993, he has been employed as an assistant to Prof. Marcello de Angelis of the department of Music History at the University of Florence, and has taught and lectured on Music History for numerous schools and associations in and around Florence. As a Musicologist, his specialization is in 19th and 20th century composers.
His publications include:
- Antonio Scontrino: An Exponent of the Italian Instrumental Re-birth in the late 19th cent. in “Ottocento e Oltre”, F. Izzo & J. Streicher eds., Roma, Pantheon, 1993.
- The renewal of Italian Music: Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero, in 51st Settimana Musicale Chigiana, Siena, Accademia Musicale Chiagiana, 1994.
- The Instrumental Aspect of the work of Riccardo Zandonai, in “Atti della Giornata di Studio Riccardo Zandonai nel 50° della morte”, Rovereto, Accademia rovertana degli Agiati, 1995.
- Theater programs for the 1996 & 1997 lyrical seasons for the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca.
- The Instrumental works of Antonio Scontrino in “Antonio Scontrino, Musicology and catalogue of works”, Trapani, Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese, 1999.

SUSANNA RIGACCI
Professor of Vocal Technique

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Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Susanna finished her musical training at the Luigi Cherubini conservatory in Florence and successively completed her specialisation with Iris Adami Corradetti, under whose direction, she was recognised and awarded at the International "Maria Callas" Competition (Concorso RAI 1983) and "Sängerförderungspreis" at the Mozarteum in Salzburg 1985.
She has performed in Italy's most prestigious theaters: la Scala in Milan, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La Fenice in Venezia, the Opera house in Roma, Filarmonico in Verona, Massimo in Palermo, Regio in Parma, Bellini in Catania, Comunale in Bologna.
She has also sung at: Carnegie Hall in New York, Opéra Comique and Théatre Châtelet in Paris, Prague Philharmonic, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Opéra de Wallonie in Liège, Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Fundaçao Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Wexford Festival, Teatro Municipalein Mallorca and Staatteater in Bern.
Her lyrical Soprano repertoire revolves mostly around the Italian Baroque (Vivaldi - Scarlatto - Cimarosa - Galoppi - Pergolesi - Boccherini - Stradella - Gasparini - Sacchini), of which she has made several recordings with the Solisti Veneti directed by Maestro Claudio Sciamone (Erato) and also for the labels Philips and Bongiovanni. She has completed a brilliant Rossini and Donizetti repertory (Don Pasquale - recorded for German television -, Elisir d amore, Figlia del reggimento, Il Signor Bruschino, Barbiere di Siviglia, La cambiale di matrimonio) and 19th cent. Italian and French Belcanto.
Susanna is also versed in the contemporary repertory, having performed for prestigious societies such as: La Biennale in Venice, London Sinfonietta, RAI in Rome, Turin and Milan, Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, Festival di Ghibellina.
She has interpreted Webern, Berg, Schönberg, Berio, Nono, Sciarrino, and has performed compositions of Togni, Pennisi, D'Amico for the first time in public. She was also the protagonist of the first Italian performance of The English Cat by Henze at the Comunale in Bologna.
Susanna sings in 6 languages and alternates her concert activity with that of refined chamber music.

VALERIA FERRI
Professor of Vocal Technique

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Valeria Ferri, soprano, began her studies with L.Kozma.
After receiving her diploma with the highest grade point average and a scholarship from the G.Briccialdi Conservatory in Terni,she moved to Florence to improve her skills with S.Rigacci.
She studied with A.Vespasiani, L.Magiera,G.Ciannella, and P.Venturi.
She studied one year Post-Diploma at Parma’s A.Boito Conservatory.
Winner of many international competitions, she performed in:Menotti’s “Amelia al Ballo” and
“Il Telefono”, Galuppi’s “L’Amante di Tutte”, Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri”, Donatoni’s “Alfred’Alfred”, ”La Boheme”, Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” and “Elisir d’Amore”, Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and “Traviata”, Salieri’s “Prima la musica,poi le parole”, Da Capua’s “La Zingara”, Bizet’s “Carmen” and De Simone’s “Il Re bello”, and Mozart’s “Cosi’ fan tutte”. She sang in Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Missa in Es, Haendel’s Messiah, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
She played Violetta in Marco Bellocchio’s “Addio del passato” for the Mostra del Cinema in Venice.
She was invited to sing in Pyongjang (North Korea) and she received a Prize for the interpretation of Korean Songs; at the same time she sang for the National Radio of North Korea.
She sang in the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino(Piccolo) in Florence,at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome, at the Teatro La Pergola in Florence, at the Teatro Verdi in Salerno, at the Teatro Morlacchi in Perugia, at the Teatro Romano in Benevento, at the Teatro Greco in Segesta, and abroad in Paris, Nice, Rouen(France), Malta, South Korea and North Korea, and in Shanghai.
She is a voice instructor at the ISTITUTO EUROPEO the Music School of Florence and an instructor of vocal technique for the choir Harmonia Cantata of Florence.

MARCELLO VARGETTO
Professor of Vocal Music of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque

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Professor Vargetto completed his musical studies at the A. Corelli Conservatory in Messina with a diploma in voice. He then furthered his lyric and chamber music repertoire with Sergio Catoni and Franco Pagliazzi, and fine-tuned his execution of renaissance and baroque music with Gabriel Garrido, Claudine Ansermet and Jill Feldmann.
Since 1988, Marcello has participated as a soloist in various lyric symphony productions, including Moses und Aron di Schönberg under the direction of Z. Mehta, Mendelssohn’s Paulus directed by G. A. Gavazzeni and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennele directedby José Luis Basso. In 1990, Marcello began a decade-long collaboration with Gabriel Garrido and Elyma ensemble which included the roles of Antinoo and Time in the Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria and Mercury in Monteverdi’s Incoronazione di Poppea, all of which won important international accolades. In 1992, his recording with Rinaldo Alessandrini of the IV Libro dei madrigali by Monteverdi won the prestigious Grammophone Award.
Marcello sang in the Missa Mexicana with A. Lawrence-King and The Harp Consort, a performance which toured prominent concert halls in America, Canada and Europe. He has collaborated with several directors, including H. Arman, A. Curtis, M. Mencoboni, F.
Cera, S. Vartolo, and has been the guest of important festivals such as Sagra Musicale Umbra, Quincena musical, Erice, La Chaise-Dieu, Ambronay, Barcelona and more. Marcello is currently part of Paolo da Col’s Odecathon ensemble; G. Acciai’s Nova Ars Cantandi; F. Lombardo’s l’Homme Armé and ISTITUTO EUROPEO Music Department.
Marcello’s discography includes Opus 111. Tactus, K 617, Dynamic, Simphonia and more, some of which have won the important Diapason d’Or francese prize and the English Grammophone Award.

PAOLO CARNEVALI
Professor of Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Lyrical Interpretation, Diction, Solfeggio and Libretti

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Paolo was born in Florence. He graduated from the Conservatory of Ferrara, where he studied piano under the guidance of Fabrizio Lanzoni.
Following his degree, Paolo attended a course held by Pieralba Soroga to become specialized in “Reading and Interpretation of Music”, designed for the study of musical scores as well as for teaching and accompanying opera singers. He also attended a series of lessons dedicated to the study of the organ and its literature by Vincenzo Ninci.
For many years he was a collaborating pianist in the vocal technique class at the Music School of Sesto Fiorentino.
Paolo was a collaborating choral director for the University of Siena during the 2003/2004 academic year and for the choral society “Guido Monaco” of Prato. In both instances, he was under the direction of Lorenzo Fratini, who is now the head choral director at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste. He works periodically with the “Harmonia Cantata” chorus led by Elisabetta Sepe, who has been a collaborating director of the Teatro Comunale of Florence for many years.
During the summer of 2005, Paolo participated in a national specialization course for vocal chamber music as an accompanying pianist in Vezzano, Ligure. He continues his musical studies at the Conservatory of Florence, in Leonardo De Lisi’s vocal chamber music class and at the G. Verdi music school in Prato, and in Monica Benvenuti’s singing class.
During the 2006/2007 academic year, the Conservatory of Florence awarded him a scholarship as a didactic collaborator.

He currently teaches piano at the S. Caterina Musical Academy in Sesto Fiorentino and at the Istituto Europeo the Music School of Florence, where he also holds vocal chamber music lessons and periodic conferences dedicated to the reading of Italian opera librettos.

FRANCESCA GIOVANNELLI
Professor of Piano, Piano Accompaniment, Lyrical Interpretation

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Francesca completed her piano studies at the Cherubini Conservatory in her native Florence, first under the guidance of Guglielmo Rosati and then under Giancarlo Cardini. She graduated with honors.
During that time, she studied composing with Pierluigi Zangelmi, Bruno Rigazzi and Romano Pezzati.
After receiving her diploma, she became a student of both Daniel Rivera and Alessandro Specchi and also attended specialization courses with Vincenzo Vitale, Konstantin Bogino, Dario de Rosa, Maureen Jones, Angelo Faja, Vinko Globokar, and Elio Battaglia. In addition, she studied the harpsichord under the guidance of Annaberta Conti.
She was the winner of piano competitions in Velletri (1985) and in Albenga (1987) and was also a winner of the Schubert chamber music competition (1993).
Since her years at the conservatory, she has devoted much of her time to chamber music (instrumental and with singers). These experiences led to performances all over Italy and abroad, allowing her to create a vast repertory ranging from Renaissance to contemporary music. She has participated in important exhibitions (Biennale Musica, Venice, Settembre Musica, Florence, Amici della Musica, Milazzo, S. Sepolcro, Cortona, Estate Fiesolana, Mattinate Musicali at Verdi Theatre in Pisa, Festival of Santafiora) and collaborated with lead singers and directors (including Daniele Damiano, principal woodwind of Berliner Philarmoniker; Libero Lanzilotta, principal double-bass of Santa Cecilia; Virginia Ceri, strength behind some of the most important Italian and European orchestras; and many others).
Francesca collaborated as a piano accompanist in various vocal chamber music specialization courses held by Liliana Poli, ranging from James Griffet of Pro Cantione Antiqua on technique and interpretation for singers and on the vocalità from the Renaissance to the Baroque, to Aldo Reggioli on opera music. She was an accompanist and “trainer” at the Spoleto Ars Symposia (teachers Judith Cohen, Brian Jahulinen, Enza Ferrari).
She recorded with Chandos and several times with RAI Italian television stations.

She is a tenured complementary piano teacher at the “Perosi” Conservatory in Campobasso, and ISTITUTO EUROPEO Music Department.

RACHEL SWEET
Professor of Viola, Chamber Music and English Language for Musicians

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Rachel Sweet was born in the island of Jersey, where she began playing the violin at the age of 7. During her teenage years she developed a passion for the viola and became a full-time viola player when she began her undergraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester in 2001, under the guidance of Professor Mark Knight. She graduated with a honours degree in Music in 2005 before completing a two-year postgraduate course where she earned her Postgraduate Certificate in Viola Performance as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education with Specialist String Teaching and a Certificate in Dalcroze Eurhythmics.

Rachel has participated in a wide range of musical activities, working with a number of orchestras and chamber groups around Great Britain, as well as participating in the 'Music In Hospitals' scheme as part of a string duo. She has also been active in education, teaching violin, viola, double bass and classroom music in schools around Manchester and on the 'Junior Strings Project', providing accessible instrumental tuition for children aged 5-14 in the Greater Manchester area. Rachel also worked as a lead artist for the 'Greater Manchester Music Action Zone', helping 100 teenagers produce their own concert at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. In addition she has taught on a variety of projects including the 'Manchester Junior Strings Project' and 'Lake District Summer Music' courses, and as part of the Royal Northern College of Music's award-winning chamber music festivals and instrument focus days. Here in Italy she has played in the 'Cantiere Internazionale D'Arte di Montepulciano' (as part of the orchestra-in-residence), in the Festival Orchestra for the 'Festival Internazionale delle Orchestre Giovanili Europee' and with the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina.

In January 2008 Rachel moved to Florence where she combines her musical life with teaching English, and these two enthusiasms come together in the 'English for Musicians' course here at ISTITUTO EUROPEO. She gained her TEFL International TESOL Certificate from The Learning Center of Tuscany and now works for Associazione Sunrise in Florence, teaching English to children and adults of all levels and abilities, as well as implementing a program of music courses.

ANGEL ANDREA TAVANI
Professor of Violin

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Professor Tavani Born in La Spezia, Andrea graduated with a degree in violin from the A. Boito Conservatory in Parma in 1989 with Prof. Runza, while at the same time finishing his classical studies. Before finishing his degree, he attended a course for orchestra qualification at the Scuola di Musica in Fiesole, where he also completed courses on Chamber music and a specialisation course on trios, sponsored by the Trieste Trio. He also studied musical duos and trios on piano for three years under Maestro P. Masi at the Accademia Musicale di Firenze. He completed several specialisation courses on violin technique and interpretation with S. Lupu, A. Stern, A. Bologni, and C. Rossi. After graduation, Andrea performed with the following orchestras: Orchestra Giovanile Italiana; Charleston/Spoleto Festival Orchestra, 33° Festival dei Due Mondi; Teatro Bellini Orchestra in Catania; Spoleto festival Orchestra, 35° festival dei Due Mondi; Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI in Rome; Orchestra dell'Opera di Roma, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia; Orchestra Regionale Toscana; Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Orchestra Regionale Toscana; Teatro La Fenice Orchestra in Venice; Teatro Lirico Orchestra in Cagliari; Pomeriggi Musicali in Milano; and the Orchestra A. Toscanini in Parma. Since 2000, he has been a permanent member of the principal violins of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, which enjoys a superb reputation throughout the music world, thanks in part to its direction by some of the finest conductors in the world, including Zubin Mehta, R.Muti, S.Ozawa and G.Pretre. Among the orchestra’s most recent successes are its third tour of Japan, headed by the Honorary Conductor for Life, Zubin Mehta, and the tour including Warsaw, the Musikverein in Vienna, Frankfurt and Baden-Baden, which received numerous ovations. Andrea is a charter member of the chamber music group "i Cameristi del Maggio" with whom he performed as a soloist during the recent Bejing competition, which was a big hit with the public and critics alike. Tavani performs regularly in concerts as a solo artist, as a duo with his wife, Francesca Giovannelli, and is often invited as a principal player in orchestras like Operafestival, Filarmonica Marchigiana, Filarmonica Veneta.
Highly interested in musical education for children, he was invited to be a teacher at the Birzeit University Summercamps of the in Palestine in 2008, and he will graduate as a Suzuki teacher from the Italian Suzuki Institute.

He is a violin teacher at the ISTITUTO EUROPEO Music Department, the Athenaeum Musicale Fiorentino, and the Accademia Musicale di Firenze.

DUCCIO CECCANTI
Professor of Violin

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Born to a family of musicians, Duccio began studying the violin at the age of 5 under the instruction of his father. He received his diploma with full honours, at a very young age under the guidance of Andrea Tacchi, at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence and awarded the "Fondazione Banca F. del Vecchio prize for best scholar.
Five times he was awarded a diploma of merit and won the G. Chigi scholarship at the Accademia Chigiana, attending courses held by Uto Ughi, Boris Belkin, Riccardo Brontola and Alain Meunier. At the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Duccio attended courses held by the Trio Trieste and by the Trio di Milano. He also attended graduate courses held by Stofan Gheorhiu and Felix Andriewski.
His specialisation was completed at the conservatory in Maastricht with Boris Belkin , and at the "W: Stauffer" foundation in Cremona with Salvatore Accardo.
He has played for many important societies and festivals, such as: Teatro la Fenice in Venezia, Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sala Bossi in Bologna, Aula Magna dell'Università degli Studi di Roma, Associazione Alessandro Scarlatti in Naples, Accademia Chigiana, Amici della Musica of Vicenza, Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano, Estate Fiesolana, Acquario Romano. Teatro Metastasio in Prato, International Festival in Prague and has toured in France, Germany, Spain and Portugal.
Duccio has executed first performances of S. Bussotti and L. Berio. He has recorded: "Pierrot Lunaire" by A. Schönberg for ARTS with the Contempoartensemble (of which he was a soloist), The trio for strings by Schönberg and Schubert with the Artes Trio and, with the pianist Vovsk Ashkenazy the quartet op. 47 by Schumann.
He has collaborated with the Italian Chamber Orchestra founded and directed by Salvatore Accardo with whom he has recorded for the EMI; FONE', and FONIT CETRA music labels, and with whom he has toured in Italy, South America, China and Japan..
He teaches at "G. Verdi" music school in Prato, and since the summer of 2000 is also assistant maestro of instruments of the specialisation course held by F. Donatoni and A. Corghi at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena.

DAVID BELLUGI
Professor of Flauto Dolce

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David Bellugi is a recorder virtuoso, concert and studio musician, Macintosh-enthusiast, Sound Designer editor and part owner of the Florence-based record company.
David has a B.A. in Applied Musicology which he received Summa cum Laude from the University of California at San Diego, where he studied with Bernhardt-Ambros Batschelet (flute), Robert Erickson and Bernard Rands (composition), Anthony Newman (harpsichord), Thomas Nee (conducting), and Bertram Turetzky (advisor for musicology). He continued his musicological research in Early Music performance practices under the guidance of Antoine Geoffroy-Dechaume in Paris (a student of Early Music pioneer, Arnold Dolmetsch).
As soloist David has performed with many orchestras including: the RAI-Torino, Radio France-Paris, Radio France-Lille, Radio della Svizzera Italiana, as well as with the orchestras of Bari, Cagliari, Cordoba, Emilia-Romagna, Firenze, Harvard University, Milano, Padova, Palermo, Sanremo and Torino. He has performed in recitals and concert/lectures in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and in the U.S.A.
He has premiered various works (Luciano Berio, Nuccio D'Angelo, Ugalberto de Angelis, Dan Locklair, A. Riccardo Luciani, Carlo Prosperi, and Giulio Viozzi have dedicated works to Bellugi) and has appeared successfully as conductor-soloist.
Bellugi teaches Recorder at the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory in Florence Italy.

At the present Stefano Margheri is the first flute in the Florentine Chamber Orchestra and component of the Michelangelo Ensemble. He teaches flute at the music school of Sesto Fiorentino and is also the chairman of the flute instructors at the “Guicciardini Poliziano” music school, as well as at the Music Department of ISTITUTO EUROPEO.

STEFANO MARGHERI
Professor of Flauto

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Prof. Margheri began his studies and graduated with full scores from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence under the guidance of Maestro Alfieri and Prof. Di Sabatino, and perfecting his studies with K. Klemm and A. Marion. He has also attended chamber music courses held by Maestro Franco Rossi.

In his career, he has preformed as a soloist with the Florence’s Chamber ensemble (Complesso Cameristico di Firenze) as well as with other ensembles, among which the “J. Francaix” winds quintet, with which he also won the Stresa International Competition. He has performed with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentina orchestra, the ORT (regional orchestra of Tuscany), the International Orchestra of Italy and many others. Performing with these orchestras, he has also had the opportunity to record many works and participate in numerous concerts with some of the finest directors: Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, and Carlo Maria Giulini. His solist performances also include sound and televised recordings of J. S. Bach’s concerts for flute, for a national TV network. Interested as well in contemporary music, Prof. Margheri is involved in the execution and diffusion of contemporary pieces, written by young composers.

At the present Stefano Margheri is the first flute in the Florentine Chamber Orchestra and component of the Michelangelo Ensemble. He teaches flute at the music school of Sesto Fiorentino and is also the chairman of the flute instructors at the “Guicciardini Poliziano” music school, as well as at the Music Department of ISTITUTO EUROPEO.

ANDREA MARCHETTI
Professor of Oboe, Flute

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Born and raised in Florence, Andrea graduated from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory with a diploma in oboe, under the guidance of Maestro G. Patroniti. He also attended a specialisation course in Chamber Music at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and specialisation course in oboe at the Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg, under the direction of Hansjorg Schellenberger, first oboe of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Andrea has performed and continues to perform as a soloist and as a member of chamber groups and orchestras and events such as: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Musicus Concentus (under the artistic direction of L. Berio), International Academy of Salzburg, “Insieme Barocco Fiorentino” chamber ensemble, “Gli Amici della Musica” of Arezzo. At the present he performs with the orchestra of the Università degli Studi di Firenze.

His recordings include “Il Figlio dell’Uomo” and “Frate Francesco” with the Musica Instrumentalis ensemble of Florence, the works Maestro C. Terni. Edizioni Fonografiche e Musicali Pro Civitate Christiana-Assisi; numerous concerts as a soloist on a National level.

Music studies alone not being sufficient for Andrea, he also earned a degree in Education Sciences from the Università degli Studi di Firenze. The thesis was titled, “Distance learning for the disabled: beneficial or detrimental? An analysis of the problems of social and work-related integration”. His passion to helping the disabled led him to pursue a career in teaching children with handicaps. Combining education with his love for music, Andrea also teaches music education in several public schools in and nearby Florence.

NUCCIO D'ANGELO
Professor of Guitar

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Nuccio D'Angelo began playing music at the age of six, immediately showing a remarkable interest for the guitar and for composition.
His most important teachers have been Alvaro Company for the guitar and Gaetano Giani-Luporini for composition.
He has performed in concerts as soloist and in chamber music in Italy, Greece, Holland, France, USA, Canada, Germany and Portugal.
He won the first prize at the "Festival of contemporary music" (Tokyo 1984) with "Due Canzoni Lidie" and the "A. Segovia" competition in Almunecar (1991) with "Magie".
He received a special prize in 1996 at "The European International Competition for Composer" in New York and "La chitarra d'oro per la composizione" (Alessandria - 1997)

His music has been appreciated by musicians such as L. Brouwer, T. Riley, R. Smith-Brindle, R. Aussel , A. Pierri and played and recorded by famous guitarists: "Due Canzoni Lidie" was recorded nine times in the last years. He teaches classical guitar at the "P. Mascagni Musical Institute" in Livorno and led courses of guitar and composition in Rome, Lucca, Macerata, Agropoli, Florence, Portoferraio (Elba), Catania, Monza, USA, Canada, Hamburg and Marktoberdorf (Monaco).

FILIPPO GIANI
Professor of Guitar

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Filippo Born in Florence, began his studies at the Music Academy of Florence. After trying other academies and guitar courses, he decided to continue his studies at the Lizard Academy of Fiesole (Florence) where he received his second level degree in modern electric guitar, classic rock styles and improvisation. Meanwhile, he began studying at the University of Florence, where he received his university degree summa cum laude in Musicology and Musical Resources.
He now teaches Musical Theory, Modern Guitar, History of Music and Introductory Music in many Tuscan music academies, including the Music Department of ISTITUTO EUROPEO. Filippo is also a part of a band (guitarist and backup vocals) with whom he performs all over Italy, as well as in France and Spain. Though busy, Filippo also occasionally works as sound technician.

VITTORIO CECCANTI
Professor of Cello

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Born in 1972, he began studying the cello at the age of 5 and performed his first "concert" to an audience of seven people. After having graduated with honours from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence under the guidance of Andrea Nannoni, Vittorio went on to study with such renowned musicians as: Yo Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, David Geringas, Valentin Berlinsky, Anner Bijlsma, Karine Georgian, Alain Meunier, Riccardo Brengola, the Trieste Trio and the Milano Trio. Since 1996 he has been one of Natalia Gutman's 5 pupils at the Hochschule in Stuttgart, where he earned his master's in Cello and his degree as a soloist (Solistenklasse) with the highest of marks.
Vittorio has won national and international competitions and prizes such as: first place plus a special Honourable mention of merit at the "City of Vittorio Veneto" competition in 1989; a diploma from the Eurovision competition in Vienna in 1990; the European Yamaha Music Foundation award in 1992; the special "Libero Lana" award and the International "Trio of Trieste" Competition in 1996 and the "Karel Hilsum Prjice" in Amsterdam in 1997.
After having performed in Vienna with the Radio Orf Orchestra directed by Pinchas Steinberg in 1990, and in Naples at the Teatro San Carlo with Pier Luigi Urbini in 1991, Vittorio was called to perform for the occasion of the Gala Concert of the winners of the Eurovision Competitions, which was televised by the RAI TV. Since then, he has been regularly invited to perform as a solo artist in many concerts and festivals in Italy and abroad: Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Festival of Prague, Festival of Lyon, Chigiana Music Week, Amici della Musica in Firenze, Vicenza and Palermo, Teatro Rendano in Cosenza, Festival of Ravello, Festival of Todi, Festival Pontino, in Rome for Radio Tre Suite, RAI International and at the Acquario.
He currently participates in the Trio Artes and the Contempoartensemble (of which he is the founding president). He has recorded 5 CDs with the music of Berio, Boulez, Sciarrino, Steve Reich, Schoenberg e Vacchi, among which he executed the cello solo of "Les mots sont allés…" by L. Berio, and the trio for strings op. 45 by Schoenberg, and played first ever executions by F. Vacchi (for trio with piano), by Peter Maxwell Davies (Trio for strings) and by L. Berio ("Chanson" for Pierre Boulez-cello solo).
Vittorio also recorded the music of F. Vacchi for BMG-Records, among which pieces "In alba mia dir…" - solo for cello, for the soundtrack of the film "Il mestiere delle armi" by Ermanno Olmi.
He also collaborates as first cello soloist with the RAI's National Symphonic Orchestra.
Vittorio, since 1996, teaches the cello at the G. Verdi Music School in Prato, was invited by the Accademia Chigiana in Siena as Assistant Instrumental Maestro for the composition courses in 2000 and 2001, held by Azio Corghi, and was called by the Accademia Musicale in Florence to hold special courses for cello since January 2002.
Recently he has had a huge success with the Trio Artes during their long tour in Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay).
Vittorio plays a priceless cello constructed in Venice around 1720-1 by C. Tononi, which once belonged to Amedeo Baldovino.

"One of the rare true musical talents among all of the students that have passed through me" (Amedeo Baldovino).
"He played for me in September 1992. I was deeply moved by his great talent."
(Sir Georg Solti).
"From the first time I met Vittorio Ceccanti, I was impressed with his maturity and his intelligence. He is an exceptional musician, both technically and intellectually. He is gifted with an extraordinary instrumental ability and a profound perception of the music." (Luciano Berio).