Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Concerto in C minor for Violin, Oboe, and Orchestra (BWV 1060)
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): The Beatitudes from The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, Op. 31
Maurice Duruflé (1902 – 1986): Requiem
Conductors: Mauro Bacherini and Stefano Vasselli
Choirs: the New Chamber Singers and the Coro dei Fiorentini
Organist: Efisio Aresu
Orchestra: St Paul’s Orchestra
Mezzosoprano: Francesca Lione
Baritone: Andrea D’Amelio
Violin: Francesco Malatesta
Oboe: Eléna Di Mauro
Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto for violin, oboe and orchestra in C minor (BWV 1060) – conductor Stefano Vasselli
This concerto was written by Bach in the early 1720s, at about the time Bach made his important move to Leipzig. The earliest extant manuscript version of it dates from about 1736 and is set for two harpsichords, but it has been widely accepted since the 19th Century that this manuscript was a subsequent transcription, and that the concerto was originally set for violin and oboe. It is written in three movements, allegro, adagio and allegro.
Rachmaninoff: The Beatitudes – conductor Mauro Bacherini
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. He is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music, characterised by a thoroughly personal idiom notable for its song-like melodicism, expressiveness, dense contrapuntal textures, and rich orchestral colours.
Born into a musical family, Rachmaninoff began learning the piano at the age of four. He studied piano and composition at the Moscow Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1892, having already written several compositions. In 1897, following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No. 1, Rachmaninoff entered a four-year depression and composed little, until supportive therapy allowed him to complete his very well-received Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1901. Rachmaninoff went on to become conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre from 1904 to 1906.
In 1910 Rachmaninoff completed his choral work Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31, of which the Beatitudes form part, but it was banned from performance as it did not follow the format of a typical liturgical church service. The Beatitudes are blessings by Jesus of eight groups of people normally thought to be unfortunate, and were made during the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew (5:3-10). Rachmaninoff also adds: the prayer that precedes them in the Orthodox liturgy, the 9th blessing – which Jesus addresses to the disciples – and the Gloria. After the Russian Revolution, Rachmaninoff and his family left Russia permanently, settling in New York in 1918. These later years were spent mostly performing, and his compositional output decreased significantly, completing just six works after leaving Russia. he died from melanoma in 1943.
| Vo tsarstvii Tvoyem pomyani nas, Gospodi yegda prideshi. | Ricordati di noi, o Signore, quando entrerai nel tuo regno. | Remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom. |
| Blazheni nischchii dukhom, yako tekh yest’Tsartsvo Nebesnoye | Beati i poveri in Spirito, perché di essi è il Regno dei Cieli. | Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. |
| Blazheni plachushchii, yako tii uteshatsya. | Beati gli afflitti perchè saranno consolati. | Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. |
| Blazheni krottsii, yako tii nasiedyat zemlyu. | Beati i miti perché erediteranno la terra. | Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. |
| Blazheni alchushchii i zhazhdushchi i pravdy, yako tii nasytyatsia | Beati quelli che hanno fame e sete di giustizia perché saranno saziati. | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. |
| Blazheni milostivii, yako tii pomilovani budut. | Beati i misericordiosi perché otterranno misericordia. | Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. |
| Blazheni chistii serdtsem, yako tii Boga uzryat. | Beati i puri di cuore perché vedranno Dio. | Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. |
| Blazheni mirotvortsy, yako tii Synove Bozhii narekutsya. | Beati gli operatori di pace perché saranno chiamati figli di Dio. | Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. |
| Blazheni izgnani pravdy radi, yako tekh yest’ Tsartsvo Nebesnoye. | Beati i perseguitati per causa della giustizia perché di essi è il Regno dei Cieli. | Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. |
| Blazheni yeste, yegda ponosyat vami izh denut, i rekut vsyak zol glugolna oy tzhushche Mene radi, raduytesya i vese litisya, yako mzda vashamnogana nebesekh. | Beati voi quando gli altri vi insulteranno e diranno ogni sorta di male contro di voi, anche contro di me. Rallegratevi ed esultate, perché la vostra ricompensa viene dal cielo. | Blessed are you, when others revile you and say all kinds of evil against you, even against me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is from heaven. |
| Slava Ottsu i Synu, Svyatomu Dhukhu, i nyne i prisnoi vo veki vekov. Amin | Gloria al Padre e al Figlio e allo Spirito Santo, ora e sempre, nei secoli dei secoli. Amen | Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and evermore. Amen |
Duruflé: Requiem – conductor Stefano Vasselli
Maurice Duruflé was a French composer, organist, musicologist, and teacher. He was born in Louviers, Normandy in 1902, and studied piano and organ at Rouen Cathedral Choir School from 1912 to 1918, the choral plainsong tradition of which remaining a strong and lasting influence. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of 18, graduating with first prizes in organ, harmony, fugue, piano accompaniment and composition, the latter being taught by Paul Dukas.
In 1927, Louis Vierne nominated him as his assistant at Notre-Dame, and the two remained lifelong friends. Duruflé became titular organist of St-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris in 1929, a position he held for the rest of his life. In 1943 he became Professor of Harmony at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he worked until 1970.
In 1941 he began composing what is probably the most famous of his few pieces: the Requiem op. 9, which we perform tonight. It is a setting of the Latin Requiem, for baritone, mezzo-soprano, mixed choir, organ and (in this version) chamber orchestra. The thematic material is mostly taken from the Mass for the Dead in Gregorian chant. The work was commissioned by the Vichy regime during the war but not completed until 1947. Duruflé was made Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur in 1954 and promoted to Officier de la Legion d’honneur in 1966. He suffered severe injuries in a car crash in 1975, and as a result he gave up performing. He died in a clinic at Louveciennes (near Paris) on 16 June 1986, aged 84, having never fully recovered from the crash.
| I Introit | ||
| Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. | L’eterno riposo dona loro, o Signore, e splenda ad essi la luce perpetua. | Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let eternal light shine upon them. |
| Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem; exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis caro veniet. | A te si addice la lode, o Dio, in Sion, a te si sciolga il voto in Gerusalemme; esaudisci la mia preghiera, a te verrà ogni mortale. | You are praised, God, in Zion, and homage will be paid to You in Jerusalem; hear my prayer, to You all flesh will come. |
| Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. | L’eterno riposo dona loro, o Signore, e splenda ad essi la luce perpetua. | Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let eternal light shine upon them. |
| II Kyrie | ||
| Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. | Signore, pietà. Cristo, pietà. Signore, pietà. | Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. |
| III Domine Jesu Christe | ||
| Domine Jesu Christe, rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu. | Signore Gesù Cristo, re glorioso, libera le anime di tutti i fedeli defunti dalle pene dell’inferno e dalle profondità dell’abisso. | Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, liberate the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit. |
| Libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum. | Liberale dalle fauci del leone, non permettere che il Tartaro le inghiotta o che cadano nel buio eterno. | Deliver them from the lion’s mouth lest Tartarus swallow them up, and lest they fall into darkness. |
| Sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam, quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus. | Sia invece il vessillifero San Michele a riportarle nella luce santa che un giorno hai promesso ad Abramo e alla sua discendenza. | Let the standard-bearer, holy Michael, bring them into the holy light, which you promised long ago to Abraham and his seed. |
| Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus. | Sacrifici e preghiere in tua lode ti offriamo, o Signore. | We offer prayers and sacrifices to you, Lord. |
| Tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus, fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus. | Tu accettali per quelle anime che oggi ricordiamo, fa’ che possano passare dalla morte alla vita eterna, che un giorno promettesti ad Abramo e alla sua discendenza. | Receive them on behalf of those souls which today we remember, grant them, Lord, that they may pass from death to the life which you promised long ago to Abraham and his seed. |
| IV Sanctus e Benedictus | ||
| Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth, pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. | Santo, santo, santo il Signore Dio dell’universo. I cieli e la terra sono pieni della tua gloria. | Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory, |
| Hosanna in excelsis! | Osanna nell’alto dei cieli. | Hosannah in the highest. |
| Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini. | Benedetto colui che viene nel nome del Signore. | Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, |
| Hosanna in excelsis! | Osanna nell’alto dei cieli. | Hosannah in the highest. |
| V Pie Jesu | ||
| Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem sempiternam. | Pio Signore Gesù, dona loro l’eterno riposo. | Gracious Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest. |
| VI Agnus Dei | ||
| Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam. | Agnello di Dio, che togli i peccati del mondo, dona loro l’eterno riposo. | Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant them eternal rest. |
| VII Lux Aeterna | ||
| Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. | Splenda ad essi la luce eterna, o Signore, con i tuoi santi in eterno, poiché tu sei misericordioso | May eternal light shine upon them, O Lord, with your saints for eternity, because you are merciful. |
| Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. | L’eterno riposo dona loro, o Signore, e splenda ad essi la luce perpetua. | Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let eternal light shine upon them. |
| VIII Libera me | ||
| Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda, quando coeli movendi sunt et terra, dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem. | Liberami, Signore, dalla morte eterna, in quel giorno tremendo, quando cieli e terra saranno sconvolti e tu verrai a giudicare il mondo col fuoco. | Deliver me, Lord, from eternal death on that fearful day when the heavens and the earth shall be shaken, when you will come to judge the world through fire. |
| Tremens factus sum ego et timeo dum discussio venerit atque ventura ira, quando coeli movendi sunt et terra. | Tutto tremante io sono e atterrito al pensiero del giudizio e della collera imminente, quando cieli e terra saranno sconvolti. | I am forced to tremble and I fear, when the destruction comes and the impending wrath, when the heavens and the earth are shaken. |
| Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde. | Giorno d’ira, quel giorno, di rovina e di miseria, giorno grande e pieno d’amarezza. | That day, the day of wrath, of calamity, of misery, day of great and exceeding bitterness. |
| IX In Paradisum | ||
| In Paradisum deducant Angeli, in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. | Gli Angeli ti accompagnino in Paradiso, al tuo arrivo ti accolgano i Martiri e ti conducano alla città santa di Gerusalemme. | May the angels lead you into Paradise, may the martyrs welcome you in your coming and guide you into the holy city Jerusalem. |
| Chorus Angelorum te suscipit et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem. | Ti accolga il coro degli Angeli e, con Lazzaro, un tempo povero, tu possa godere dell’eterno riposo. | May a chorus of angels greet you, and with Lazarus, once a beggar, may you have eternal rest |
New Chamber Singers: choir master: Stefano Vasselli
| Sopranos Carlotta Caimi Diane Pereira Emmanuelle Judet Helen Raiswell Ines Buono Kasey Cohimia Luisa Boccia Marcella Mancini | Contraltos Alessandra Darin Carla Carri Eleni Dimmler Laura Alimonti Mary New Tina Alberti | Tenors Alessio Paoletti Chris Phillips Javier Moulia Hardie Shawn McGuire | Basses Andrew Cochlin Joerg Schaden Matt Kirk Peter Langdale Roberto Di Mattei Steve Semes Thomas Hofer |
The New Chamber Singers (NCS) is an international choir based in Rome, Italy. It was founded in January 1993 and has developed a vast repertory that stretches from the early Renaissance to living composers. One of its objectives is to propose compositions and composers little known to an Italian audience, without ignoring the more well-known chamber choir pieces.
It is based at the Anglican Church of All Saints in Rome and has participated in more than 200 concerts and musical events in Rome and elsewhere in Italy. In 2026 it undertook a very successful overseas tour to the UK, performing concerts at the churches of All Saints, High Wycombe and St Georges, Hanover Square, London as well as at Keble College Chapel, Oxford, in tandem with the Oxford-based ExCollegio choir, which was celebrating its 45th anniversary. The NCS has been directed by Stefano Vasselli since 2010, but has also collaborated with other prestigious conductors, such as Andrea Cappelleri, Wijnand van de Pol, Tom Hammond-Davies and Fabio Maestri, as well as working with a variety of orchestras. It has also recorded two CDs, one under the direction of Maestro Keith Griggs and dedicated to French music of the 20th century and one with Maestro Cappelleri, performing Gioachino Rossini’s “Petite Messe Solennelle”, which was very favourably reviewed by the BBC.
In support of the church choir of All Saints, the NCS has performed on many important ecumenical occasions, including for Pope Francesco and current and past Archbishops of Canterbury, and in the basilicas of San Pietro, San Bartolomeo, San Clemente and San Paolo Fuori le Mura in Rome.
Stefano Vasselli
Born in Rome in 1969, he studied at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, graduating in four main disciplines: Organ and Organ Composition, Principal Composition, Piano and Choir Conducting. During his formative years he also attended Gregorian Chant courses at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and numerous Masterclasses with distinguished organists such as Daniel Roth, Marie-Claire Alain, Michael Radulescu, Martin Sander, Victor Urban and others. As a private student he studied in particular the French Romantic repertoire under the guidance of Suzanne Chaisemartin in Paris. First Prize Winner at the T.I.M. (International Music Tournament), he has performed for the most prestigious Roman musical institutions, including the Academy of Santa Cecilia, the Roman Philharmonic Academy, the Gonfalone, the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and the Municipality of Rome itself.
He has performed concerts in many European countries, as well as the United States, Mexico, Israel, Argentina and Saudi Arabia. For several years he has divided his life between Italy and Denmark, where his family resides: he has given concerts in various Danish cities and has collaborated, in particular, with the symphony orchestra of the city of Odense as an organist and harpsichordist. In this capacity he has participated in numerous productions (the “Messiah”, the Bach Christmas Oratorio, Mozart’s and Brahms’ Requiems, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and many others), playing with prestigious soloists such as Dmitri Sitkovetsky and Michala Petri, and under the direction, among others, of Christoph Eschenbach, Alexander Vedernikov, Stephen Layton, Nicholas Cleobury and Fabrice Bollon.
He has been organist and musical director at the episcopal church of St Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome since 1999. Always passionate about French music, he presented in concert all of the symphonies for organ by Charles Marie Widor, and all of the organ compositions by César Franck and Maurice Duruflé. In support of his role at St Paul’s, he has composed many original sacred works and is particularly noted for his arrangements for choir of classical and popular Christmas music and Afro-American spirituals.
He has been associated with the New Chamber Singers since its inception, first as accompanist, then, from 2004, as occasional conductor, and finally, since 2010, as musical director. During the NCS’ 2026 UK Tour, Stefano featured as organist and shared the conducting of both choirs with the Ex Collegio choir master, Tim Venvell.
Coro dei Fiorentini: choir master Mauro Bacherini
| Sopranos Iris Chen Rossella Colavolpe Atsuko Fujimoto Blandine Hugonnette Daniela Kofler Flaminia Palazzo Oddo Sara Panetti Laura Perez Rubina Picca Alessandra Rita Francesca Senatore | Contraltos Alessandra Aruta Patrizia Fantauzzi Adriana Filippucci Elisabetta Galletti Stefania Lepore Silvia Maresca Antonella Piccinni Silvia Spidalieri | Tenors Salvatore Cirnigliaro Francesco Del Bove Marco Della Ventura Victor Karam Lorenzo Rotondi Marcello Zini | Basses Francesco Bacherini Filippo Corsi Alessandro Dell’Olio Alessandro Muzio Ugo Palazzo Oddo Riccardo Pugliese Dante Sabatino |
Founded by Maestro Mauro Bacherini in 1997 at the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini, the Coro dei Fiorentini (Fiorentini Choir) is composed of musicians and enthusiasts alike, all united by a deep interest in choral singing and sacred music. Established with the goal of preserving and keeping alive—within the context of religious services—the rich heritage of ecclesiastical music that has been an integral part of the liturgy for centuries, the choir also focuses on the study of early vocal techniques, in keeping with the Roman tradition. Its repertoire spans a wide range of eras and musical styles: from Gregorian chant to Renaissance polyphony, from Baroque music to the Classical-Romantic period, and extending to 20th-century and contemporary composers. In addition to its regular liturgical duties, the choir has performed numerous sacred music concerts – both a cappella and with orchestral accompaniment (such as M. Haydn’s Requiem and Rheinberger’s Stabat Mater) – which have been highly acclaimed by audiences. Between 2000 and 2006, the Coro dei Fiorentini collaborated with the Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta on concert productions by Ennio Morricone, performing in cities including L’Aquila, Verona, Paris, Naples, Rome, Milan, Pesaro, Florence, Lecce, and Turin.
Mauro Bacherini
Born in Rome, he holds diplomas in Piano, Choral Music and Choral Conducting, Orchestral Conducting, and Composition. He serves as organist at the Basilica of San Giorgio al Velabro and choirmaster at the Basilica of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Rome. He previously held the position of Assistant Chorus Master at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, where he worked on numerous productions and collaborated with artists such as Ugo Pagliai and Paola Gassman, Armando Trovajoli, Wayne Marshall, Giacomo Manzoni, Ennio Morricone, Maurizio Billi, Faycal Karoui, Luis Bacalov, Richard Galliano, and Giorgio Battistelli. As an assistant to Norbert Balatsch, he collaborated with conductors including Pappano, Gergiev, Jurowski, Ashkenazy, Temirkanov, and Gatti on major symphonic and operatic productions.
He is the composer of various original works and numerous choral arrangements. He has also created orchestral and choral arrangements for pop music projects (including work for the bands Negramaro and Ottoohm). In collaboration with Claudio Dall’Albero, he published the Opera Omnia of the 17th-century composer Domenico Massenzio.
After teaching for many years at the Latina Conservatory, he currently holds the chair of Choral Conducting and Choral Composition at the Cagliari Conservatory.
Efisio Aresu – organist
Born in Cagliari in 1997, he began teaching himself the piano at the age of nine. At fifteen, he commenced organ studies under Maestro Angelo Castaldo at the Cagliari Conservatory. In 2019, he studied privately with Maestro Fabio Frigato in Oristano. He is currently pursuing an organ program at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome under the guidance of Maestro Roberto Marini, with whom he is specializing—most notably—in the works of the composer Max Reger. He has participated as an active student in several masterclasses, working with Dan Loonqvist (Finland) in 2016, Roman Perucki (Poland) in 2017, Ben van Oosten (the Netherlands) in 2019, and both Alessio Corti (Italy) and Konstantin Reymaier (Austria) in 2022. He has served as a liturgical organist at prominent venues, including the Basilica of Sant’Elena in Quartu, the Basilica of Nostra Signora di Bonaria, and the Cathedral of Cagliari; he currently serves as the second organist at the Anglican church of All Saints in Rome. He has also worked as an accompanist for various choral and orchestral ensembles. Since 2022, he has undertaken annual concert tours in the United Kingdom (visiting London, Swansea, Cardiff, Neath, and Oxford).
On July 23, 2023, he performed a concert at Westminster Abbey in London, featuring Max Reger’s Op. 57, “Inferno.” Furthermore, in 2024, he inaugurated a series of events dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Max Reger’s birth, held in the Academic Hall of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome.
St Paul’s Orchestra
St. Paul’s Orchestra is a brilliant youth ensemble associated with the “L’Insieme” Musical Association in Rome. Comprising passionate high school and university students, the group brings together the association’s finest talent. These extraordinary young musicians channel years of discipline and study into a mature and exhilarating orchestral experience. Highly active in the concert circuit, the orchestra performs masterpieces from the Baroque, Classical, and symphonic repertoires.
This evening, the young musicians will take centre stage with J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Violin, Oboe, and Orchestra (BWV 1060). The solo dialogue features the rich, enveloping sound of the violin—played by Maestro Francesco Malatesta, concertmaster of the Rome Opera House—alongside the expressive performance of oboist Eléna Di Mauro, a multi-award-winning young talent and former principal oboist of the Blind Inclusive Orchestra.
The orchestra has given hundreds of performances, bringing great music to prestigious concert halls and major festivals. A significant portion of their work is dedicated to charitable causes, with numerous benefit concerts held in support of pediatric facilities and medical research. Bolstered by major successes in music competitions and international tours, the ensemble radiates an infectious energy. It is a project where the talent and dedication of these young people serve as a living testament to excellence and a profound passion for the arts.
Andrea D’Amelio – baritone
Andrea graduated in singing from the “Luigi Cherubini” Conservatory of Music in Florence. He subsequently deepened his study of the operatic repertoire with Pietro Masi, while focusing on sacred music and Lieder with Peter Schreier (at the Wiener Meisterkurse) and Mechthild Georg (at the Europäische Akademie für Musik in Montepulciano).
A winner of several national and international competitions, he has collaborated with musical institutions such as the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Teatro Marrucino in Chieti, and the Teatro Rossini in Lugo di Romagna, primarily in roles from the Italian operatic tradition, including Uberto (La serva padrona), Don Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Blansac (La scala di seta), Don Lazaro (La Clementina), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Colline (La bohème), the Sacristan (Tosca), and Betto (Gianni Schicchi).
He has performed works by L. Bernstein (Chichester Psalms), G. Mahler (Kindertotenlieder), I. Stravinsky (Les Noces), P. Glass (The Passion of Ramakrishna), and G. Ligeti (Lux Aeterna) at major festivals and concert series, including the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, the Ravenna Festival, the I.U.C. Concerti alla Sapienza in Rome, and the Estate Fiesolana.
Since 2005, he has been a member of the Choir of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. In recent symphonic and chamber music seasons, he has appeared as a soloist under the direction of Antonio Pappano (in G. Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and L. Bernstein’s West Side Story, as Bernardo), Riccardo Minasi (as the Pontifex in J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion), and Federico Maria Sardelli (in G. B. [Pergolesi’s] Te Deum). Lully; by Tonino Battista in Arvo Pärt’s Miserere; by Filippo Maria Bressan in R. Schumann’s Der Rose Pilgerfahrt; by Vladimir Ashkenazy in L. van Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy; by Christian Zacharias in A. Bruckner’s Te Deum; and by Fabio Biondi in W. A. Mozart’s Coronation Mass.
Francesca Lione – mezzosoprano
Mezzo-soprano Francesca Lione graduated in Opera Singing with the highest honours from the Perugia Conservatory, where she studied under Chiara Chialli; she also holds a diploma in Vocal Chamber Music from the Frosinone Conservatory. A winner of the 2024 “European Community” Competition held by the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto and recipient of the second prize at the “Caterina Mancini – Marisa Baldazzi” Competition (2026), she has performed on prominent Italian and international stages. Her notable roles include Fenena in Nabucco at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto (alongside soloists from the Accademia Verdiana Carlo Bergonzi), Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (for Europa InCanto at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples), Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro for the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale di Spoleto’s opera season, Argene in L’Olimpiade at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, and Flora in Il Nascimento dell’Aurora with I Solisti Veneti. Active across the operatic, vocal, and chamber music repertoires, she has participated in productions at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, acting in the role of chorus leader in the “Cantata in honour of Pope Pius IX” and contributing to the productions of “Eduardo e Cristina” and “Adelaide di Borgogna”. She has collaborated with conductors of the calibre of Michele Mariotti, Marco Angius, Jader Bignami, and Francesco Lanzillotta. In the realm of cinema, she played the role of Anita—a young orphan who sings—in the film *Primavera*, directed by Damiano Michieletto and produced by Indigo Film in collaboration with Warner Bros.
Francesco Malatesta – violinist
Francesco Malatesta began his violin studies at the age of nine under the guidance of Luigi Ghezzi. In 1986, he graduated from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome – studying with Felix Ayo – earning both the highest honors and a special mention of merit.
He furthered his training under Riccardo Brengola at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and also attended masterclasses in Rome led by Ruggiero Ricci.
He has performed at major concert institutions both in Italy and internationally – including the RAI (Italian National Broadcasting Company), the Rome Opera House, and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples – with appearances in Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Ireland, the United States, Brazil, and Japan.
His professional portfolio includes radio and television recordings for the RAI, as well as studio recordings for labels such as Sony, ASV, Helikonia, Musikstrasse, and Frequenz.
Since 1987, he has served as a principal concert violinist at the Rome Opera House, where he has held the position of leader of the orchestra since 2008.
With a keen interest in Renaissance and Baroque music, he also earned a diploma in viol da gamba from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome in 2011.
Eléna Di Mauro – oboist
Born in Catania in 2008, she began studying the oboe at the age of 11 under the guidance of her father. After only one year of study, she won the outright first prize at the “Città di Vimodrone” competition for young musicians.
Since then, she has participated in various musical competitions, including the 6th Luca Figaroli International Competition for Young Oboists (2022), where she was awarded first prize.
In 2023, she won first prize at the Musikpreis in Ascheberg (Germany) and at the “Luigi Zanuccoli” public competition.
In October 2023, she took first prize at the 6th edition of the “Albano Laziale Wind Festival,” performing Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s Oboe Concerto and Antonino Pasculli’s “Le Api”—a piece for which she is currently the only performer in Italy.
Alongside her competition work, she has been active in orchestral settings, serving as principal oboe for the Juni Orchestra and the Rome Youth Orchestra (Orchestra Giovanile di Roma). She is currently a member of the Blind Inclusive Orchestra – founded by Maestro Alfredo Santoloci – where she has also distinguished herself as a soloist.
She also won outright first prizes in the under-18 category at the “Città di Vimodrone” competition (2024) and the “Premio Rossini” (Pesaro, 2025); at the latter, she performed W.A. Mozart’s Oboe Concerto (K. 314) during the awards ceremony, accompanied by the Orchestra Rossini.
In 2024, she gave her first solo recital as part of the Accademia Tadini concert season, accompanied by her father on the piano. That same year, again performing as a duo with her father, she presented two matinee concerts for state middle schools, featuring a program of previously unperformed music. Eléna’s musical talent has prompted composers such as Roberto Bocca to dedicate new works to her – including “Rust,” for oboe and strings – while her father, Giovanni Di Mauro, has also written a piece for her for English horn and piano, titled “Deepness,” which is available online for free.
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