Biography
Symphonic Chorus of Milano Giuseppe Verdi
la Verdi’s Symphonic Chorus of Milan was founded in 1998 by Romano Gandolfi, a very sensitive Chorus Master who gave all the voices special nuances and colors. It is formed by a hundred members performing a wide range of music works, starting from a symphonic repertoire to chamber and polyphonic, from Baroque to the Twentieth century modern music. The Chorus usually sings with the Symphonic Orchestra of Milano Giuseppe Verdi but also performs with other international symphonic groups.
Its first concert conducted by Riccardo Chailly on October 8th, 1998, was highly successful, attracting a large audience and critical acclaim: Four Sacred Pieces by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Chorus faced some of the most famous pieces from opera and concert repertoire, such as Haydn's Die Jahreszeiten conducted by Adam Fischer, Die Schöpfung, conducted by Claus Peter Flor, as well as Brahms' Ein Ddeutsches Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Simphony.
Shostakovich Symphony No. 2 directed by Oleg Caetani and Dallapiccola's Volo di Notte conducted by Kazushi Ono. With Riccardo Chailly, it also performed Mahler's Second and Third Symphonies, Stravinskij's Oedipus Rex, Bach's Johannespassion and Matthauspassion, Puccini's Suor Angelica (concert form), Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rossini's Stabat Mater and Verdi's Requiem Mass in its home Auditorium.
la Verdi’s Symphonic Chorus of Milan was founded in 1998 by Romano Gandolfi, a very sensitive Chorus Master who gave all the voices special nuances and colors. It is formed by a hundred members performing a wide range of music works, starting from a symphonic repertoire to chamber and polyphonic, from Baroque to the Twentieth century modern music. The Chorus usually sings with the Symphonic Orchestra of Milano Giuseppe Verdi but also performs with other international symphonic groups.
Its first concert conducted by Riccardo Chailly on October 8th, 1998, was highly successful, attracting a large audience and critical acclaim: Four Sacred Pieces by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Chorus faced some of the most famous pieces from opera and concert repertoire, such as Haydn's Die Jahreszeiten conducted by Adam Fischer, Die Schöpfung, conducted by Claus Peter Flor, as well as Brahms' Ein Ddeutsches Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Simphony.
Shostakovich Symphony No. 2 directed by Oleg Caetani and Dallapiccola's Volo di Notte conducted by Kazushi Ono. With Riccardo Chailly, it also performed Mahler's Second and Third Symphonies, Stravinskij's Oedipus Rex, Bach's Johannespassion and Matthauspassion, Puccini's Suor Angelica (concert form), Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rossini's Stabat Mater and Verdi's Requiem Mass in its home Auditorium.
Under Romano Gandolfi's baton the Chorus experienced numerous works, including Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Mozart's Requiem Mass and Mass in C minor, Stravinskij's Les Noces, Prokofiev's Aleksander Nevskij, Borodin's Polovesian Dances, Orff's Carmina Burana, Poulenc's Gloria, Puccini's Messa di Gloria, Brahms' Nänie, Schicksalslied, Rhapsodies and Perosi's Transitus Animae.
In 2001 in Ferrara, Parma and Bolzano, the Chorus performed in Giuseppe Verdi's Simon Boccanegra conducted by Claudio Abbado. In 2002 at the Spoleto Festival the Chorus went on stage with Verdi's Macbeth conducted by Riccardo Frizza, Verdi's Requiem Mass conducted by Riccardo Chailly, and the final concert in Piazza Duomo (on Eurovision), with Stravinskij's Symphony of Psalms and Puccini's Messa di Gloria, under the baton of Richard Hickox.
In 2004 it took part at the Città di Castello” festival which was broadcasted live on Radio 3, performing Rossini's Petite Messe Solemnelle with Romano Gandolfi. In the same year at “Bergamo and Brescia Festival” the Chorus sang Verdi's Requiem Mass conducted by Chailly.
In 2005 the Chorus also presented Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Stéphane Dénève at the Cortona Festival. Furthermore, it was invited by Leipzig Opera to sing Verdi's Requiem Mass jointly with its Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly.
Between 2003 and 2005 the Chorus, with Verdi’s Synphonic Orchestra, went on tour in Italy and abroad performing Verdi's Requiem Mass directed by Riccardo Chailly at NHK Hall in Tokyo, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Konzerthaus in Vienna, National Concert Hall in Budapest and Sala Rondò in Pontresina (Switzerland) for St: Moritz Festival with Romano Gandolfi.
Moreover, the Chorus travelled to the Canary Islands (Las Palmas, Tenerife) for the Sacred Music Festival performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Rossini's Stabat Mater conducted by Chailly.
From 2006 Erina Gambarini took over management of the Choir.
On September 2006 it presented Prokofief's Aleksandr Nevskij conducted by Vladimir Jurowski at The Scala of Milan.
On November 2006, the Chorus was invited by the National Orchestra of Malta to sing the Requiem Mass composed by Paolino Vassallo, in its first performance, conducted by Muscat in Saint John’s Cathedral in LaValletta.
On February 2007, Aldo Ceccato conducted laVerdi Chorus and Orchestra in G. Verdi's Requiem in the Auditorium of Milan. On March 2007 they were invited at the Agnelli Auditorium in Torino to perform the complete version of Oedipus in Colono composed by Mendelssohn, conducted by G.G. Rath, in cooperation with Oper Frankfurt, Unione Musicale di Torino and Teatro Stabile di Torino.
On June 2007 the Chorus, conducted by Ennio Morricone, had a great concert at Villa Reale in Monza, with 7000 spectators. In November, under the direction of the famous English conductor Sir Neville Marriner, it performed Haendel's Messiah with a great pubblic success. On December, the Chorus wished happy New Year with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, under Slatkin's baton.
On February 2008 laVerdi Chorus and Orchestra played Mahler's Symphony n.2 Resurrezione, conducted by Thomas Dausgaard. It was a great success of public and musical critics.
On April 2011, in the famous Cathedral of Monza, M° Marcello Panni conducted Verdi’s Chorus and Orchestra in the APOKALIPSIS Oratorio of which he is the author.
On September 11, 2011, at the Scala of Milan, Verdi’s Chorus and Orchestra performed Britten’s WAR REQUIEM conducted by M° X Zhang and on September 18, during the MITO Festival, Listz’s GRAN MESSE conducted by M° Jader Bignamini was performed in San Marco’s Church.
On December 2011 Verdi’s Chorus and Orchestra are again on stage at Muscat’s Royal Opera House in OMAN with a very new opera production “CARMEN” by Bizet under the direction of Gianni Quaranta, conducted by M° Patrick Fourniller. The three performances all “sold out” registered a great success also by press review.
With Orchestra Verdi, the Chorus has recorded Verdi's Messa Solenne conducted by Riccardo Chailly, which contains five first world première recordings of Verdi's Sacred Compositions. In 2004 it recorded Puccini Discoveries with Riccardo Chailly.
On 2006 it recorded Dimitri Šostakovič's Sinfonie nn.3 and 13 conducted by Oleg Caetani.
The Chorus took part in other recordings, including Rossini Arias and Una furtiva lagrima with Juan Diego Flórez, Sacred Songs, a recital with Plácido Domingo for Deutsche Grammophon, Sempre libera, a recital with Anna Netrebko and Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon).
On 24th April 2008 Chorus performed in Sala Nervi - Città del Vaticano - a concert dedicated to Pope Benedetto XVI offered by the Italian President,Giorgio Napolitano.
laVerdi Chorus and Orchestra performed 2nd June in Milano, Piazza del Duomo, for an audience of 80.000 people with Andrea Bocelli, baritone Gianfranco Montresor, Soprano Adriana Damato and Eugene Kohn as conductor. The concert included music by Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Mascagni and Bixio.
On 25th October 2008 the Choir performed in Bologna at Paladozza with Berlioz's Te Deum . The concert, under the patronage of the Italian President, was conducted by Claudio Abbado.
On February 2009 laVerdi Chorus and Orchestra were on tour in Lucca, Udine and Treviso, with great success, singing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Christian Arming. On 30th April 2009 for the fourth Anniversary of Pope Benedetto XVI’s Pontificate, the Chorus, led by Erina Gambarini and Music Director Zhang Xian, performed Vivaldi's Magnificat and Mozart's Ave Verum.
On March 2010 at Palamediolanum in Assago (MI) the Chorus was invited to sing some excerpts from Star Wars’ soundtrack by John Williams, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London conducted by Dirk Brosse.
In 2008 Cielo e Mar was recorded for Deutsche Grammophon with tenor Rolando Villazón and laVerdi conducted by Daniele Callegari. In the same year Andrea Chénier was recorded with tenor Fabio Armiliato, Carlo Guelfi, laVerdi conducted by Vjekoslav Sutej.
Verdissimo, arie da opere by Giuseppe Verdi was recorded for DEAG Classics label, with Lucia Aliberti and Oleg Caetani conductor.
On February 2010 the Verismo Arias CD edited by Decca, won the prestigious “Grammy Award” for best classical vocal performance. The American soprano Renée Fleming with Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi (conducted by Erina Gambarini) and Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi conducted by Marco Armiliato, played pages of Italian composers of the early Twentieth century.
(updated in January 2012)
On December 2011 Verdi’s Chorus and Orchestra are again on stage at Muscat’s Royal Opera House in OMAN with a very new opera production “CARMEN” by Bizet under the direction of Gianni Quaranta, conducted by M° Patrick Fourniller. The three performances all “sold out” registered a great success also by press review.
With Orchestra Verdi, the Chorus has recorded Verdi's Messa Solenne conducted by Riccardo Chailly, which contains five first world première recordings of Verdi's Sacred Compositions. In 2004 it recorded Puccini Discoveries with Riccardo Chailly.
On 2006 it recorded Dimitri Šostakovič's Sinfonie nn.3 and 13 conducted by Oleg Caetani.
The Chorus took part in other recordings, including Rossini Arias and Una furtiva lagrima with Juan Diego Flórez, Sacred Songs, a recital with Plácido Domingo for Deutsche Grammophon, Sempre libera, a recital with Anna Netrebko and Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon).
On 24th April 2008 Chorus performed in Sala Nervi - Città del Vaticano - a concert dedicated to Pope Benedetto XVI offered by the Italian President,Giorgio Napolitano.
laVerdi Chorus and Orchestra performed 2nd June in Milano, Piazza del Duomo, for an audience of 80.000 people with Andrea Bocelli, baritone Gianfranco Montresor, Soprano Adriana Damato and Eugene Kohn as conductor. The concert included music by Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Mascagni and Bixio.
On 25th October 2008 the Choir performed in Bologna at Paladozza with Berlioz's Te Deum . The concert, under the patronage of the Italian President, was conducted by Claudio Abbado.
On February 2009 laVerdi Chorus and Orchestra were on tour in Lucca, Udine and Treviso, with great success, singing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Christian Arming. On 30th April 2009 for the fourth Anniversary of Pope Benedetto XVI’s Pontificate, the Chorus, led by Erina Gambarini and Music Director Zhang Xian, performed Vivaldi's Magnificat and Mozart's Ave Verum.
On March 2010 at Palamediolanum in Assago (MI) the Chorus was invited to sing some excerpts from Star Wars’ soundtrack by John Williams, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London conducted by Dirk Brosse.
In 2008 Cielo e Mar was recorded for Deutsche Grammophon with tenor Rolando Villazón and laVerdi conducted by Daniele Callegari. In the same year Andrea Chénier was recorded with tenor Fabio Armiliato, Carlo Guelfi, laVerdi conducted by Vjekoslav Sutej.
Verdissimo, arie da opere by Giuseppe Verdi was recorded for DEAG Classics label, with Lucia Aliberti and Oleg Caetani conductor.
On February 2010 the Verismo Arias CD edited by Decca, won the prestigious “Grammy Award” for best classical vocal performance. The American soprano Renée Fleming with Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi (conducted by Erina Gambarini) and Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi conducted by Marco Armiliato, played pages of Italian composers of the early Twentieth century.
(updated in January 2012)
