Bio
After completing my classical secondary education and informal studies in guitar, piano, and transverse flute, I attended both Philosophy at the University of Bologna and the “Regional School of Theatre” in Padua – managing to finish neither. Instead, I enrolled at the “Orazio Vecchi” Institute in Modena, from which I graduated five years later as a tenor.
In the meantime, I gained formative experience working as an educator with troubled adolescents in the roughest neighbourhoods of Verona, where I refined the delinquent aspects of my appearance: to this day, despite my extensive cultural background, because of my manner and looks I am often mistaken for an unlicensed lorry driver.
I have recently attempted to soften my image by turning to the ancient harp, from the Romanesque to the Renaissance variety, which I approached independently, having grown resistant to any teacher at any level; I only accept advice by Maria Cristina Cleary, thanks to the exceptional affection and esteem I have for her.
My most recent vocal developments are instead due to the patience of Sonia Zaramella; I only managed to take two singing lessons with the late maestro and tenor Vincenzo Manno, but they were immensely valuable moments in completing my vocal training.
On stage I love reading, singing, playing and acting: I even managed to perform as a classical dancer at the Teatro Romano in Verona with the company of my dear teacher Loredana Venchi. Mostly, however, I work as a singer specialised in early music: I am proud to be an esteemed madrigalist – that is, a singer of a musical genre that concert organizers and impresarios fear like the plague.
I contributed on a critical edition of works by Stefano Bernardi for the publishing house LIM (‘I concerti academici a sei voci’)
I won a Diapason d’Oro and received the Five Points of Repertoire, though not on my own, but with La Reverdie, with whom I have collaborated steadily since 1993; moreover, within the performances of this renowned medieval ensemble, I have showcased my acting skills, becoming the reader of Guillaume Dufay’s letters, Giovanni Boccaccio’s unpublished poems, Piedmontese chivalric romances, Marco Polo’s travel accounts, and satirical verses from the Roman de Fauvel.
Cantar di Pietre, Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio (Milan), MITO (Milan–Turin), I Concerti del Quirinale, Ravenna Festival, Festival of Flanders (Bruges), Laus Polyphoniae (Antwerp), Oude Muziek (Utrecht), Herne (Germany), Grandezze & Meraviglie (Modena) are only a few of the Festivals in which I performed.
In 2016 I made my debut at the Arena di Verona as a soloist, singing the famous aria “Happy Birthday” during a Duran Duran concert before an audience of 12,000 people (video).
I collaborate as both a musician and an actor with the Bergamo-based company Teatro del Vento: Chiara Magri and Lando Francini have been my teachers.
The Covid period marked a turning point for a new direction: after 2022 I attended and completed the School of Archival Studies and Diplomatics in Venice, becoming an archivist.
And finally – for now – I devote myself to studying and performing troubadour music: I have chosen the work of Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, following in his footsteps by walking across Monferrato with the project “Trovatore in transito”, recording his cansos (the album is expected to be released in 2026), and creating the performance Raimbaut, vida et cansos, currently in distribution.
Direction – Conducting
Starting in 2008, at the invitation of musician Chiara Zocca, I began cooperating with the vocal ensemble Tavola Armonica. Over time I became its artistic director, curating programmes and conducting the group in concert, until the collaboration concluded in 2019. I am not a director or a conductor, but I enjoy it. For years, from 2012 to 2018, I led the parish choir Luigi Guernelli of Pozzolo sul Mincio. A wonderful experience. In 2014 I created a male group devoted to the study of late Gregorian chant, FractaCantica, and some years later its female counterpart. I ended my work with these groups in 2019, with a final concert dedicated to the performance of the Psalms according to both Catholic and Protestant practice. All these experiences converged in 2018 in the creation of a small women’s ensemble, Ottetto Instabile, which I conduct with great pleasure, focusing on rediscovering works hidden from the wider public, ranging from folk songs transcribed in 18th-century books to the medieval lais of Machaut. Its programme combining Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols with genuine medieval carols from English manuscripts has met with great acclaim.
Teaching
For many years, I have been teaching singing techniques, aiming to free the voice from constraints and give it the opportunity to express itself as freely and effectively as possible.
After years at the Melasuono School in Buttapietra, in 2017 I started a singing class at the Bruno Maderna Civic Music School in Verona for the performance of pre-19th-century music. Each year, we focus on significant historical moments, from the renaissance frottola to the 18th-century Venetian boat songs.
I irregularly publish singing video lessons, which are very popular on YouTube.
In 2017, I successfully founded a Madrigal School open to all in Verona. It has continued its work for years, currently offering summer residential workshops or consulting for established groups.
In my studio on Via Saliburgo in Verona, I meet singers who wish to deepen their training in singing techniques for early music.
(My sincere thanks to Paolo Borgonovo for drafting the first and fundamental version of this biography of mine)