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"Extraordinarily sensitive, with effortless command and an almost unbearable delicacy of touch, the duo's playing was nothing less than rapturous... profound and unforgettable musicianship of the highest order."
The Washington Post
Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli formed
SoloDuo ten years ago. As a duo they have performed throughout Europe, Asia, the USA, Canada and Latin America, and been acclaimed everywhere - from New York's Carnegie Hall to Seoul's Sejong Chamber Hall, from Kiev's Hall of Columns to Vienna's Konzerthaus - as one of the best ensembles ever heard.
In addition to classic, romantic and modern repertoire, Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli - joined by lutenist Massimo Lonardi& - enjoy exploring the early literature for baroque guitar and theorbo. Together, Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli have recorded
François de Fossa's Three Quartets, op. 19 (Stradivarius 2004), a CD of 17th century Italian music for baroque guitar, archlute and theorbo,
La Suave Melodia (Stradivarius 2008),
Solaria, an anthology of 20th century masterpieces for two guitars (Pomegranate 2007), the
Duos Concertants by Antoine De Lhoyer (Naxos 2007), a collection of chamber works by Mauro Giuliani (Amadeus 2008), a collection of 19th century pieces for two guitars
Noesis (Pomegranate 2009), the Sonatas of Ferdinand Rebay,
Rebay: Guitar Sonatas (Stradivarius 2010), and the 24 Preludes and Fugues by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco,
Castelnuovo-Tedesco: The Well-Tempered Guitars (Solaria, 2012), as well as a dozen solo recordings on the Naxos, Brilliant Records, Kookaburra, Mel Bay, and Stradivarius.
Artists' Website: soloduo.it.
SoloDuos' Management: Soundtree Artists
Artists' Representative: Lynn M. McGrath
Management's Website: soundtreeartists.com
Cell: 315-244-4864
Fax: 315-227-2165
Lorenzo Micheli has taken up a busy concert career since winning first prize in some of the most important guitar competitions in the world: Gargnano, 1996; Alessandria, 1997; Guitar Foundation of America, 1999. He has performed both as a soloist and with orchestra all over Europe, the US, Africa and Latin America. As a researcher and scholar, he has written articles for a number of music journals, and he has rediscovered, edited and published works by such composers as Miguel Llobet and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. His solo recordings, reflecting his interest in original guitar works, include the music of Dionisio Aguado (Stradivarius 2000), a selection of guitar works by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Naxos 2000), the Three Quartets, op. 19, by the French composer François de Fossa (Stradivarius 2004), and the complete works for solo guitar by Miguel Llobet (Naxos 2004).
Lorenzo Micheli lives in Milan, Italy, and teaches both at the CSI Conservatory in Lugano, Switzerland, and the Conservatory of Aosta, Italy.
Artist's Website: lorenzomicheli.com.Matteo Mela regularly gives recitals and makes television and radio appearances across Europe and North America. Recent engagements have included performances in Rome, Milan, Bologna, Turin, Naples, Paris, Hamburg, Cologne, Warsaw, Oslo, and Houston. While Giovanni Puddu played a major role in his musical education, Matteo Mela also attended the classes of Angelo Gilardino, Alirio Diaz, Oscar Ghiglia, David Russell, and the Assad brothers. He studied chamber music at the Accademia Pianistica di Imola with Dario De Rosa, Alexander Lonquich, and Pier Narciso Masi. Matteo Mela has released a CD of Latin American Dances (Quadrivium, with G. Bandini) and the solo CD Italian Virtuosos of the Nineteenth Century (Kookaburra), as well as the Three Quartets, op. 19, by French composer François de Fossa (CD Stradivarius). His latest CD includes Astor Piazzolla's complete guitar music, featuring Ivan Rabaglia (violin), Lorenzo Micheli (guitar), Per Arne Glorvigen (bandoneon) and the Piazzolla String Ensemble.
Matteo Mela resides in Geneva, Switzerland, where he teaches at the Conservatoire Populaire.
Artist's Website: matteomela.it