|
The Italian-born counter-tenor, teacher, researcher and composer, Flavio Ferri-Benedetti, was born in Scandiano and relocated to Castellón (Spain) as a child. He currently lives between Basel and Zürich.
Studies: Flavio Ferri-Benedetti obtained a Piano Diploma at the Conservatory of Vila-real in 2004, an MA in Translation Studies at the Universitat Jaume I (Castellón) in 2005 and a PhD cum laude in Literature at the Universitat de València in 2014, with Professor Dr. Carmen Morenilla and Dr. Christine Fischer with a dissertation about the Classical Tradition in Metastasio’s Issipile. From 2006 to 2010, he studied Historical Singing at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Professor Gerd Türk, with precious inputs from, among others, Margreet Honig, Nancy Argenta and Ian Partridge, obtaining the BA and MA degrees cum laude. There he also received lessons from, among others, Andreas Scholl, Evelyn Tubb and Anthony Rooley. Since 2010 he has been vocally coached by Professor Lina Maria Äkerlund in Zürich. He received two nominations as Young Singer of the Year by Opernwelt in 2009 and 2010 and won the 3rd Prize at the International Sacred Music Competition in Rome in 2009. In 2013 he was semi-finalist at the 50th International Singing Contest “Francisco Viñas” (Barcelona) and finalist at the Baroque Opera Competition in Innsbruck.
Singing: Flavio Ferri-Benedetti debuted as a counter-tenor in 2000 and has sung opera, oratorio, polyphonic music and chamber music in Europe, America and Japan ever since, spanning from medieval to contemporary music. Apart from an intense activity in the fields of Lied and sacred music, one could highlight, among his operatic and concert appearances, Theater Basel (2010), Prinzregententheater Munich (2011), Oper Frankfurt (2011), Opéra Royal de Versailles (2012), Opéra de Nice (2012), Liederhalle Stuttgart (2012), Ópera de Oviedo (2012), Wigmore Hall (2014), Real Coliseo de Carlos III in El Escorial (2014), Hamarikyu Hall Tokyo before Empress Michiko (2014), Festival Handel Karlsruhe (2015-2016), Theater an der Wien (2015), Theater Freiburg (2015), Styriarte (2017)... He is also a member of Musica Fiorita (Director: Daniela Dolci). His discography include more than 15 albums, including six solo albums. He received two nominations as Young Singer of the Year by Opernwelt in 2009 and 2010.
Teaching: Flavio Ferri-Benedetti teaches Historical Singing and Italian Diction at the Zürich University of the Arts (ZHdK) (since August 2018) and is a Coach of Singing and Italian Diction at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Moreover, he has given master-classes in Madrid, Valencia, Basel, Zürich, Munich, Freiburg and Boston, and is very active teaching voice privately.
Research: Flavio Ferri-Benedetti has been researching about baroque vocal music and literature (specifically Metastasio and Classical Tradition in the field of baroque opera) ever since his PhD years, publishing articles and books, editing and translating baroque manuscripts and texts for musicians and recording labels. More info here.
Composing: Flavio Ferri-Benedetti has been composing actively, especially sacred music, for the last 20 years. His major work, premiered in Basel in March 2023, is La Passione di Gesù Cristo, a sacred oratorio with the original libretto by Pietro Metastasio (1730). |
