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The Italian organist, musicologist, harpsichordist, conductor and music pedagogue, Stefano Molardi, studied music with some of the most famous international personalities, such as Ewald Kooiman, Stembridge, Harald Vogel, Tagliavini. He attended the class of Michael Radulescu in the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, and collaborated, with the same musician, as part of the basso continuo at the Académie Bach of Porrentruy (Switzerland). He received numerous awards in national and international organ competitions, including Paisan di Prato (Udine) in 1998, Viterbo in 1996, Brugge and Innsbruck (Paul Hofhaimer).
Stefano Molardi has gone on to a brilliant career as a soloist and in chamber ensembles, playing in some of the most prestigious concert venues in the world (the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Sala Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Musikverein and Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Carnegie Hall in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Il Teatro La Fenice in Venice, etc.) and in some of the most important festivals (such as Musica e Poesia a S. Maurizio in Milan, Organ International Festival in Treviso, Festival of Valvasone, International Festival of Maastricht, Wiener Orgelkonzerte, Historical organ season in Thuringia of Arnstadt, Organ Festival in Nürnberg). In 2009 he performed the complete organ works of Franz Liszt and César Franck in Lugano.
Stefano Molardi teaches Organ at the Italian Switzerland Conservatory in Lugano (University School for Music), at the Conservatory “A. Scontrino” in Trapani, and holds masterclasses and conferences on baroque performance practice in Italy and abroad (Lugano, Seville, Dresden, Nuremberg, Budapest).
Stefano Molardi recorded for Tactus, Christophorus, Deutsche Grammophon and Divox, obtaining enthusiastic reviews (Amadeus, Early Music, Crescendo) and important international recognitions (5 Diapasons awarded by the French magazine Diapason, 5 stars by Goldberg, 5 stars and “CD of the month” by Amadeus, and 5 stars and an “exceptional” rating by Musica). With Divox he recorded both as a soloist (4 CD's dedicated to the organ music of Claudio Merulo) and as a conductor of the Baroque orchestra I Virtuosi delle Muse, founded together with violinist Jonathan Guyonnet. The ensemble specializes in Italian vocal and instrumental repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries.
As director of I Virtuosi delle Muse Stefano Molardi performed throughout Europe (Bilbao, Vienna, Oldenburg, Rheingau, Cremona, Parigi, Nantes, Monaco, Innsbruck, Schwetzingen, ecc.), playing various programs as St. Matthew’s Passion (BWV 244) (Ferrara, Church of S. Cristoforo alla Certosa), St. John’s Passion (BWV 245) and the Magnificat (BWV 243) by J.S. Bach (Ferrara), W.A. Mozart'‘s Requiem (Festival dell’Aurora in Crotone), Operas by Luchesi (Ademira, Teatro Dovizi in Bibbiena) and Nicola Porpora's Mitridate (Teatro Caldéron in Valladolid). In these occasions he obtained unanumous critical appreciations for his lively, vigorous, colourful, as well as deep and introspective interpretations. These qualities make him one of the most interesting conductors on the current international scene. |
