Giampaolo Bandini

Guitar

 

Giampaolo Bandini is now considered one of the best Italian guitarists on the international scene. In 2003, readers of "Guitart" magazine nominated him as the best Italian guitarist of the year. Having graduated with honors at just nineteen, he owes his musical training to Maestro Giovanni Puddu. As for chamber music, he trained at the prestigious Imola Piano Academy, studying with musicians such as Pier Narciso Masi, Alexander Lonquich, Dario De Rosa, Maureen Jones, and Franco Gulli, earning the Master's Diploma as best chamber ensemble.

Giampaolo Bandini was a member of the only guitar duo to win honors at the most prestigious national and international chamber music competitions, winning first prize in each event: 11th "Città di Caltanissetta" Competition (member of the Federation of International Competitions of Geneva) 1995; Perugia Classico, "Città di Gubbio" Prize, "F. Cilea" Competition, City of Palmi, A.R.A.M.-Rome Selection, National Selection of the Musical Youth of Italy.

Since 1990, he has been a guest, both as a soloist and in various chamber music groups, at the most important concert venues in Italy and abroad (Carnegie Hall in New York, Musikhalle in Hamburg, International Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Ravello Festival, Teatro Regio in Parma, IRCAM in Paris, Chopin Museum in Warsaw, Accademia di Santa Cecilia and Parco della Musica in Rome, Unione Musicale in Turin, Amici della Musica in Florence, Palermo, Pistoia, Festival Verdi, etc.).

In November 2002, he made his debut with a recital in the Great Hall of the prestigious St. Petersburg Philharmonic, an honor rarely granted to a guitarist, achieving such success that he was invited back every year for the next five years.

He also regularly appears as a soloist, in chamber music ensembles, and with orchestra at major festivals worldwide, from Europe to the United States, from Africa to South America (Mexico, France, Croatia, Germany, the United States, Slovenia, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Austria, Serbia, Libya, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, England, China, Belgium, and Turkey).

 

He collaborates regularly with artists such as Massimo Quarta, Danilo Rossi, Enrico Bronzi, Pavel Berman, Francesco Manara, I Virtuosi di Mosca, the La Scala String Quartet, the Parma Trio, I Virtuosi Italiani, Andrea Griminelli, Simonide Braconi, and with artists such as Arnoldo Foà, Nando Gazzolo, Elio (delle Storie Tese), Amanda Sandrelli, and many others. He recently had the privilege of performing Leo Brouwer's "Concerto Elegiaco" for guitar and orchestra, under the composer's direction, as part of the Teatro Regio di Parma Concert Season. For some time, he has enthusiastically devoted himself to the study of 19th-century performance practice on period instruments, collaborating and playing in a duo with the leading specialist in the field: Czech guitarist Pavel Steidl.

 

As a teacher, he is regularly invited by the most prestigious academies and institutions such as the Chopin Academy in Warsaw, the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, and the Arts Academy in Rome, and holds courses and masterclasses throughout Europe. He currently teaches guitar and chamber music at the "L. Boccherini" Music Institute in Lucca and at the summer courses of the Portogruaro and Gubbio Festivals.

 

Giampaolo Bandini has already made more than 10 recordings for the labels Stradivarius, Nuova Era, Niccolò, Fonit Cetra, Tactus, Clair de lune, and Quadrivium "Le Vele", among others. On the occasion of Verdi's centenary (2001), he released the world's first CD recording of J.K. Mertz's Fantasies on Verdi's operas, receiving enthusiastic acclaim from leading music magazines. He has made radio and television recordings for major Italian and international broadcasters (RAI 3, RTSI, Radio Tre, Radiocapodistria, etc.).

 

He frequently dedicates himself to contemporary music, collaborating with leading composers and performing numerous works for the first time. His close relationship with Maestro Camillo Togni, for whom he was the first performer of "In Alter Zeit" and of his complete works for solo guitar, has been artistically significant in his development. He recently had the pleasure of being invited by Sylvano Bussotti to perform his guitar piece "Rara eco serologico" at a concert celebrating his 75th birthday. In 2004 he was awarded the XV “Beniamino Joppolo” Prize in the City of Patti (Messina) for his high artistic merits achieved in the musical field.

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He has participated in the following projects:

#LMF24: Artist Mysteries - September 25, 2024

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