Particularly well suited to theatre music, I Virtuosi have performed in many opera productions including Luchesi's Ademira in Bibbiena (2006) and Porpora's Mitridate in Valladolid (2007) both directed by Massimo Gasparon.
Recent performances of Bach's Matthäus Passion and Magnificat were highly acclaimed successes. They are regularly invited to perform at major venues and Baroque festivals such as Festival Claudio Monteverdi (Cremona), Schwetzinger Festspiele, Munich's Prinzregententheater, Theater an der Wien (Vienna), Oldenburger Promenade, Rheingau Musik Festival, Opéra de Nantes, and Opéra d'Orléans.
I Virtuosi's recordings have been honored with Five-Star ratings from Goldberg, The Crescendo Prize, Early Music Magazine and Musica. The ensemble has also been recognized by organizations promoting classical Italian violin making in collaboration with the Associazione Liutaria Italiana.
Approach to making music
The need to 'renew' the interpretive research in baroque music motivates and guides I Virtuosi delle Muse. Constant and accurate philological inquiry does not limit their scope. Rather, the style and the sensitivity of this extraordinary ensemble gives life to new and original interpretations.
VDM was founded by Stefano Molardi and Jonathan Guyonnet who direct the group's artistic synergies. The careful and rigorous study of the music is concretized into colors, articulations, and dynamics.
Only baroque set ups are used, strings are in natural gut, and bows are appropriate to the music performed. These details allow a greater dynamic range, disproving the common notion that baroque instruments produce less sound, and result in a rich and varied musical palette, enhancing the interpretation and the emotional expression of the music.
The marked sensitivity to shades of timbre and dynamics characterizes the unique sound of I Virtuosi delle Muse. The continuous and refined search for spectral musical expressions of color makes this ensemble an entirely new model of imaginative interpretive rigor on the international musical scene.
THE ENSEMBLE AND OPERA
With its first CD release of Opera Symphonies by Vivaldi for Divox Antiqua, I Virtuosi delle Muse gained international recognition for their interpretations, innovative approach and their careful and unrelenting search for the ideal sound. The meticulous instrumental studies of historical strings and bow usage by concertmaster Jonathan Guyonnet assure nuanced musical reproduction.
I Virtuosi delle Muse faithfully pursue interpretations that offer a wide range of dramatic contrasts reflecting the change and conflict present in human emotions. In their four years together as an ensemble, I Virtuosi delle Muse's performances have been referred to as graceful and rich in tonal colors, and passionate.
VDM's greatest strength lies in the perfect rapport among conductor, concertmaster and players.
STEFANO MOLARDI - CONDUCTOR
Born in Cremona, Stefano Molardi is an organist, musicologist, harpsichordist and conductor. He studied with Kooiman, Stembridge, Vogel, and Tagliavini. He worked with Maestro Radulescu at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna and at the Académie Bach of Porrentruy in Switzerland.
Recipient of numerous honors, Maestro Molardi is winner of major international organ competitions including Paisan di Prato (Udine-1998), Viterbo (1996), Brugge and Innsbruck (The Paul Hofhaimer). As a soloist he has played in chamber ensembles at many prestigious concert venues including Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA), the Sala Sao Paulo (Brazil, the Musikverein and Theater an der Wien, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the Concertgebouw and Il Teatro La Fenice. He has also performed at Musica e Poesia a S. Maurizio in Milano, the Organ International Festival in Treviso, Festival of Valvasone, the International Festival of Maastricht, Wiener Orgelkonzerte, Historical organ season in Thuringia of Arnstadt, and the Organ Festival in Nürnberg). In 2009 he performed the complete organ works of F. Liszt and C. Franck in Lugano.
He is currently on the faculties of the Italian Switzerland Conservatory in Lugano (University School for Music), at the Conservatory 'A. Scontrino' in Trapani, and presents master classes and conferences on baroque performance practice throughout Europe.
Maestro Molardi has records for Tactus, Christophorus, Deutsche Grammophon and Divox.
As director of I Virtuosi delle Muse he has been universally praised for his lively, vigorous, colorful, and deeply introspective interpretations making him one of the most interesting conductors on the international early music scene.
JONATHAN GUYONNET - CONCERTMASTER
Jonathan Guyonnet was born in San Remo, and studied violin in Montecarlo and Paris. As a leader and solo violinist he collaborated with several French, Belgian, Dutch and Italian Baroque ensembles including La Petite Bande, Venice Baroque Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Stradivaria, Orchestre des Champs-élysées, Le Concert Spirituel, La Symphonie du Marais, Stradivaria, Caecilia Concert, and l'Arte dell'Arco.
He has performed in the world's most famous concert halls including the Musikverein and Theater an der Wien, Salburg's Mozarteumrg, Unter den Linden (Berlin), Alte Oper (Frankfurt), the Concertgebouw, at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Disney Hall (LA), the Barbican Center and Wigmore Hall in London, Tonhalle Zürich, Opéra Garnier et Thèâtre du Chatelet in Paris, Grande Salle de la Cité de la Musique de Paris, Salle Pleyel et Salle Gaveau de Paris, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid and the Oji Hall in Tokyo.
Mr. Guyonnet has collaborated with many distinguished artists including S. Kuijken, P. Herreweghe, G. Leonhardt, S. Molardi, A. Marcon, V. Mullova, A. Scholl, A. Netrebko, M. E. Cenicic, F. Guglielmo, J. DiDonato, C. Bartoli, A. Kirschläger, S. Kermes, M. Kožená, D. Cuiller, D. Stern, C. Coin, G. Carmignola, C. Rousset, P. Goodwin, and K. & M. Labèque.
His recordings with Deutsche Gramophon-Archiv, Harmonia Mundi, Amati, and Glossa of works by Vivaldi, Bach, Händel and 17th century music have received major international prizes including the Edison Award, the Diapason d'Or, and Choc de la Musiques.
Many of his concerts have been broadcast live by European, American, and Asian networks.
He co-founded VDM in 2004 and serves as the ensemble's concertmaster.
Jonathan Guyonnet plays a 1785 Venetian violin made by Pietro Valentino Novello.
