Marco
Battaglia.
Marco Battaglia was born in 1969 in Milan (Italy) where his high school studies were concentrated in the classics
and afterwards he studied law and philosophy at the State University. On top of all this, he dedicated himself to the guitar carrying
out his training at the Civic School of Music. In 1995 he graduated from the Conservatory and went on to specialize in the interpretation
of 19th century music paying close attention to matters of performance practice and is an esteemed interpreter of Classical and Romantic
period sources utilizing period guitars. Leading an intense career as a performer, lecturer, teacher and researcher,
Marco Battaglia gives his concerts as a soloist in more than 20 nations through the five continents also in collaboration
with Italian Embassies, Consulates and Institutes of Culture. Past performances, recitals and masterclasses, include tours
in the USA (New York, Radford University - Virginia, Appalachian State University - North Carolina), in Mexico City,
four tours in Australia (in Sydney – Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne – Melba Hall, Brisbane – Griffith University, Adelaide,
Hobart, Canberra – Australian National University, Wollongong, Newcastle and, organised by the Italian Consulate in Perth, at
Fremantle Foley Hall), two tours in New Zealand (Wellington, Auckland University, Christchurch Provincial Building) and in Russia
(Moskow Conservatory, Rachmaninoff Hall, “The Universe of Sound” Festival), Bangkok (Stock Exchange Auditorium), Jakarta (Schouwburg
Festival, Gedung Kesenian Theatre), Tunisia, and, in Europe, hundreds of concerts in Paris (UNESCO Headquarters), Lyon, Marseilles,
London, Oslo, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Berlin - Potsdam, Frankfurt, Bonn, Duesseldorf, Basel, Bern, Athens, Ljubljana (Radio Slovenia),
Zagreb, Belgrade (Philarmonic Hall), Rome (Palazzo Barberini), Milan (Teatro alla Scala Museum, Sforza Castle..), Mantova, Genoa
(“Carlo Felice” Theatre, Conservatory), Florence (Palazzo Pitti), Napoli, Bari, Cagliari, and at various prestigious Festivals
(Sydney Italian Festival, Melbourne Spring Early Music Festival, Radford University Guitar Festival, Taormina Arte, Sagra
Musicale Umbra, Spoleto (Estate Spoletina), Florence, Imperia, Hermoupolis, Lipica..). Specialized magazines (“The Classic Voice”..)
have written about him, as well as the most important newspapers, the “Sydney Morning Herald”, the “Canberra Times”
(“...there was much to enjoy in his playing...a unique and most enjoyable recital.”), the “Jakarta Post”, the “Bangkok Post”,
the ”General-Anzeiger-Bonn”, the “Corriere della Sera” and “La Stampa” (“Battaglia plays with grace and taste, playing with
the subtitles…; the pages…that Marco Battaglia performed wonderfully, creating clinking resonance for the arias of
“Italiana in Algeri”, “Otello” and “Armida” with a taste for an intimate sound, almost secret” - Paolo Gallarati).
He performed in Genoa Opera Theatre on a guitar which once belonged to Italian patriot Giuseppe Mazzini
(Gennaro Fabricatore, Naples, 1821), property of the Risorgimento Museum of Genoa; the event was following the first
concert in modern times with this historical instrument at the Stelline Foundation of Milan (on the program were
solo pieces for guitar by the composers cited in the letters and “Philosophy of music” of Mazzini).
It was his idea to restore the instrument for this occasion. In 2005, he purchased another guitar that had belonged to
Mazzini (Gennaro Fabricatore, Naples, 1811). Since 2009 he has owned an instrument, which belonged to
Francesco Balilla Pratella, the father of musical Futurism (Gennaro Fabricatore, Naples, 1801).
The recording company M.A.P. of Milan, for the Lira Antiqua label, published Battaglia’s CDs entitled
“A guitar from the 19th century” and “Corde d’autore”. He is the artistic director of the
‘800 MusicaFestival, including concerts in Milan’s Sforza Castle and Villa Reale, in Monza,
Pavia, Bologna, Modena, Ferrara, Ravenna and in France. He has founded two different original
period instrument groups, the ‘800 Musica Ensemble (a string quartet with guitar and possibly other instruments)
and the TrioQuartetto (a guitar ensemble that has many different formations featuring group members as soloists,
in duo form and mainly as a trio or quartet , using original period guitars).
He has taught a Master’s program in 19th century guitar in Milan since 2011, with the sponsorship of the
Rotary Club Milano Naviglio Grande San Carlo.
For more information go to:
www.marcobattaglia.it |