Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, Bandoneon

Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi was born in Atessa (CH) on December 26th, 1980. When he was 9 years hold he began to study Accordion and after Bandoneon. He has attended specialization coursers with: J. Mornet, W. Zubitsky, A.L. Castano, C.Rossi, Y. Shishkin, M. Pitocco.

In 2007 he graduated with honours at the Music Academy “Santa Cecilia” in Rome, Italy.

Brilliant performer of refined musicality, he has won lots of national and international competitions among which: 1st  Prize at the National Competition “Città di Latina” ( 1995,1996,1997);
1st  Prize at the National Competition   “Città di Montese” (MO)  (1997);
1st  Prize at the International Competition “S.Bizzarri of Morro D’ Oro” (TE) cat. Junior (1997);

Best Italian at the International Competition “Castelfidardo” cat. Junior (1997)
In July (1998) he was selected to represent Italy at the WORLD TROPHY  C.M.A. (Junior) in Recoaro Terme, (Italy); 1st Prize “ADAMO VOLPI” at the Competition “Città di Loreto” (AN) (2000);
1st  Prize at the National Competition   “Città di Rieti” (MO)  (1999);

In July 2000 he was chosen to represent Italy at the World Trophy C.M.A. (senior) held in Alcobaca (Portugal) winning the 2nd prize.

In 2001 he was the winner at the World Trophy C.M.A. (senior) in Lorient (France) (21-24 September).

From 2001 to 2003 he carried on a theatre activity together with the actress Daniela Scarlatti.
In June 2002 he was invited as a guest to “Premio Barocco”, broadcasted live on Rai1 from Gallipoli, playing for the famous singer Antonella Ruggiero.
In October 2003-2004-2005 he played as a soloist in concerts with the Italian International Orchestra in China and Korea.

In 2005 he collaborated with the Teatro dell’Opera of Rome and the Opera and Symphonic Foundation “Petruzzelli” of Bari for the staging of the Opera “Ascesa e Caduta della Città di Mahagonny”’ by Kurt Weill, under the direction of J. Webb.

In July 2006 he participated – together with P. Tonolo e G. Mirabassi – in the 27th edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival in the project “I Colori del Mare” with original compositions by E. Blatti.

In January 2008 he recorded the Soundtrack of the Film “Caos Calmo” by Anronello Grimaldi, starring Nanni Moretti, music by Paolo Buonvino.

In 2008 he performed as a Bandoneonist at the 58°th edition of San Remo Festival.

Besides the imposing activity as a concert artist in Italy, he performed in England, France, Belgium, Croatia, Serbia, Germany, U.S.A., Portugal, Finland, Switzerland, Canada, Armenia, Russia and China.

• 6^th appearance at Al Bustan International Festival of Music and the Performing Arts

Gianluca Marcianò, conductor

Young Italian conductor Gianluca Marcianò is Artistic Director at the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut.  Previous posts have included the Tbilisi State Opera & Ballet Theatre in Georgia where he conducted La Forza del Destino, Cavalleria Rusticana, Nabucco, Attila, Il Trovatore, Mitridate, Re di Pontoand Aida, as well as concerts with Andrea Bocelli in Georgia.

Highlights within the 2015/16 season include a return to the Opera de Oviedo in October to conduct a new production of Nabucco by director Emilio Sagi, which tours to Gijon and Pamplona. In December, Marcianò will conduct Verdi’s Ernani at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Much of Marcianò’s operatic work in the UK has centred on English National Opera with Jonathan Miller’s production of La Bohème and Anthony Minghella’s production of Madama Butterfly as well as Grange Park Opera where he has conducted productions of Eugene Onegin, Samson et Dalila, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, I Puritani, Queen of Spades and La traviata as well as a gala concert with Simon Keenlyside and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.  He has also conducted at Longborough Festival Opera (Die Zauberflöte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutte and La traviata) and the Chelsea Opera Group (Manon Lescaut, La traviata, La Favorite and Alzira).

Marcianò also had strong ties with the opera houses in Zagreb, Minsk, Sassari and Prague. During his time in Zagreb as the main conductor, he conducted Nabucco, La traviata, Turandot, Carmen, La Cenerentola and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In Minsk, he has performed Il Barbiere di Siviglia and La traviata, and at the Teatro Verdi in Sassari, La Pietra del Paragone, Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tirésias and the Italian premiere of Debussy’s La Damoiselle Elue. In 2011 he conducted La traviata at the Prague State Opera.

On the concert platform, Marcianò has worked with instrumentalists such as Gautier Capuçon, Arabella Steinbacher, Anna Tifu, Alexandra Soumm, Steven Isserlis, Boris Andrianov, Maria Joao Pires, David Geringas, Khatia Buniatishvili, Sergei Krylov, Nina Kotova, Giovanni Sollima, Sergei Nakariakov and Denis Kozhukin. His recent work includes concerts with the George Enescu Philharmonic and the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he performed Mahler’s Symphony No.1 in 2011. He has a close relationship with the English Chamber Orchestra, opening their 2011/12 London season in a programme including Mozart’s Symphony No.39 and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2 at the Cadogan Hall. Other notable orchestras which Marcianò has conducted include the Moscow City Russian Philharmonic, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the English National Opera, the Oviedo Filarmonia, the Sarajevo Philarmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, The World Orchestra, the Macau Orchestra and Beijing Symphony Orchestra.

• 9^th appearance at Al Bustan International Festival of Music and the Performing Arts