Staff Report
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church invites the public to attend a special benefit concert for Arts Outreach on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. featuring renowned pianist Francesco Attesti and organist Matteo Galli. Attesti will perform on the church’s magnificent Steinway B grand piano and Galli on the impressive 22-rank Schoenstein organ. The program includes works by Bach, Brahms, Ravel and Wagner. Attesti and Galli are returning to Los Olivos during their international concert tour from their native Italy.
Born June 6, 1975 in Cortona, Italy, Francesco is an Italian pianist of international acclaim. Among his generation of musicians, he is considered one of the finest interpreters of the Romantic and early Twentieth Century Repertoire. He began practicing the piano at the age of 6 and gave his first concert at age 11, performing a transcription of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach. At the age of 16, Francesco met famed concert pianist Sergio Perticaroli who invited him to attend the Summer Master class at the Mozarteum of Salzburg and continued to study with Maestro Perticaroli for several years in Rome, refining his skills and winning several national and international piano competitions. Francesco’s first CD came in 1998 when the “Rugginenti Editore” label asked him to record contemporary music ,the text being Edoardo Sanguineti’s poetry; there have been many other recordings hence. The highlight of Francesco’s collaborative work to date is his performance with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague, performing the Italian premiere of “Chiavi in Mano” by the Pulitzer Prize winning composer Yehudi Wyner. In 2007, together with organist, colleague and friend Matteo Galli (with whom he will appear in Los Olivos), he published the first recording of Verdi’s Requiem, transcribed for piano and organ. Currently, Francesco Attesti performs regularly in internationally prestigious concert halls such as Philharmonia Hall of Saint Petersburg, Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow, Mozarteum of Salzburg, International Piano Festival of Warsaw, Sarajevo Winter Festival, Cambridge University, Leicester University and Conservatory “G. Verdi” in Milan.
Born in 1971, Matteo received his diploma in organ and composition at the “G. Nicolini” Conservatoire of Piacenza with full marks under Giuseppina Perotti’s direction. He attended to several specialization courses in the Cathedral of Cremona; the conservatoire of Toulouse and at the Academie d’orgue of Porrentruj, Switzerland as well studied with Jean Ferrard at the Royal Conservatoire of Bruxelles. Matteo is deeply involved in the activity of exploration and preservation of the rich patrimony of ancient surviving musical instruments. He contributes in a work of research and indexing with the local offices of the cultural and environment department–even joining a group of researchers taking a census of all the organs in the Cremona, Italy area. Matteo carries on an intense concert activity above all as a soloist and also in cooperation with important and various vocal and instrument ensemble related to both chamber or symphonic music. He has founded and directs the instrumental ensemble “Academia Sancti Satyri mediolani” with whom he faces the Baroque repertoire leading a research about old musical performances by using original instruments. Matteo is the chief organist at the St. Maria presso St. Satiro Basilica in Milan, where he is also the artistic supervisor.
The Rev. Dr. Randall Day, St. Mark’s Priest and Rector remarked, “We are so pleased to welcome back these incredible musicians. They’ve graced us with their talent in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2016; and we’re proud to host them again for their fifth benefit for Arts Outreach. It’s a vital organization in our Santa Ynez Valley cultural life. This concert is a non-religious event yet I believe that all music and art that enriches people is a gift of God.”
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Church is located at 2901 Nojoqui Avenue in downtown Los Olivos; doors at will open at 2 p.m. for first-come, first-seated admission. Tickets are $20 general admission and $10 student admission (with any school ID) and are on sale now online at www.artsoutreach.com or by calling 805-688-9533. Tickets may be available at the door, yet the concert is expected to sell-out, so guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. After the concert, there will be a complimentary reception to meet these talented artists, enjoy conversation, refreshments and a beautiful afternoon.
The full program for pianist Francesco Attesti and organist Matteo Galli benefit concert on Feb. 25 is:
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791): “The Magic Flute” Ouverture [6’,30”]
M. Clementi (1752-1831):Allegro con brio (from the Piano Sonata Op. 47 n.2) [5’,30”]piano solo
M. Galli; Improvisation [7’]organ solo
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791): Rondo alla Turca [3’30”] piano solo
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791): “Don Giovanni” Ouverture [6’]
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791): “The Marriage of Figaro” Ouverture [4’]
Intermission
Rossini (1792-1868):“The Barber of Seville” Ouverture [7’30”]
Maurice Revel (1875-1937): Bolero [16]
