Manrico PADOVANI (Switzerland/Italy)

Manrico Padovani is the first Swiss violinist who performed live in concert the complete cycle of the 24 caprices op. 1 for violin solo by N. Paganini in Zürich (2006). Born in Zürich to parents of Italian origin he studied in the Masterclasses of Aida Stucki-Piraccini (also Anne-Sophie Mutter’s teacher) in Winterthur, who decisively influenced him, and Herman Krebbers in Amsterdam. R. Ricci, F. Gulli, V. Pikaizen, B. Belkin, D. Zsygmondy and K.H. Stockhausen also influenced his playing.

Given as one of the most interesting Swiss violinists, also supported by the “Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation”, he won a wide range of prizes at the „Vienna International Music Competition”, at „Ruggiero Ricci’s International Master Competition” in Berlin, at the „Accademia Chigiana” in Siena, the „Swiss Youth Music Festival Prize“, three times the „Kiefer-Hablitzel Prize“ of the Swiss Musicians‘ Association, as well as awards from the Julius Bär and the Schuler Foundation. The important „Jubilee prize” of the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) was also among his awards.

„Forceful lyricist”, „Enchanting, bewitching violin”, „A rising star in the future violinists’ heaven”, „Devil’s fiddler”, are only a few of the words used by the critics to describe the emotions stirred up by Manrico Padovani during his performances distinguished by a breathtaking skill united to rhythmic tension and an exceptional mastery of the instrument. After his debut at the „Lucerne Festival” and at the „Stadtcasino” Basel, he performed all over Europe, in America and in Asia with orchestras like the „Stuttgarter Philharmoniker“,„Russian Philharmonic Orchestra Moscow”, the „Sinfonia Varsovia”, the “Prague Philharmonic Orchestra”, the „Südwestdeutsche Philarmonie“, the „Akademische Staatskapelle St. Petersburg“, the „Radio Sinfonie Orchester Basel“, the „Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana“, „Stadtorchester Winterthur” the „Regina Symphony Orchestra“, the „Güri Philharmonic Orchestra Seoul” etc. under the batons of conductors like R. Barshai, M. Viotti, A. Boreiko, H. Griffiths, M. Andreae, J. Lü, B. Perrenoud and P. Altrichter.

Beside the already published recordings on CD and DVD (a.o. violin concertos by Brahms, Beethoven, Prokofjew nr. 1 and Paganini nr. 1), the new releases on DVD and CD will include live performances in Vienna (DVD with a Live virtuoso solo violin recital at the Bösendorfersaal, published by IPA), Prague (DVD Playing Beethoven Violin Concerto) and in Seoul (CD playing Paganini’s second violin concerto op. 7 “La Campanella”). Manrico Padovani was also invited for a recording of the soundtrack for Eric Bernasconi’s feature film, Sinestesia, to be presented at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2010.

Highlights of the current season will be a.o. the New Years Concert at the Smetana Hall in Prague, as soloist with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and the recording of the 24 caprices by N. Paganini. Manrico Padovani plays on the Stradivarius 1722 Violin "Jupiter", kindly loaned to him from the Nippon Music Foundation.