In 1990, following extensive work with specialist ensembles including Les Musiciens du Louvre and The English Concert, Biondi founded Europa Galante, an ensemble which quickly became the foremost Italian period ensemble. Biondi and his ensemble have forged a reputation for “fresh, vibrant performances” (New York Times) and breathe new life into works from the Baroque to the Classical era, performing at leading international festivals, stages and opera houses.
He brings this all-encompassing approach to major modern symphony and chamber orchestras, which he both conducts and leads from the violin, bringing a new perspective and a collaborative approach to reveal “lively musical conversations across the centuries” (Chicago Tribune). He held the position of Artistic Director for Baroque Music at the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra for eleven years until 2016, and has worked with orchestras including the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Danish National and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Further highlights in this and future seasons include returns to the Bergen Philharmonic and Finnish Radio Symphony orchestras, Stuttgart and Zurich chamber orchestras, and a number of performances with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.
His broad discography on Warner Classics, Virgin Veritas and Glossa has earned Biondi numerous awards, including the Diapason d'Or de l’Année and Choc de Musique; his widely acclaimed recording with Europa Galante of Vivaldi Four Seasons was named Disc of the Year by organizations in over five countries; and he has recorded with opera stars including Joyce DiDonato, Diana Damrau, Philippe Jaroussky, David Daniels, Vivica Genaux and Rolando Villazón.
Biondi’s passion for Classical opera, bel canto and early Verdi takes him to major houses including La Fenice, Teatro Regio di Torino and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia where he was Music Director 2015-18, and where he conducted productions of Donizetti, Rossini, Haydn and most recently Verdi Il Corsaro. As violinist, he is consistently respected as a true virtuoso – his playing was described in 2017 by the Guardian as “beyond reproach” – and he continues to play across the world in duo with piano, harpsichord and forte-piano, with highlights including recitals at Carnegie Hall, Cité de la Musique, Wigmore Hall and Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid.
Fabio Biondi has been an academician of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia since 2011 and he was named in 2015 an Officer of the National Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. He plays a 1686 Andrea Guarneri (Cremona) and a 1766 Carlo Ferdinando Gagliano, owned by his teacher Maestro Salvatore Cicero and kindly lent to him by the Salvatore Cicero Foundation in Palermo, where he was born.
2017/18 season / 522 words. Not to be altered without permission.