Biography
The Accademia dell'Annunciata is a baroque orchestra, which was established in September 2009. The orchestra takes its name from its home, the former convent Annunciata, in Abbiategrasso (MI), an elegant renaissance building decorated with Leonardesque frescos, auspicious symbols of beauty and harmony.
In 2011, Riccardo Doni , assisted by a team of highly experienced colleagues, took on the management of this group of talented young musicians, bringing to life a wide-ranging artistic project.
The ensemble’s goal is to live a constantly evolving professional and aesthetic experience. Thus, through these many and varied experiences, the Accademia has developed a very distinctive identity - probably unique in Italy – by marrying its specialization in the Baroque field (through the use of original instruments) with an equally solid preparation in the pre-classical and classical fields. The Accaedmia’s repertoire embraces a wide time span, from the age of Bach, Häendel and Vivaldi to Mozart's classicism, and particular attention is dedicated to composers who are rarely included in concert programs.
The orchestra has collaborated with soloists such as Enrico Onofri, Paolo Beschi, Evangelina Mascardi and Filippo Mineccia.
The Accademia has also worked assiduously with Giuliano Carmignola, with whom they produced a World Premiere recording of Felice Giardini's Concerts for Violin and Orchestra Op.15. In conjunction with the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, the Accademia brought an itinerant exhibition of Handel’s Alcina to life in the evocative setting of Lake Como. More recently it has established a fruitful collaboration with Maestro Mario Brunello, which has led to the realization of targeted projects and numerous concerts..
The Accedemia dell’Annunciata can be proud of its recording activity, which has captured the interest and applause of critics. Among the releases which have received awards in Italy and abroad we might name "La Milano dei Borromeo" (CD Classic Voice, International Italian Heritage Award), “Sonar in Ottava” with Giuliano Carmignola and Mario Brunello (CD Arcana, BBC Music Magazine Awards, CD of the month "Classica” and “Amadeus”); “Concerts and Sonatas for Small Cello” with Mario Brunello, dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Tartini (CD Arcana, awarded with the Diapason d'Or); "Bach Transcription: Six
Concertos for Cello Piccolo" with Mario Brunello (Arcana, 2023); "Concerts for string: Francesco Durante" (Arcana, 2023, 5 Diapason from same magazine ) and finally also in 2023 (Arcana) the triple CD: "The Three Seasons" of A. Vivaldi , concertos for violin and strings, with Giuliano Carmignola (5 Diapason). The Accademia dell’Annunciata is generously supported by the Morosini Fund for Music and Culture and by Dr. Giuseppe Zilioli and is a regular guest at prestigious festivals both in Italy and abroad. In addition, every year since its foundation, the orchestra has organized a musical season at its headquarters, creating an evocative combination of harmony, sound, and place.
Riccardo Doni
conductor
Born in Milan in 1965, he graduated in Organ and Composition for organ at the Conservatory “Arrigo Boito” in Parma with Maestro Lorenzo Ghielmi. Subsequently he graduated in Organ and Harpsichord and historical keyboards in the class of Jean Claude Zehnder at the “Schola Cantorum” in Basel.
In over 2000 concerts he performed as organist and harpsichordist, and he played for important concert seasons in Italy and abroad as an accompanist and as a soloist.
Since 1994 is stable member of the famous ensemble “Il Giardino Armonico” of Milan as harpsichordist and organist. With this ensemble he has performed in some of the most important concert halls in the world.
He is harpsichordist of the ensemble “Imaginarium”, established in 2002 by the violinist Enrico Onofri for the execution of Italian vocal and instrumental music of the ’600 and ‘700.
Since 2008 he plays with the violinist Giuliano Carmignola, with whom he has performed in some important European theaters.
From 1984 to 2009 he has been artistic director of the musical association “Musica Laudantes” in Milan and conductor of the vocal group with the same name.
From 1990 to 1996 he conducted the choir “Nuova Polifonica Ambrosiana” and the choir “Madrigalisti Ambrosiani” from its foundation up to to 1998. With those choirs he has performed in Italy and abroad.
Occasionally he collaborates with “The chamber musicians” and with the “Filarmonica” of the Scala Theater, “I Solisti di Pavia”, “ Accademia bizantina”, “I Pomeriggi Musicali”, and other prestigious chamber ensembles.
In 2009 he founded the musical association “Canone Inverso” of which he is artistic director.
Since 2010 he has been music director of the “Accademia dell’Annunciata”, a project dedicated to the formation of a youth ensemble directed to the baroque and classical performance practice.
He recorded a CD on the organ music of the Bach family and three volumes of organ music by J.Ludwig Krebs on important european historical organs. He recorded for Decca, Teldec, Decca, Zig Zag, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Supraphon, Stradivarius, Naive, Amadeus, Sarx Records, Opus 111, Nichion, Passacaille and Arcana. He has been teacher at the conservatories of Ferrara, Frosinone and Castelfranco Veneto.
Musicians
Carlo Lazzaroni concertmaster
