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Musica
The Nuova Cappella
di Palazzo Ensemble has been created by Jonathan Brandani, young conductor
and composer born in Lucca, Italy, who has already got a large experience in
theory and performance practice of Early Music.
The Ensemble is mainly devoted to the research and performance of the instrumental and vocal repertoire from the late Renaissance to the Classic period: moreover, a special attention is committed to works by composers from Lucca and Tuscany. Over and above the execution of well-known works, another aim of the Ensemble is the research and the rediscovery of long-forgotten works, to be performed with historically informed care.
The Nuova Cappella di Palazzo Ensemble is composed by excellent musicians, who play on original baroque instruments or on high quality copies faithfully reproducing original models. In concert, the Ensemble often offers previously unreleased compositions or first modern reprises: all of this delightfully rare music has been rescued from oblivion by Maestro Jonathan Brandani, who pursues an insightful research activity of musical resources which are stored in libraries and musical archives in Italy and Europe.
When the Ensemble performs in Lucca, its native city, the concerts are held in the same venues which the music was originally composed for: Palazzo degli Anziani (now called Palazzo Ducale and hosting the Province of Lucca, formerly residence of Elisa Baciocchi, Bonaparte’s sister and Duchess of Lucca, and location of the government of the Republic of Lucca during the Renaissance and Baroque era), villas, historical palaces and the main churches of the city center, which are provided with antique organs.
Lucchese musical sources hold works of paramount importance: this is due to more than two centuries of activity of talented composers who operated during the ancient Repubblica of Lucca. Extraordinary musicians like Giacomo Puccini senior (1712-1781, ancestor of the well known opera composer), Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762), Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) Filippo Manfredi (1729-1777), Giuseppe Montuoli (1667-1739), Giovanni Antonio Canuti (ca. 1680-1739), were renowned composers who created music for the most important official occasions in Lucca, both civil and religious.
The activity of the Ensemble is articulated in an annual series of concerts and conference-concerts and it is managed by the cultural association Nuove Tendenze (www.nuovetendenze.org), with the endorsement of the Province of Lucca and under the Patronage of the Italian Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali.
Jonathan Brandani
Jonathan Brandani (Lucca, 1983) in 2009 graduated cum laude in Orchestra Conducting at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, where he is further specializing under the guidance of Mark Stringer. He has conducted the major compositions of the symphonic repertoire in a stable collaboration with the ProArte Orchester Wien and the Webern Studio Chor.
After his piano studies with Simone Soldati he graduated cum laude in Piano and further studied with Andrea Lucchesini. He has won a bursary funded by Wagner Stipendienstiftung and he has attended masterclasses held by Pietro de Maria, Konstantin Bogino and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. Moreover, he has worked as Korrepetitor in opera productions of the Festival Oper Klosterneuburg in Austria (Don Giovanni, La Fille du régiment).
He has studied organ and improvisation with Fausto Caporali and Stefano Rattini. He is currently studying harpsichord under the guidance of Francesco Cera and Wolfgang Glüxam. He has been collaborating with several Early Music groups and in 2008 he recorded the CD “Musica al tempo di Pompeo Batoni” (which features works of composers active in Lucca in the 18th century) performing music for organ solo or for flute and organ, in duo with Mario Ancillotti.
In 2009, Jonathan Brandani also graduated in Composition at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, where he is further specializing with Michael Jarrell and Dietmar Schermann.
As a composer, he won the 2nd prize in the 8th National Composition Competition “R. Toscano” and his works have been performed in Vienna, London and across Italy.