Variations & Cadenzas – Valentina Renesto

Giuseppe Bruno (1961) studied in Florence and Milan, graduating with honours in Piano, Composition and Conducting . Performing for several years as a pianist in many different chamber ensembles and as a brilliant soloist, Bruno has played with important orchestras in Europe and US, in a repertoire that extends from Mozart to contemporary music. He has collaborated with conductors including Alkis Baltas, Spiros Argiris, Roberto Abbado, Pasquale Valerio, Sam McClure, violinists Sashko Gawriloff, Pavel Vernikov, Lenuta Ciulei, singers Gail Gilmore, Victor von Halem, Monica Benvenuti, pianists Paolo Valcepina and Vincenzo Maxia and with the Octet of the Berlin Philharmonic. From 1987 to 1992 Bruno participated in the “Festival of Two Worlds” in Spoleto, Italy, and Charleston, South Carolina. Maestro Bruno was a prize winner at the International Piano Contest in Rome in 1991 and also in 1992 at the “Viotti” competition in Vercelli, Italy, in a duo with violinist Alberto Bologni. He has recorded for Nuova Fonit Cetra, Diapason, SAM, Bongiovanni, Ars publica, Sheva, Ars musici, OnClassical, as well as for many European broadcasters. Bruno is also a respected conductor and composer (his Prelude and fugue for violin has been recorded by Alberto Bologni for Sheva Contemporary) who recently dared to complete Schubert’s “Reliquie” Piano Sonata. He teaches at Puccini Conservatoire, La Spezia, and is Visiting Professor at Rubinstein Academy, Düsseldorf.

Valentina Renesto began her Saxophone studies at the Conservatory of Parma with Massimo Ferraguti, pursuing at the Conservatory of La Spezia, where she graduated with honors. Subsequently she has earned two Master Degrees in Saxophone, in education and performance, the latter “cum laude” and a Master Degree in Artistic Direction and Music Management at Conservatorio “Boccherini” in Lucca and Pisa University. She’s currently professor of saxophone at La Spezia Liceo Musicale “V. Cardarelli”. She has attended masterclasses with Maestri M. Ferraguti, J.Y. Formeau, M. Marzi, A. Tavernini, F. Moretti, G. Scarlatti, M. Falaschi. She also held Masterclasses at prestigious institutions, including the Rubinstein Academy (Düsseldorf), Academy of Szczecin, Poland, for the International Saxophone Festival (where she is an effective member of the “Impression Ensemble”), Truman State University (Missouri). In 2010 she began her activity with “ExclusIVe Saxophone Quartet” (Soprano Sax), obtaining immediate positive professional feedback. The quartet has been invited in festivals and concert seasons in Italy and abroad and has recorded a CD for Sheva. For the same label, Valentina recorded a CD dedicated to Richard Strauss with soprano Monica Benvenuti and pianist Giuseppe Bruno. Valentina Renesto is also active in duo with piano and as a soloist with orchestra (Radom Philharmonic Orchestra, Lomza Philharmonic Orchestra, Akademia Zmienia and Filharmonia Szczecinie Szczecin – Poland, City Orchestra of Grosseto, “Brindisi Classica”, Truman University Missouri, New York University). In May 2017 she made her debut in China, playing works by Italian, English, Polish and Chinese composers at the prestigious ASEAN China Musica Festival.