Album Notes

The Bologna Cello Project came into existence in January 2009 among the historical walls of the Giovanni Battista Martini Conservatory in Bologna as a didactic course, developed on Maestro Antonio Mostacci’s initiative and formed by cello students. The repertoire ranges from arrangements of famous pieces from XVI to XX century to compositions specifically dedicated to the cello ensemble. Many contemporary composers were fascinated by the group’s warm sonority and they dedicated original compositions to the Bologna Cello Project. One of them is Diego Conti, violinist and composer from Pescara, who dedicated his seven variations on the theme of Heidi to the group, as well as three fantasies for a single cello and cello ensemble; the Bologna Cello Project debuted with these fantasies in a concert entirely dedicated to the support of Emergency, the project of surgeon Marcello Zavatta, who is working at a hospital in Goderich, Sierra Leone. Also, the composer Gian Paolo Luppi wrote a cello sextet with a vocal recitation. Honouring the intimate bond between the tone of the cello and the human voice, the repertoire also includes a number of pieces with a vocal soloist; the ensemble, therefore, establishes collaboration with some singers. In September 2009 the Bologna Cello Project welcomed the American violist Brett Deubner during his Italian tour and performed with him at some important shows in Emilia-Romagna.