Molardi Stefano
Harpsichord, Organ
Born in Cremona 1970 graduated in organ, organ and harpsichord. In addition he took a degree (with maximum marks) in musicology at Cremona University submitting a thesis on Olivier Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur.
He pursued his studies with Kooiman, Stembridge, Vogel and Tagliavini, supplementing this by taking master classes with M. Radulescu at the Hochschule für Musik of Vienna in Vienna between 1996 and 1999.
He collaborated with Radulescu on the basso continuo) at the Acadèmie Bach in Porrentruy (Switzerland).
He was awarded first prize at the International Organ Competition of Pasian di Prato (Udine), and at the Concorso Nazionale Città di Viterbo. He was also a prize-winner at several other national and international competitions, including Brugge (Belgium) and the prestigious Paul Hofhaimer of Innsbruck .
He then completed his training in the field of ensemble music and conducting with Pierangelo Gelmini and Andrea Marcon.
Both as soloist and continuo player, Molardi is an active performer and has concretized at major music festivals in Italy (Musica e Poesia in S. Maurizio, Teatro La Fenice, Venice) and other European countries (Amsterdam, Conzertgebow, Utrecht, Rotterdam, London Barbican Centre), as well as in the U.S.A. (Los Angeles Walt Disney Concert Hall, Boston Jordan Hall, New York Carnagie Hall), Brasil (Sala Sao Paulo).
Molardi teaches organ, harpsichord and chamber music at the University of Music of the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana in Lugano (Schwitzerland). Masterclasses and conferences on Baroque Music in Schwitzerland, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Spain.
Stefano Molardi has a full concert schedule, appearing at numerous national and international festivals, both in Italy and in other European countries, International Festival of Payerne (Switzerland); Wiener Orgelkonzerte (Austria); Europäische Orgelmusik Nürnberg, "C. Monteverdi" Cremona Festival, Treviso Festival, "Musica e Poesia in S, Maurizio", Milan, International Festival of Maastricht , Arnstadt, Gräfenhain, Magadino and other.
2005-2013 Molardi, conducts the ensemble " I Virtuosi delle Muse”, devoted to the performance and the rediscovery of the vocal and the instrumental music, especially the Italian one of the 17th and 18th century, which he himself founded and with which he has toured important festivals of early music.
As conductor he performed: the Opera Ademira of Lucchesi (Bibbiena, Italy December 2006), Mitridate of Porpora (Theatre of Valladolid, Spain, March 2007), Bach’s S. Matthew Passion and S. John’s Passion (S. Cristoforo’s church, Ferrara, April 2007), Magnificat (Ferrara, S. Giorgio church), Farnace and Giustino of Vivaldi (Vienna Theater an der Wien and Paris, Theatre Champs-Elysées) concerts in Bilbao, Vienna (Theater an der Wien), Oldenburg, Cremona (Festival Monteverdi), Rheingau, Nantes, Orléans, Munchen, Innsbruck, Paris, Schwetzingen, Montpellier, Venice, Miami, Istanbul and other.
He has recorded for Christophorus, Tactus, Divox, Deutsch Grammophon. For his latest recordings, Molardi has obtained many positive reactions from music critics (Amadeus, Early Music) and important international awards (5 “diapasons” from the French journal, 5 stars Goldberg).
He played in 2008 and 2009 in Lugano the complete organ works of C. Franck and F. Liszt.
He recorded in 2013 the complete organ works of J. S. Bach, in 15 CDs for the label Brilliant-Classics, on historical organs in Germany
