Paolo Pandolfo
professorship at the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel
“…one of the most brilliant and poetic of the instrument’s current exponents…” (L.Kemp Gramophone UK)
He began his research in the field of Renaissance and Baroque musical idioms around 1979 together with violinist Enrico Gatti and harpsichordist Rinaldo Alessandrini. Studied then with Jordi Savall at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland.
From 1982 until 1990 he has been a member of Savall’s ensemble Hesperion XX and performed with them throughout the world, making hundreds of concerts and dozens of recordings, playing an extremely wide repertory going from early Renaissance to late Baroque.
1990 he was appointed as the follower of Jordi Savall to the professorship at the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel.
After having recorded for various different labels, since 1997 all of his cds appear exclusively for the label Glossamusic / Note1. He released a large number of cds, mainly concentrating on the soloistic viol repertoire (Marais, Forqueray, St.Colombe, T.Hume, C.F.Abel, J.S.Bach, De Machy, Couperin, etc.).
His adaptation of J.S.Bach’s Six Solo Suites for the viol became immediately a “must” for any complete Bach discography.
His interest in historical improvisation brought him to the release of “Improvisando” : the Jazz of XVII Century, a completely improvised program based on Renaissance patterns.
He also dedicates himself to modern music and composition (cd “Travel Notes”, cd “Kind of Satie” with his brother Andrea).
Most of his recordings have received awards by the most relevant musical magazines worldwide.
His recent releases have been:
Marais 1689: pieces for one and two viols (with Amélie Chemin) from the first book of M.Marais, including pieces for one viol and two viols, Kind of Satie: an original project exploring the poetic world of Eric Satie, where he plays a prototype of semiacoustic viola da gamba, with his brother Andrea Pandolfo (trumpets) and Michelangelo Rinaldi (Accordeon, Grandpiano, Toy-Piano), G.P.Telemann Fantasias for viola da gamba alone, including the newly discovered 12 Fantasias for Viola da Gamba alone, “Regina Bastarda”, dedicated to the stunning virtuoso and deeply poetic music by Italian masters around 1600 (Diapason D’Or May 2019).
Last CD for Glossa was in 2021 “C.F.Abel: A Sentimental Journey”, featuring recently discovered sonatas for viol and bass by Carl Friedrich Abel.
Soon will be released an album totally dedicated to the amazing music for solo Lyra-Viol by Alfonso Ferrabosco (1609), one of the most ambitious projects ever, of gathering polyphony on a single bow instrument.
Paolo Pandolfo is invited to give concerts and masterclasses worldwide, Europe, Usa, Russia, Australia Japan, etc.
His constant effort is to build bridges between the Past and the Present, always bringing in his performances, together with rigorous philological interpretation, spontaneous and immediate life.
He is convinced that the patrimony of ancient music combined with renewed improvisation skills can be of powerful inspiration for the future of the western musical tradition.