Fabio Biondi
Paola Poncet

Performers

• Fabio Biondi, Violin
• Paola Poncet, Harpsichord

Program

• VIVALDI Sonata in G Minor, RV 28
• VERACINI Violin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 1, No. 1
• BACH Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G Major, BWV 1021
• P.A. LOCATELLI Sonata in D Minor, Op. 6, No. 12
• LONATI Ciaconna from Sonata No. 12
• 
  Encore:
• TARTINI Allegro from Didone abbandonata Sonata
• 
  Program is approximately 1 hour, 40 minutes, including one intermission

Bios

• Fabio Biondi, Violin
  
  Born in Palermo, Fabio Biondi began his international career at age 12, performing his first solo concert with the RAI National Symphony Orchestra. Prompted by an inexhaustible cultural curiosity, Mr. Biondi was introduced to pioneers of the new approach to Baroque music—an opportunity that would broaden his musical vision and change the direction of his career.
  
  At 16, he was invited by the Musikverein (Vienna) to perform Bach's violin concertos and has since performed with such ensembles as Cappella Real, Musica Antiqua Wien, Il Seminario Musicale, La Chapelle Royale, and Les Musiciens du Louvre, all of which specialize in the performance of Baroque music using original technique and instruments.
  
  In 1990, Mr. Biondi founded Europa Galante. Within a few years, the ensemble had an international concert schedule and achieved extraordinary recording successes, and became the most renowned and honored Baroque music ensemble from Italy. Mr. Biondi's musical development, oriented towards both standard repertoire and the rediscovery of minor composers, has covered three centuries of music. His varied discography includes Vivaldi's The Four Seasons; Corelli's Concerti Grossi; the oratorios, serenatas, and operas of Alessandro Scarlatti; Handel's operas (Poro); 18th-century Italian violin repertoire (Veracini, Vivaldi, Locatelli, Tartini); and violin sonatas by Bach, Schubert, and Schumann.
  
  Mr. Biondi embodies a perpetual pursuit of style, free from dogmatism and intent in his quest for the original language. It is due to this approach that he has been able to collaborate as soloist and conductor with a variety of orchestras, including Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Orchestra, Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra, European Union Baroque Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Norway, Orchestre nationale de Montpellier, and the Orchestra Ciudad de Granada.
  
  Mr. Biondi also performs in duo with piano, harpsichord, or fortepiano in prestigious venues around the world, including Cité de la musique (Paris), Hogi Hall (Tokyo), Auditorium Nacional de Musica (Madrid), and Wigmore Hall (London).

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• Paola Poncet, Haprsichord
  
  Paola Poncet has been the harpsichord player for Europa Galante since 2003 and has frequently partnered with Fabio Biondi in duo appearances. With Europa Galante, Ms. Poncet has performed in the most prestigious concert halls worldwide and recorded several CDs on the Virgin Classics label.
  
  Ms. Poncet received her music degree in 1992 at the Giuseppi Verdi Conservatory of Turin in Italy, where she studied harpsichord under Giorgio Tabacco. She continued her studies on a De Sono Associazione per la Musica scholarship at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, where she concentrated on Baroque music under the guidance of Ton Koopman and received a solo performer’s degree in 1996. In that same year, she won first prize at the Bologna Harpsichord Competition.
  
  Over the years, Ms. Poncet has delved deeper into the performance of Baroque music through master classes with renowned Baroque interpreters such as Bob van Asperen, Christiane Jaccottet, and Jesper Christiensen. She teaches at the Reggio Calabria Conservatoire in Italy.

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