Biography
"Great is the luck of the one who has a good bottle, a good book, a good friend". (Molière)
I enter this short "Overture" to the biography to communicate that, beyond the metaphor and the synecdoche contained, this phrase by Molère suits me particularly in this period of my life, in which I feel like doing other things as well, dedicating myself more to the many other interests that I have always had in addition to music and which are linked in particular to nature, sport, solidarity and for some years to European cultural and social projects.
"Work for a cause not for an applause", this has always been and still is me, so welcome to everything that is constructive, useful, healthy and, I add, essential, in order to do the best you can, with what you have, in the place where you are, giving people even more than they expect, unconditionally and with simplicity.
So don’t be offended if a free spirit and a "non-belonging" like me consider the little things infinitely greater, and gives priority to a tree, a hive, an organic farm, a bike ride and especially...
to good friends, good books, good bottles…
- current and press biography -
He is one of those secluded conductors and far from the stereotype of the globetrotting artist but he is also one of the few Italian conductors to be invited to conduct orchestras and groups of the highest prestige, such as Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra & Choir, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Teatro La Fenice Orchestra & Choir in Venice. Regular guest of the main concert societies and of the major symphonic, ancient and contemporary music festivals - such as Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Biennale di Venezia, MiTo Settembre Musica, Sagra Musicale Umbra-, among his many experiences he has had the opportunity to work alongside musicians such as C. Abbado, L. Berio, F. Brüggen, M.W. Chung, C.M. Giulini, P. Maag, L. Maazel, M. Nyman, A. Pärt , G. Prêtre, M. Rostropovich, G. Sinopoli, J. Tate.
Indicated by Maestro Giulini as a conductor "of noble and elegant simplicity", eclectic, unconventional, sporting and anti-social media, he has chosen to follow his passions rather than an obligatory career, selecting both the repertoire and the concert and musical activity in general.
While a preference for Italy, he has also conducted in various theaters and concert halls in Europe and South America, ponderingly ranging from the Overture by J.S. Bach to Rendering by L. Berio, from Handel's Oratories to various operas by Mozart, Gluck, Rossini and some Verdi. First guest conductor at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, at the Teatr Wielki in Poznàn, permanent conductor of the Savona Symphony Orchestra and of Voxonus, he has conducted almost all the main Italian and some foreign orchestras, collaborating with many soloists such as R. Baborák, A. Ballista, P. Berman, R. Brautigam, R. Buchbinder, M. Campanella, B. Canino, A. Carbonare, G. Carmignola, G. Cassone, C. Colombara, R. Cominati, A. Dell’Oste, P. De Maria, B. De Simone, E. Dindo, M. Fröst, A. Lucchesini, B. Lupo, S. Mingardo, D. Nordio, M. Pletnev, G. Sollima and many others, and for many years he has dedicated himself - until its closure
in 2009 - to the Athestis Chorus & Academia de li Musici, a professional choir and orchestra ensemble with period instruments.
A pupil in Vienna of Karl Österreicher for orchestra conducting and of Jurgen Jürgens for choir conducting and later his assistant, he perfected himself, among others, with J. E. Gardiner and F. Leitner. Scholar of musicology and performance practice, a strong connoisseur of the Italian vocal tradition and the German symphonic school, with a constant passion for the choir and the symphonic-choral repertoire, he was the youngest choir master of Accademia Nazionale di S.Cecilia in Rome (2000-2002) and has conducted many other choral ensembles including the World Youth Choir (2005 and 2016), Estonian Philarmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Male Choir, Italian Youth Choir, Coro FVG, Le Choeur National des Jeunes and the choirs of various Opera Houses in opera and lyric-symphonic productions.
He was a member of the scientific committee of the Rossini Foundation in Pesaro, of the artistic commission of Feniarco and of ECA-Europa Cantat and has recorded for the RAI and radio and television stations in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Estonian, French, Dutch, Polish, German and many others. He has recorded for Amadeus, Chandos Records, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Virgin.
- more detailed and previous biography -
Considered by critics in the field as "one of the most innovative and interesting conductors of the new Italian school both in the opera repertoire and in the symphonic-choral and baroque one, Filippo Maria Bressan is one of the few Italian conductors to be regularly invited to conduct and collaborate with the most prestigious institutions such as Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra & Choir, Teatro La Fenice Orchestra & Choir, RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin.
Indicated by Maestro Giulini as a conductor "of noble and elegant simplicity", eclectic, discreet, unconventional, sporty, he has chosen to follow his own passions and work mainly in Italy. However, he also conducted in many theaters and concert halls of Europe and South America and he is usual guest of the greatest Italian Festivals of early, symphonic and contemporary music (Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Biennale di Venezia, Monteverdi Festival in Cremona, MiTo Settembre Musica, Sagra Musicale Umbra and many others).
Among the many and varied experiences, he worked alongside C. Abbado, F. Brüggen, M.W. Chung, C.M. Giulini, E. Inbal, N. Järvi, P. Maag, L. Maazel, G. Prêtre, M. Rostropovich, G. Sinopoli, J. Tate, and with L. Berio, G. Bonato, N. Campogrande, M. Nyman, A. Pärt, R. Vlad.
Permanent conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Savona, chief conductor of Orchestra Jupiter, has been guest conductor for five years at the Teatr Wielki in Poznàn and for two years at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, principal conductor of the Academia de li Musici and currently Voxonus. He headed, founded, and dedicated himself for nearly twenty years, Athestis Chorus&Orchestra – baroque ensemble with ancient instruments – by which he has become one of the protagonists of the early music revaluation in Italy and of the renewal of the choral and symphonic repertoires, until closing in 2009. Moreover, from 2000 to 2002 he was the conductor of Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome - the youngest music conductor in the 500-plus-year history of the choir - a position he will no longer want to hold in other lyric institutions.
He has conducted almost all the main Italian orchestras with a broad and selected repertoire spacing from the Ouvertures by J.S. Bach to Rendering by L. Berio, performing with soloists such as G. Andaloro, R. Baborák, A. Ballista, P. Berman, R. Brautigam, R. Buchbinder, M. Campanella, B. Canino, A. Carbonare, G. Carmignola, G. Cassone, C. Colombara, R. Cominati, P. De Maria, B. De Simone, E. Dindo, M. Fröst, A. Lucchesini, B. Lupo, f. Meloni, S. Mingardo, D. Nordio, M. Pletnev, G. Pretto, R. Prosseda, C. Sampson, G. Sollima and many others.
Also the opera repertoire is very wide: from Paride ed Elena by C.W. Gluck conducted at Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liége, in Pisa and other Theaters, to Nabucco by Verdi conducted also at Teatr Wielki in Poznàn, from Alcina by Händel to Semiramide by Rossini and then Don Giovanni by Mozart, Don Carlo by Verdi, La Cecchina by Piccinni, Il Filosofo di campagna by Galuppi, in addition to unpublished works such as Doña Flor by N. Van Westerhout conducted in Bari, Ifigenia in Tauride by Galuppi conducted in Venice, Il mondo della luna by Paisiello, conducted in Trieste.
An important chapter is that of chorality, which has always fascinated him and with which he maintained a constant bond, conducting prestigious ensembles such as the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Estonian National Male Choir, the World Youth Choir (in 2005 and 2016), the Italian Youth Choir (from 2003 to 2005), Le Choeur National des Jeunes (from 2014 to 2017 and winner of the Grand Prix of Tours in 2016), the Choir of the Theater of Poznàn, of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and of other Theaters - in symphonic or opera productions - and collaborating in various projects on behalf of Feniarco, A Coeur joie, ECA-Europa Cantat, IFCM.
Trained pianist, conductor by vocation and study, he was a student in Vienna of Karl Österreicher for orchestra conducting and of Jurgen Jürgens for choir conducting, later becoming his assistant. MasterClasses, among others, by J. E. Gardiner and F. Leitner, he also studied singing and composition. Scholar of musicology and historical performance practice, Bressan represents an extremely forceful synthesis - quite unique today - of great knowledgement of the vocal Italian tradition and of the great German symphonic school. This double pedigree, the experience matured in the various fields and a highly refined sensibility in the voices treatment, makes him an ideal conductor in XVIII and XIX centuries Opera and in the symphonic/choral repertoire, in which he is particularly specialized.
Among the many concerts, are to report the standing ovation at the Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires, the performances of Alexander's Feast by Handel with the Choir and the Orchestra of Accademia Nazionale di S.Cecilia in the 2008 season at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, The Christmas Vespers, conducted in december 2006 in Venice Basilica di San Marco with Teatro La Fenice Orchestra & Choir, the worldvision concert for the Pope. He recorded various premiéres and live concerts by RAI (Italian radio-television) and radio-televisions of Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Holland, Slovenia and Brazil. He has recorded for Amadeus, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Virgin labels; Chandos Records has released 4 boxes (Benedetto Marcello’s Requiem and the oper Arianna, Baldassarre Galuppi’s Mass for San Marco, Antonio Calegari’s La Resurrezione di Lazzaro with important responses by critics and audience.
[Triathlon’s atlete for many years, he is also involved in teaching, solidarity and protection of trees. Far from the stereotypes of the globetrotter artist, he is an anti social network]
[He holds some masterclasses every now and then and doesn't like to be a jury member in choral competitions]
[He is no longer interested in working in Opera Houses. Thanks anyway]