The Accademia degli Astrusi, with the musical direction of Federico Ferri, has gained increasingly significant succes during the last several years both from audiences and critics in important events and venues including Berlin Konzerthaus, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Festival Rota dos Monumentos, and has presented its work in radio programmes, playing at Wigmore Hall (direct broadcast on BBC) and Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome (direct broadcast on Rai-Radio3). At present it is refining its emphasis on the poetic element of its endeavours, using original instruments in the quest for rigorously philological but also creative and imaginative interpretations.
The Accademia degli Astrusi carried out a project based on the rediscovery of the instrumental works of Padre Giovanni Battista Martini, mostly unpublished despite their musical importance, with the group producing world première recordings. These notable works by the Bolognese composer are being made available through the musicological research, manuscript transcription and critical edition (published by Suvini-Zerboni) carried out by Daniele Proni and Federico Ferri, who also follows the musical direction.
The Accademia’s projects includes collaboration with guest soloists. Among these projects, there are a Bach cycle with violinist Stefano Montanari, Martini’s flute concerts with flutist Marcello Gatti, concerts of unpublished works with violoncellist Mauro Valli and the collaboration with the contralto Sara Mingardo and soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci.
In the next months recordings of the concerts of Festival Martini and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with Sara Mingardo will be broadcasted through EBU Network. Concerts are planned at MITO Festival (11th September 2011), Bruxelles (November 2011), Amici della Musica di Firenze (21st January 2012), Unione Musicale di Torino (19th May 2012), Santander (August 2012), Wigmore Hall (September 2012).