Founded by Fabio Bonizzoni in 1995 La Risonanza began as a vocal and instrumental group before expanding its forces to become one of today’s major period instrument baroque chamber orchestras. The group began recording for Glossa in 2002.
Particular focus is given to music in the Italian style composed between the end of the 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries, exemplified by a seven volume series currently in progress for Glossa to record all the secular-texted Italian Cantatas with instrumental accompaniments written by Georg Frideric Handel. Joining La Risonanza for this (and other) projects are many of the current talented specialist guest vocalists, including Roberta Invernizzi, Nuria Rial and Emanuela Galli. The first volume in the series, Le cantate per il Cardinal Pamphili, was awarded The Stanley Sadie Handel Recording Prize for 2007.
Leading European festivals where La Risonanza have performed in recent years include the Festival Oudemuziek (Utrecht), Quincena Musical (San Sebastián), Semana de Música Religiosa (Cuenca), Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music (London), Festival Internacional de Santander, Rheingau Musik Festival, MDR Musiksommer, Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio (Milan), Teatro San Carlo (Naples), Arsenal (Metz), Styriarte Festival (Graz), Accademia di Santa Cecilia (Rome) and the Società del Quartetto (Milan).
Since 2007 La Risonanza has been the orchestra-in-residence of the French département of l’Aisne.
* * *
Aside from directing La Risonanza the Milanese harpsichordist and organist Fabio Bonizzoni (he also teaches at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Conservatory of Trapani and the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano) has introduced us to his view on Glossa of keyboard Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and to a thrilling reading of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, among other recordings.
Initial studies in Italy were continued under Ton Koopman, being his only student graduating both in baroque organ and as a harpsichord soloist. His concert activities take him to concert halls throughout Europe (such as to the Auditorio Parco della musica, Rome, Arsenal, Metz, Teatro Real, Madrid, Salle Gaveau, Paris) as well as to the major early music festivals.