Giulio Tampalini is considered by critics to be one of the most charismatic performers on the contemporary music scene. Born in Brescia, after graduating with top marks and honors in guitar from the Conservatory of Cuneo, he won prestigious international competitions, including the “Yepes” in Sanremo, the “Sor” in Rome, twice the International Music Tournament of Rome, and the “De Bonis” in Cosenza. He has been awarded two Golden Guitars for Best Recording: for the box set Tárrega: Complete Works for Guitar and for the album Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Complete Works for Soprano and Guitar. He performs regularly in Europe, Asia, and the United States as a soloist and with orchestras. His extensive discography includes CDs dedicated to 20th-century Italian music, the complete works for solo guitar by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, a monograph on Gilardino, Giuliani’s Sei Rossiniane, Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Concerto No. 1, Quintet and Romancero Gitano, as well as five complete recordings: Tárrega, Llobet, Matiegka, Legnani, and Villa-Lobos. He is the curator of the series “I Maestri della Chitarra” (Edizioni Curci). He teaches guitar at the “Donizetti” Conservatory in Bergamo and at the International Academy Foundation of Imola “Incontri con il Maestro.” He is director of the Seicorde Academy, where he has taught guitar since 2019, and he gives masterclasses worldwide. For his innovative promotion of music, creation of new artistic formats, and constant support of young talents, he received the Arts and Culture Award in Milan in 2014.
Anna Serova is a unique figure on the international music scene. Born in Arkhangelsk, Russia, she later became an Italian citizen. Several leading contemporary composers have written new works for her, including Azio Corghi, Marcello Fera, Roberto Molinelli, Boris Pigovat, and Enzo De Rosa. In particular, Roberto Molinelli dedicated to her Milonga y Chacarera for viola and orchestra, Aeraqua for viola and violin, and the Tango all’Opera project. In 2017, Anna Serova performed the world premiere of Lady Walton’s Garden, a concerto for viola, orchestra, and tanguero by Molinelli, in Wellington with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist in prestigious international concert halls with orchestras such as the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Belgrade Philharmonic, Amazonas Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Orchestra dell’Arena di Verona, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Renowned for the beauty of her sound and her remarkable artistic versatility, Anna Serova is also very active in chamber music, having performed with Salvatore Accardo, Ivry Gitlis, Bruno Giuranna, and Rocco Filippini. Actively involved in charitable initiatives, in 2002 and 2004 she recorded two CDs with pianist Filippo Faes dedicated to projects of Rotary International. A member of the Rotary Club of Cremona since 2010, she has received the Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of her professional and social activities. In 2016, Anna Serova received the International Standout Woman Award for her artistic and social commitment. She is an international ambassador for the CCSVI Association in Multiple Sclerosis. Regularly invited to give masterclasses at leading academies in Russia, Europe, New Zealand, and Brazil, she teaches viola at the “Duni” Conservatory in Matera and at the “Perosi” Academy Foundation in Biella. She will teach viola at the Seicorde Academy for the first time in 2026.
Mario Marzi, originally from San Giovanni in Marignano (Rimini), graduated with top marks in saxophone from the “Rossini” Conservatory in Pesaro under the guidance of Federico Mondelci. He later refined his studies at the Bordeaux Conservatory with Jean-Marie Londeix, earning the prestigious Premier Prix et Médaille d’Or à l’unanimité. Winner of nine national and four international competitions, including the absolute first prize at the prestigious “VIII Premio Ancona” – with Goffredo Petrassi as president of the jury – dedicated to wind instruments, he has performed as a soloist with the most prestigious symphony orchestras. Particularly noteworthy is his twenty-year collaboration with the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of the greatest contemporary conductors. He has been repeatedly chosen by Riccardo Muti within the La Scala ensemble for solo roles, and similarly invited by Zubin Mehta for tours with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra. He has taken part in numerous prestigious international music festivals, including Salzburg, Athens, Madrid, Saint Petersburg, Mexico City, the Venice Biennale, Settembre Musica, La Scala in Milan, the Accademia Filarmonica of Rome, and the Ravenna Festival. He has performed in major international halls and theaters such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Schauspielhaus in Berlin, as well as in Melbourne, Lisbon, Munich, Caracas, Los Angeles, and Beijing. He has devoted particular attention to 20th-century music, and several of the most significant works for contemporary saxophone have been dedicated to him. He has recorded for labels including BMG, Sony Classical, EMI, Edipan, Stradivarius, and Agorà, and also recorded for Amadeus, as a soloist with the “Verdi” Orchestra of Milan conducted by Hansjörg Schellenberger, a monographic CD featuring concertos for saxophone and orchestra. He teaches saxophone at the “Verdi” Conservatory in Milan, gives advanced courses at the “Marziali” Music Academy, and masterclasses in Oporto, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Denver, and Beijing. He will teach saxophone at the Seicorde Academy for the first time in 2026.