Andrea Dieci (Milan, 1969) studied with Paolo Cherici at the “Verdi” Conservatory in Milan, where he graduated with top marks, honors and special mention. He specialized with Oscar Ghiglia at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena and at the Musikakademie in Basel. He has participated in masterclasses held by Julian Bream. He won the international competitions of Gargnano, Lagonegro and “De Bonis” of Cosenza, as well as the special jury prize at the Ard in Munich. He has given concerts in Europe, the United States, Central and South America, Asia and Africa, performing for the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, the Guitar Foundation of America and the Singapore Festival. He has participated in radio and television programs broadcast by Rai, Vatican Radio, Radio Nacional Española, BBC, Radio Televisione Svizzera Italiana. He has recorded numerous CDs published by Map, Dotguitar and Brilliant Classics, including monographs on Manuel Maria Ponce, Nicola Jappelli and Fernando Sor. In duo with violinist Piercarlo Sacco he created albums dedicated to Astor Piazzolla and Mauro Giuliani. Of particular importance is the recording of the complete works for solo guitar by Toru Takemitsu (Map, “Chitarra d’oro” 2005, best album of the year), Heitor Villa-Lobos (Map) and Hans Werner Henze (Brilliant Classics, “ Golden Guitar” 2017, best album of the year). His latest recordings are a solo album dedicated to the works for guitar by Cyril Scott, Lennox Berkeley, Benjamin Britten and William Walton (Brilliant Classics, 2021) and a triple CD dedicated to the complete works for violin and guitar by Ferdinand Rebay, as a duo with violinist Piercarlo Sacco (Brilliant Classics, 2023). He has held masterclasses in Europe, the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore and Japan. He holds the guitar chair at the “Vecchi-Tonelli” Conservatory in Modena. He teaches at the annual specialization courses at the “Regondi” Academy in Milan.
Giulio Tampalini (Brescia, 1971) in 2014 received the Arts and Culture Award in Milan. He is considered by critics to be one of the most innovative and charismatic performers on the musical scene. After graduating with honors from the Cuneo Conservatory, he won the major international guitar prizes, the “Yepes” Competition in Sanremo, the “Sor” in Rome, the International Music Tournament in Rome twice, the “De Bonis of Cosenza. He won two Golden Guitars for best album: in 2003 with the Tárrega: Complete Works for Guitar and in 2018 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 orchestra. In his impressive record production there are CDs dedicated to the Italian twentieth century, the complete works for solo guitar by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, the Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo, a monograph on Gilardino, the Sei Rossiniane by Giuliani, the Concerto n. 1, the Quintet and the Romancero Gitano of Castelnuovo-Tedesco and four complete works: Tárrega, Llobet, Matiegka and Villa-Lobos. With Giovanni Podera he is editor of the series “The Masters of the Guitar” (Edizioni Curci). A tireless globetrotter of the guitar, a member of the board of the Milan Guitar Conference, he is the creator of musical projects, artistic formats and promotes young talents of the six strings through countless initiatives. He is a guitar professor at Donizetti Conservatory in Bergamo and at the International Academy “Incontri con il Maestro” in Imola, he is director of the International Guitar Academy of Brescia and he holds popular masterclasses in Italy, Europe and Asia and America.