Biography english
Alessandro Giangrande – Countertenor
Born in Monopoli near Bari in 1978, he studied at the Music Conservatory “N. Rota” of Monopoli with Serafina Tuzzi with the highest marks and he graduated in Violin highschool with Francesco D’Orazio. He also pursued training in Economics at the University of Bari, graduating in 2003.
He studied baroque music with: Maria Cristina Kiehr, Roberta Invernizzi, Rosa Dominguez, Claudio Cavina, Jill Feldmann, Renè Clemencic and with the English Countertenor Paul Esswood, teacher at the “Royal Academy of Music” in London.
He took part in many competitions: first prize at the “5th Premio città di Brindisi” and the Honour Diploma at the “TIM Competition” and at “VI Concorso di Canto Barocco Fatima Terzo”. Recently he received the Third prize at “X Concorso di Canto Barocco F.Provenzale” at Centro di Musica Antica “Pietà dei Turchini” in Naples.
He’s been interpreter of Monteverdi’s Operas as: “L’Orfeo” staged by Trisha Brown and musical director Renè Jacobs at “59° Festival of Aix en Provence”; “Ottone” in “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” at “30° Festival of Ambronay” under the direction of Leonardo Garcia Alarcon and at “MITO Settembre Musica” with Claudio Cavina & “La Venexiana”. In 2016 has sung as Pastore Tenor and Alto in “L’Orfeo” of C.Monteverdi under baton of Ottavio Dantone and Robert Carsen at “Lausanne’s Opera”.
He works frequently as solist with Jordi Savall and “La Capella Reial de Catalunya” with whom he sang in many projects at “Opéra-Comique” in Paris, Berlin’s Staatsoper, Salzburger Festspiele and the next February at “Carnegie Hall” in New York.
With Leonardo Garcia Alarcon he sang in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” in a world tour (Rotterdam’s “Operadagen”, “Bozar” in Bruxelles, Paris, Festival Ambronay, Opéra Royal Liege, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, San Paolo, Rio de Janeiro). The recording of this work for the Alpha-Classics label has won several awards and is in the final at the International Classical Music Awards 2022.
In 2015 he’s been “Apollo” in Mozart’s “Apollo et Hyacinthus” at Litta Theater in Milan with “Coin du Roi”.
He collaborate with “Academia Montis Regalis” directed by Alessandro De Marchi and with the chamber ensemble “L’Astrèe-Montis Regalis” and his director Giorgio Tabacco.
In 2008 he appears at the “Resonanzen” Festival of the Wiener Konzerthaus and “Mostly Mozart Festival” at “Lincoln Center” in New York, with “Concerto Italiano” and Rinaldo Alessandrini.
He is active in medieval music, being a member of the choir “Ars Antiqua”. With this ensemble he has sung for the “Elpidiense Organistic Academy” and for the “Ars Organi Festival”in Lecce.
In February 2002 he made his dedut as Liscione in “La Dirindina”of D. Scarlatti, for the “EuroOrchestra” in Bari and in Lecce with the Salentine Orchestra “Terra d’Otranto”.
He sings at the “Festival d’Evron”,”Festival de Sarrebourg”,”Festival Baroque Valloire”,”Festival Oude Muziek” in Utrecht (NL),”Festival Sinfonia en Perigord”,”Festival Grandezze & Meraviglie”,“XXXI Festival della Valle d’Itria” of Martina Franca in “Farinelli Imperatore del ‘700”.
He took part in many concerts and festivals as : “Misteria Paschalia” in Krakow, “Lodz Philarmonic”,“Accademia filarmonica Romana”, “XI Festival Lodoviciano” in Viadana, “IX Festival dei Teatri possibili” in Foggia invited by “Solisti Dauni”, “The Organ Tradition in Puglia”, “V Festival Internazionale di Musica Antica” in Pescara, “VIII Festival dell’Aurora” in Crotone” singing “VIII Libro dei Madrigali” of Claudio Monteverdi. “IX Festival le Ore d’Organo” in Ancona, “Collegio Borromeo” Pavia.
He took part as a solist in contemporary music festivals in which he has sung “Carmina Burana” of Carl Orff for “Duni Festival” in Matera and in the Autumn 2004 he was interpreter, in a world premiere, “Der Misogyne” libretto by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, music by Hans-Wilhelm Plate at the “Lessing Theater” in Wolfenbuttel and at the “Wolfsburg Theater” in Wolfsburg.
Still abroad as a solist, he took part in the “1st Miskolc International Opera Festival” in Hungary, and in the summer 2002 he was chosen by his music school to take part in a masterclass in South Corea at the “Chung-Ang” University in Seoul and he partecipated in the final concert at the famous “Art-Center”.
As a solist he has recorded several records, among which the whole “Missa Romana” ed NAÏVE, “Il Diluvio Universale” for “Ambronay Label”, “Magnificat” ed Tactus, “Romanze da Camera” of Giuseppe Verdi to celebrate Verdi Centenary in 2001 and “Missa Borromea” for solist and choir of Costanzo Antegnati. His future projects include concerts with “La Chapelle Rhenane” in G.F.Handel Messiah.