About this artist
Il Giardino d'amore is an orchestra specializing in the performance of baroque music. The focus of our work is italian baroque music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Our repertoire includes both instrumental and vocal works. The concert program consists of sinfonies, concerti grossi, and italian cantatas with orchestra. An interesting characteristic of the Italian Cantata is the diversity of subjects which is presents to the audience. Its form embracing many aspects of human emotion and is often inspired by both Greek and Roman mythology. A significant part of the works is also rooted in the tradition of sacred music, finding its sources in biblical texts.
The concert repertoire contains great works of Italian masters such as A.Scarlatti, A.Stradella, A.Corelli, P.Torelli, A.Vivaldi, P.Locatelli, N.Porpora, G.B. Bononcini, F.Geminiani and many others.
The orchestra was founded by violinist Stefan Plewniak. After graduating from the Academy of Music in Cracow Stefan continued his education at The Concervatoire Maastricht and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris under prof. F. Fernandez. Stefan has worked with such ensembles as Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie's in Paris and Jordi Savall orchestra Le Concert des Nations in Barcelona. Whilst working with Le Concert de Nations, Stefan met the excellent harpsichordist Marco Vitale from Palermo, whom he invited to collaborate with Il Giardino d'Amore. Marco Vitale, having completed his studies in the class of harpsichord, piano, organ and composition at the Conservatory Palermo, continued his studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. For many years he has been the leader of Contrasto Armonico, and The Damascus Soloists (Siria).
The orchestra Il Giardino d'Amore includes talented young musicians integrated in the Early Music Department of the Cracow Music Academy. Members of Il Giardino d'Amore, cooperate with other professional ensembles such as Capella all, Antico,Sabionetta Decameron, Warsaw Chamber Opera, La Tempesta , Orchestra Foundation of the Academy of Ancient Music, Intrada, Consortium Sedinum, Accademia dell'Arcadia, Sinfonia Nordica, as chamber musicians and soloists.
The instrumentalists within the orchestra are as follows : Marzena Matyaszek (violin), Enrique Gómez-Cabrero Fernández (violin), Katarzyna Kalinowska (violin), Monika Boroni (violin), Magdalena Chmielowiec (viola), Marta Semkiw (cello), Katarzyna Cichon (cello), Maria Guzowska (lute)
Singers, working with Il Giardino d'Amore are the young, outstanding musicians Natalia Kawalek (soprano) and David Biwo (bass- baritone). Graduates of Polish and other European Music Academies, who have appeared on opera stages and concert halls throughout Europe.