The Soloists of La Scala and Nazzareno Carusi to Play at The Wallis, 3/19

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts ("The Wallis") presents clarinetist Fabrizio Meloni and violist Danilo Rossi -- two renowned soloists of the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala and the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra (I solisti del Teatro alla Scala) join pianist Nazzareno Carusi to perform a program of chamber music by Mozart, Schumann and Schubert on Thursday, March 19 at 8:00 pm.

At the age of twenty, Rossi became the youngest principal violist in the history of the prestigious theater in Milan; Meloni, has been La Scala's principal clarinet for almost thirty years; and Nazzareno Carusi is an exceptional pianist who performs internationally and teaches at some of the most prestigious music academies in the country. Together they represent the best tradition of Italian music in the world.

The program includes Schubert's Arepeggione Sonata D. 821 for viola and piano; Schumann's Märchenerzählungen op.132 for piano, clarinet and viola; Poulenc's Sonata FP 184 for clarinet and piano; and Mozart's Trio in E flat major K 498 "dei birilli."

Tickets are available at www.thewallis.org or by calling 310-746-4000 or in person at The Wallis Ticket Services located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Fabrizio Meloni, clarinet, has been the first soloist clarinet of the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala and of the Filarmonica della Scala Orchestra since 1984. He completed his musical studies at the Conservatory "Giuseppe Verdi" in Milan, graduating with honors, and honorable mention. Winner of international competitions in Monaco, ARD, Prague, he has performed with Bruno Canino, A. Lonquich, M. Campanella, H. Schiff, F. Gulda, E. Gruberova, the Hagen Quartet, MW Chung, P. Moll and Riccardo Muti. Meloni previously toured the United States and Israel as part of the Italian Wind Quintet and South America and Southeast Asia as part of the New Italian Quintet. His concert tour in Japan with P. Moll and I Solisti della Scala was met with enthusiastic acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

Meloni has recorded piano concertos by J. Françaix, C. Nielsen and A. Copland; he is the author of the book The Clarinet, published by Zecchini Editore. The TV channel "Sky Classic" has dedicated the documentary Notable to him, and he made the video "The clarinet in jazz and in the Italian '900." He has taught master classes by the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, the Manhattan School of Music, Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, the Music Academy of the West in Los Angeles and the University of Tokyo and Osaka.

Danilo Rossi, viola, graduated with highest honors in 1985 and attended master classes with Asciolla Dino, Piero Farulli and Yuri Bashmet. When only twenty Rossi was chosen by Riccardo Muti to be the First Viola Soloist of the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala and Filarmonica della Scala Orchestra, becoming the youngest principal violist in the history of the prestigious Theater in Milan.

Rossi has performed concertos by Bartók and Walton with the La Scala Philharmonic and Riccardo Muti, Bach Brandenburg concertos with the Moscow Soloists' conducted by Yuri Bashmet and Monologue Schnittke, and Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher with the Teatro Massimo in Palermo under the direction of Gianandrea Gavazzeni, and the Orchestra of the Teatro la Fenice.

He has collaborated with jazz musicians Sante Palumbo, Stefano Bagnoli, Renato Sellani, Bruno De Filippi, Terence Blanchard, Aaron Fletcher, Steve Winston, Jim Hall, Greg Osby, Waine Marshall, Steve La Spina and Terry Clarke in various concerts and jam sessions.

His discography includes numerous solo and chamber recordings for Sony, Fonit-Cetra and Arcadia including chamber music by Beethoven, Mozart, Eisler, Webern with the Trio d'Archi della Scala, and Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Filarmonica della Scala Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti.

Nazzareno Carusi, pianist. Born in 1968 in Celano, Carusi was a student of Alexis Weissenberg and Viktor Merzhanov, two piano legends of the twentieth century. He has performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and has given concerts with the Camerata of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Fine Arts Quartet and the Soloists of La Scala. Celebrated music critic Paolo Isotta wrote, "I admire Nazzareno Carusi because he is a great pianist; because he is a complete musician; because he is highly educated; and finally, because he is an immensely funny guy. "

Carusi won International awards in Rome, Paris, Buffalo (USA) and Viña del Mar (Chile), including the Preis Alexis Weissenberg in Engelberg (Switzerland), and a special mention for the Ravenna Giustiniano Award 2013 awarded to Riccardo Muti. He is resident Professor of Chamber Music of the worldwide renowned International Piano Academy of Imola, founded by Franco Scala and directed by Vladimir Ashkenazy and he teaches piano at the prestigious Conservatory "A. Buzzolla "in Adria, Italy. Eclectic and curious, he has recorded and performed in concerts with also great artists from the pop and jazz world including Lucio Dalla, Fabrizio Bosso, Kill Hannah, Simona Molinari and Danila Satragno.

About The Wallis
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts ("The Wallis") brings audiences world-class theater, dance and music, performed by many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. With eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles, and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the US and around the globe. This fall marks The Wallis' second season, which also includes its prestigious "Arts& Ideas" series, conversations with guests from the realms of culture, literature and politics. Housed in a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA of Studio Pali Fekete architects, The Wallis celebrates the classic and the modern. This is reflected in the juxtaposition of the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, as well as a theater school for young people, and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these two structures embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for LA-area visitors and residents alike.

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