Giorgio Menegozzo

Giorgio Menegozzo

(Venezia 1919 - Padova 2006)

He began playing cello with prestigious orchestras such as Scarlatti in Naples, I Pomeriggi Musicali of Milan, Boccherini of Brussels, Vivaldi in Venice (of which he was the initiator with A. Ephrikian) at a very young age. He also performed as a soloist with Italian and foreign orchestras directed by S. Celibidache, L. Bernstein, A. Gelbrun, L. Somogy, N. Sanzogno, E. Fisher, F. Caracciolo, M. Pradella, B. Maderna, E. Gracis, O. Zino, R. Abbado, L. Column, R. Brown, O. Anghel. Among his well remembered performances were the Brahms Double Concerto, directed by F. Caracciolo, with F. Antonioni as violinist. He also carried out an intense chamber music activity with The New Chamber Musicians (trio) and the Pro Arte, with the Quartet of Lausanne, in duo with the harpsichordist R. Gerlin, with the flutist R. Meylan and with pianists P. Spagnolo, S. Fiorentino, A. Hintchev, P.Guarino, C.Zecchi; with the pianist L.de Barberis he performed the complete works for cello and piano by Mendelssohn. He was also the first Italian cello performer of Hindemith's Kammermusik N. 3 under the conduction of B. Maderna, Malipiero's Cello Concerto directed by O.Zino, De Bellis' Concerto directed by L.Colonna, Prokofiev's Cello Concerto op. 58 works under the conduction of E. Gracis, Ibert's Serenade directed by M. Pradella, Sonzogno's "Il Negro" and Bossi's "Christian Trilogy" directed both by F.Caracciolo. He has also performed a few musical pieces for for solo cello, some of which were dedicated to him, by composers such as M. Abbado, A. Gelbrun, H.W. Henze. He taught intensively at the conservatories of Sassari, Bari, Bologna, Venice and held graduate courses at Cortina, Lanciano, and Monopoli.