Matteo Messori (Harpsichord, Organ , Conductor)

Born: April 23, 1976 Bologna, Italy

The Italian harpsichordist, organist and conductor, Matteo Messori, as born in Bologna where he studied Organ and Counterpoint, graduating cum laude. He studied Harpsichord with the harpsichordist, organist, conductor and singer Sergio Vartolo at the Conservatories of Mantua and Venice, graduating again cum laude. In addition, he studied Musicology at the University of his native city.

Matteo Messori is active as both a harpsichord and organ soloist and conductor in Italy, Europe and America, and also works with various chamber ensembles.

As means of exploring the musical and cultural relationship between the Italian penisula and the northern musical world in the 16^th to 18^th centuries, Matteo Messori founded the ensemble Cappella Augustana, which he is conducting in the first complete recording of Heinrich Schütz' works for the Dutch music label Brilliant Classics (Vols. 1-4, 19 CD’s). He also directed, for the Swedish label Mvsica Rediviva, the first sound tribute wholly dedicated to the sacred music by the Kapellmeister in Dresden and organist at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Vincenzo Albrici (1631-1690/96).

Matteo Messori has recorded the third part of the Clavierübung by J.S. Bach on three historical central German (Thuringian, Silesian and Saxon) organs ("5 de Diapason", March 2008). In June 2008 he recorded Die Kunst der Fuge (BWV 1080), Musikalisches Opfer (BWV 1079) and the fragmentary Triple Fugue BWV 1080/19 by J.S. Bach, as a soloist on three several harpsichords (also in Central German style, with 16'-stop), as well as a leader of the ensemble Cappella Augustana. The 3-CDs box contains also the Canonical Variations (BWV 769), recorded on the Tobias Heinrich Gottfried Trost organ of Walthershausen, 1724. He plans to record soon the complete keyboard works by Johann Kaspar Kerll.

Matteo Messori regularly conducts orchestras and ensembles in Europe, such as Capella Cracoviensis. He has recently conducted the State Chamber Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus in a concert at the Philharmonic Hall of Minsk. In the summer 2007 he has conducted the first Italian stage performance of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio La Bellezza ravveduta staged by the director Denis Krief for the Sagra Musicale Malatestiana in Rimini.

Matteo Messori is Professor of Organ and Counterpoint, Continuo and Historical Keyboard Instruments at the Bergamo Conservatory. In the Bach-Jahrbuch 2010 he has published a study of the 16' harpsichord with pedal harpsichord built by Zacharias Hildebrandt for the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig.

More Photos

Source: Matteo Messori Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2011)

Matteo Messori: Short Biography | Cappella Augustana | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Matteo Messori (Official Website)
Cappella Augustana: Conductor

Matteo Messori (Wikipedia) [Italian]
Matteo Messori (Wikipedia) [German]