“…As one of the best professional players in Italy on the lute and theorbo, he is now in a position the share his knowledge with the younger generation…” Jakob Lindberg, 28 February 2006.
Massimo Marchese is known worldwide as one of the most refined performers of his generation. His long career allowed him to play and collaborate with many famous early music ensembles and to perform soloist concerts in several foreign countries. More than 18 record publications, among them 8 as soloist (RCA, STRADIVARIUS, TACTUS, BRILLIANT CLASSICS, CENTAUR RECORDS ecc.), let Massimo Marchese be proud of one of the smartest curriculum concerning his instrument. He was very young when he first approached to the instrument: he met M° Jakob Lindberg, and he achieved a Diploma at the “Royal College of Music” of London then the specializations with Paul O’Dette, Nigel North, and Hopkinson Smith marked the beginning of his career. Since 1980 he played as soloist and continuo player performing for voices like Nigel Rogers and Furio Zanasi renewing, moreover, his collaboration with Jakob Lindberg (member of the “Dodekachordon” ensemble) in addition to other smart experiences with Enrico Gatti, Ottavio Dantone, and Flavio Emilio Scogna. During various tours he played in the most iconic music capitals in Italy and abroad; particularly noteworthy are his concerts for ”Oude Muziek – Lute Festival” of Utrecht, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique – Sorbonne of Paris, Festival of Sacred Music of Tenerife and the Sofia Music Weeks. He has been Artist in Residence at the Osaka Italian Cultural Institute during summer 2016 (June and July), he participated in several RAI RADIO BROADCASTS (radio 2, radio 3 – Piazza Verdi and Radio 3 Suite – La Stanza della Musica (Music Room, ndt)) and Bulgarian National Radio. He has been the first lutenist in the world recording monographic CDs of Francesco Spinacino (Tactus, 2006), Franciscus Bossinensis (Tactus, 2004), Joackim Van den Hove (Brilliant Classics, 2015) and complete works in score (1682/1686/1716 ) of Robert de Visée ( Brilliant Classics, 2011/2015 ). He worked in musicological research and held several lectures, bringing back to light composers like Gabriele Fallamero (1584). In 2003 he was lute professor at “A. Vivaldi” Conservatory of Alessandria (Early Music Department) and, from 1993 to 2000, President of S.I.E.M. (Italian Society for the Musical Education) in Alessandria. In 1997 he took part in the “landeskongress Schulmusik” in Stuttgart. He has been artistic director and musical consultant in several festivals like C.I.M.A.Al (Italian Centre of Early Music of Alessandria) in 2004 with which he organized and directed the European Festival of Early Music – Eastern Piedmont until 2014.
“…expert of the vast repertoire of Renaissance and Baroque music …” Nigel Rogers, 21 March 2006.