Curriculum
Adriano Sebastiani, Italian classical guitarist, is considered one of the most important Italian and International experts of guitar discography, literature, and chamber music. He is active as a performer and musicologist, and as a recording artist and teacher. He studied the art of the guitar in Italy, in Florence with Alvaro Company, a pupil of Andres Segovia, and in Rome with Bruno Battisti D’Amario, obtaining his Music Master Degree in Guitar Performance at the prestigious Naples “S.Pietro A Maiella” Conservatorio, the oldest in Italy. At the same time he also studied Agricultural Science at the Universities of Pisa and Florence, receiving his second Master Degree. He later attended guitar master classes held by highly acclaimed worldwide concert artists of the lute/guitar world like Leo Brouwer, Sergio and Odair Assad, Dusan Bogdanovic, Ralph Towner, Oscar Roberto Casares and Hopkinson Smith. As part of a guitar duo he has won four first prizes in national and international competitions.
Sebastiani has performed as soloist, in chamber ensembles and with orchestras in Italy, Europe and U.S.A.; he has collaborated with singers, violinists, string trios and quartets like Antonia Brown, Siphiwe McKenzie (soprano), Stephen Harland (tenor), Ingolf Turban, Dora Bratchkova, Bin Huang, Franco Mezzena and Marco Fornaciari (violin), Antonello Farulli (viola), and the Boccherini Ensemble. His repertoire includes original music for guitar of different periods and styles, the unique and rare compositions of Ralph Towner, works for guitar and orchestra, lute music, and many other chamber music works.
Since 1975 he has been dedicated to the study and collection of rare bibliographic and musical sources concerning the history of, and literature for the guitar. As a musicologist he collaborates with the most important international guitar magazines: Guitar Review (New York), Il Fronimo and Seicorde (Milan), Soundboard (California), and Guitart (Naples), rediscovering and publishing several important works for and with guitar for the following publishers: “Suvini Zerboni” of Milan (Italy), "Berben" of Ancona (Italy), “Philomele” of Geneva (Switzerland) and “Tuscany Publications” of Tampa (Florida). He has moreover edited a catalogue of Paganini’s compositions for the book “Nicolò Paganini, il Cavaliere Filarmonico” by Edward David Robert Neill. Most recently he has written, in collaboration, the important book “Andres Segovia and his Repertoire”, published by “Grafos” of Genoa (Italy).
His recordings include an acclaimed set of nineteen compact discs. He was the first guitarist to have recorded the complete trios for strings and guitar and the complete works for violin/viola/mandolin and guitar by Nicolò Paganini (a 6 CD Box), a collection of songs for voice and guitar by Franz Schubert, the complete works for voice and guitar by Mauro Giuliani, and a selection of songs for voice and guitar by Ferdinando Maria Carulli. His three latest albums are dedicated to guitar solo music by Dusan Bogdanovic, Nicolò Paganini, and Ralph Towner, including some unpublished pieces dedicated to him. Composers such as Dusan Bogdanovic, Ralph Towner, Oliviero Lacagnina, Stefano Casarini, John Hall, Anthony Sidney and Riccardo Riccardi have dedicated new pieces to him.
Recently he has signed a contract with the recording label Brilliant Classics which has published The Complete Songs for voice and guitar of Louis Spohr
Sebastiani plays an “Antares” model guitar by Luciano Maggi of Arezzo (Italy) and a “Galamah” model guitar by Fabio Ragghianti of Pietrasanta (Italy), using a romantic guitar for the music of this period.
Sebastiani has taught in the High Musical Education Institutes “Luigi Boccherini” of Lucca ans “Luigi Cherubini” of Firenze. He is in charge of the Guitar Department at “Francesco Petrarca” Classical Lyceum of Arezzo (Tuscany) and lives in Florence with his wife Sabina Picarelli and their son Cosimo.
