Ensemble

The Melis-Carraro piano duo was born in 1998 for the sake of studying and performing modern and contemporary music. Among the musical projects carried out so far there are the performance of Bartók Sonata for two pianos and percussion, the complete György Kurtág work for piano duet, the complete Franco Oppo piano work, whose the duo is preparing a recording. In 1999 the duo took part to the Music Courses held by György Kurtág in Szombathely (Hungary) in the Nemzetközi Bartók Fesztival. The Melis-Carraro duo gave concerts for important musical societies, like Festival Spaziomusica in Cagliari, the concert series of La Soffitta in Bologna, the Cooperativa Teatro e/o Musica in Sassari.

Stefano Melis completed his music studies at the Conservatorio di musica in Sassari, obtaining his diploma in piano playing with best degrees. Afterwards he pursued his studies with Fausto Zadra, Mirta Herrera, Marian Mika, Tatiana Nicolaevna, Bernard Wambach in piano playing, and with Massimo Paris in chamber music. He took part, also as soloist, in two editions of the Internationale Ferienkürse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt (Germany) in 1992 and 1998. He graduated will full marks and honors in Discipline delle Arti, della Musica e dello Spettacolo at Bologna University discussing a thesis on Játékok for piano by György Kurtág. He awarded prizes in national piano competitions (2° prize at Lametia Terme Competition) and in chamber music competitions (3° prize at Salerno Competition). He devoted himself to the repertoire of Twentieth Century, performing several premieres and taking part in some recordings. He has collaborated with chamber groups and orchestras: Spaziomusica Ensemble of Cagliari, Ensemble Musica/Realtà of Reggio Emilia, Orchestra of the Cooperativa Teatro e/o Musica of Sassari, Orchestra dell'Istituzione dei Concerti of Cagliari. He founded the CERM Ensemble. He teaches piano in Secondary School and in the University Music School of Sassari.

Mario Carraro obtained his diploma in piano playing in Mantova with full marks under the tuition of Lucia Lusvardi Gallico and completed his studies with Nunzio Montanari, the pianist of Trio di Bolzano. Later he devoted himself to modern and contemporary music, following the courses by Giancarlo Cardini at GAMO in Firenze and at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. As soloist and in Musicanovecento Ensemble he gave concerts in some of the major Festivals in Italy and abroad: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Festival GAMO in Firenze, Malta International Arts Festival, Festival Spaziomusica in Cagliari, Amici della Musica in Cagliari, Festival Internazionale di Musica Contemporanea in Trento, the concert series of Mythos in Torino, of La Soffitta in Bologna, of Scuola Civica di Musica in Milano. In 1984 he won the first prize in contemporary music interpretation in the International Piano Competition in Stresa (Italy). He won also prizes in other national piano competitions. Recently he held lessons and seminars on minimal music and her relationships with arts and cinema, lectures-concerts on the history of American Experimental Music, monographic concerts on Cage's Sonatas & Interludes, on John Adams and George Crumb piano works. To the later he dedicated his thesis in Bologna University. He co-founded the CERM Ensemble of Sassari. He teaches harmony and analysis at the Conservatorio di Musica in Sassari.