Instrumentalists

Born in Trento, Roberta Gottardi graduated in clarinet with maximum marks at the Trento Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Giulio Cappello. She subsequently studied at the Accademia Chigiana of Siena, at the Scuola di Musica of Fiesole and with Antony Pay at the Accademia Musicale "L. Perosi" of Biella. She specialized with Suzee Stephens for the performance of the works of Stockhausen.
In 1988 she won the "Cesare Barison" Prize at the 2° Rassegna Internazionale di Musica da Camera of Trieste. She has been a member of the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana and has played as soloist with the Orchestra Haydn di Trento e Bolzano, the Orchestra da Camera di Alpe Adria, the Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico of Vicenza and the "Serenade" Ensemble.
She frequently plays contemporary works for solo clarinet and collaborates with numerous orchestras and chamber groups (including Algoritmo, I Cameristi di Trento e Verona, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Quartetto di Torino, Quartetto Prometeo, Quartetto Bernini, Accademia Bizantina, Pocket Opera); she has participated in various festivals in Italy and abroad (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Festival Pontino, Festival Musica '900 of Trento, Münchener Biennale, South Bank Centre of London, Bologna Festival, Venice Biennale, Autunno Musicale di Como, Società Filarmonica di Trento, Acquario Romano, Festival di Musica Contemporanea di Nuova Consonanza, Festival di Musica Contemporanea of Bolzano, Warsaw Autumn - International Festival of Contemporary Music, etc...). Her repertoire includes Stockhausen's theatrical piece Harlekin for solo clarinettist-dancer-mime, which she has performed at various Italian and European festivals (Como, Ancona, Bari, Bolzano, Padua, Trieste, Milan, Kürten). In 2001 she was awarded first prize by the composer in person, in the competition promoted annually by the Stockhausen Foundation, for her performance of Harlekin and she subsequently collaborated with Stockhausen in other performances and recordings.
As soloist, she has recorded for Edipan and Symposion and also for RAI Radio3.
In addition, Roberta Gottardi plays classical clarinets, collaborating with the Serenatantica Ensemble and, in France, with "La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy". She has acted as assistant to Antony Pay in his master classes at Sermoneta and teaches at the Conservatory of Bolzano.

Roberta Gottardi is one of the new generation of Italian performers. As musical culture changes shape, and moves beyond conventional 'classical' concerts, there is a demand for instrumentalists whose musical response is both wider and more focused. Though you hear Roberta tonight in a conventional setting, playing the masterpieces for clarinet and string quartet, she would be equally at home on clarinets of the eighteenth century, recreating the performance styles of previous eras, or in dancing and playing for you Stockhausen's mammoth "Harlekin" for solo clarinet. She is a fine orchestral player and an inspiring teacher, with a vision of the instrument and the music that goes beyond the merely superficial and virtuoso -- though of course she can play the virtuoso too when that is what is required, as you will hear. She has above all a winningly fresh approach to everything she does. I thoroughly recommend her to you. (Antony Pay)