International clarinet soloist
International clarinet soloist
01About
Michele Marelli is internationally recognized as one of the leading clarinetists of his generation and among the foremost specialists of the basset horn. His artistic activity combines musicological research, sonic experimentation, and an interpretative vision capable of bridging the classical repertoire and contemporary creation with remarkable coherence.
He graduated with highest honors in Clarinet from the Conservatory of Alessandria, holds a degree in Modern Literature from the University of Turin, and a diploma in Electronic Music from the Conservatory of Latina. He conducts musicological research at the Universität der Künste Berlin and pursued advanced studies with Alan Hacker in England, Suzanne Stephens in Germany, and Alain Damiens in Paris.
A defining influence on his artistic development was his encounter with Karlheinz Stockhausen at the age of eighteen, which led to an exceptionally close personal and professional relationship. Recognizing his extraordinary talent, the composer invited him to relocate to Kürten, near Cologne, where Stockhausen lived and worked, personally guiding his artistic development and involving him continuously in his creative and concert activities. For more than ten years Marelli worked closely alongside Stockhausen, gaining a unique formative experience that profoundly shaped his musical identity. Chosen by the composer as a soloist of the Stockhausen Ensemble, he performed numerous world premieres under Stockhausen’s direction. His recordings with the composer have been released as part of the Stockhausen Complete Edition, and he remains the only performer to have received the Stockhausen Stiftung für Musik Prize six times for excellence in the interpretation of the composer's music.
Among his many distinctions are the Una Vita nella Musica – Arthur Rubinstein Prize of Teatro La Fenice in Venice, awarded for his innovative contribution to the contemporary repertoire for clarinet and basset horn, the Valentino Bucchi Prize in Rome, First Prize at the Krzysztof Penderecki International Competition in Kraków, the Master dei Talenti Musicali Award of the CRT Foundation, and the Honorary Logos Award in Belgium.
He appears as a soloist in major concert halls and festivals worldwide, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Wiener Konzerthaus, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Oslo Philharmonic Hall, Maison de Radio France, Philharmonie Essen, Teatro La Fenice Venice, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Venice Biennale, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Ruhrtriennale, Tanglewood Music Festival, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Warsaw Autumn Festival, Salzburg Festival, Milano Musica, Wien Modern, Teatro Manzoni Bologna, Teatro Valli Reggio Emilia and Kölner Philharmonie.
As a soloist he has played with orchestras including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, SWR Symphonieorchester, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra della Toscana, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto and Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, collaborating with conductors such as Peter Eötvös, Ingo Metzmacher, Susanna Mälkki, Peter Rundel, Enno Poppe, Pascal Rophé and Tito Ceccherini.
A leading interpreter of contemporary music, he has collaborated with composers including Karlheinz Stockhausen, Helmut Lachenmann, György Kurtág, Marco Stroppa, Luca Francesconi, Ivan Fedele, Salvatore Sciarrino, Vinko Globokar, Franco Donatoni and Sylvano Bussotti, performing numerous world premieres and contributing directly to the creation of new works. His activity continues to develop through close collaboration with younger generations of composers, contributing actively to the evolution of the contemporary repertoire for clarinet and basset horn.
Alongside his concert career, he develops original artistic projects such as Mozart Deconstructed and Bach to the Future, in which masterpieces of the classical repertoire are placed in dialogue with contemporary creation, generating new listening perspectives and a critical reflection on the concept of tradition itself.
His recordings for Decca, Kairos, Wergo, Neos and Stradivarius have received major international recognition, including nominations for the International Classical Music Awards and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, as well as 5 Diapasons, 5 Stars from Musica and 5 Stars from Amadeus.
Highly active as an educator, he is Professor of Clarinet at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome and regularly gives masterclasses and advanced training courses throughout Europe and abroad. He is also Artistic Director of the Biennale Koper International Contemporary Music Festival in Slovenia, where he develops thematic projects and original productions dedicated to the dialogue between historical repertoire and contemporary creation.
He collaborates regularly with leading ensembles such as Musikfabrik and Klangforum Wien, performing repertoire that spans the entire clarinet family, from E-flat clarinet to contrabass clarinet.
03Acclaim
Based on my professional and personal contact with Michele Marelli since 1997, I feel that he possesses not only great talent as a clarinetist, but that musically speaking in general he is very gifted.
Michele Marelli is an outstanding artist and brilliant musician. When he started playing I was totally fascinated from the first note by the deep knowledge he had of the piece.
I have taught many players from around the world. Michele is unquestionably the most talented and natural, besides being a very likeable and sensitive person.
Marelli is an excellent musician. At the concert he is very stable and flexible, he has a strong personality.
Michele Marelli equally at home across three very distinct instruments in the executing of this singular vision.
A basset horn specialist who has worked extensively with Stockhausen, Marelli demonstrates incredible control, flexibility and skill. The extended passages of slap-tonguing followed by long tones create a neat aural effect.
The music itself is a tour de force of extended techniques for the soloist, the astonishing Michele Marelli. (…) In the hand of a player like Marelli, these “degenerate” sounds can run the gamut from ghostly singing reminiscent of Tuvan throat singers to violent shrieks and squawks. In addition to multiphonics, Marelli is called upon to do rapid tonguing, “slap” tonguing, as well as playing music of high technical difficulty.
04Recordings
