CMFW Spring Festival 2023: “Sounds For All”
presents
Artists’ Concert I
“Just Music”
Francesco Mastromatteo, cello
Noemi Passiatore, guitar
Sunday, April 16th at 7 PM to 8:30 PM
Covenant United Methodist Church on 4410 Duval Rd Austin, TX 78727
Program
De Falla: from “Cancione Populares Españolas”
El Pano Moruño
Asturiana
Nana
Cancion
Polo
Schubert: Sonata D.821 “Arpeggione”
Allegro moderato
Adagio-Allegretto
Piazzolla:
Cafè 1930
Night Club 1960
Musicians
Francesco Mastromatteo, cello
Described as a “virtuosic and passionate musician” by the Dallas Morning News, Italian-born cellist Francesco Mastromatteo is currently on faculty as Associate Director and Professor of Chamber Music at the Conservatory “U. Giordano” – Residency of Rodi Garganico. Francesco also acts as Artistic Director for the non-profit organization Classical Music for the World in Austin, Texas, since its foundation in 2009. Dr. Mastromatteo has performed as soloist with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, Round Rock Symphony, Balcones Community Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica “Città di Pescara”, Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia di Foggia, the orchestra “Suoni del Sud”, Meadows Wind Ensemble, Starlight Symphony, Central Texas Medical Orchestra and CMFW Chamber Orchestra. He also performed J.S. Bach’s solo suites in the US and in Italy at the prestigious Ravenna Festival (2009). He maintains a busy schedule as chamber musician and is currently the cellist of the Duo Mastromatteo. He has also collaborated with pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi on a CD recording of Grieg’s Cello Sonata, which can be heard on Centaur Records. Recently, he has been invited to perform solo recitals and teach master classes at such institutions as Oklahoma City University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Southern Methodist University, Keene State College, Marshall University, Oklaoma Conservatory.
As an advocate for both historically informed performance practice and contemporary music, Dr. Mastromatteo has performed with critically-acclaimed baroque ensembles such as Concerto Italiano and Camerata Anxanum. He has also performed several world premieres, including Thomas Sleeper’s Cello Sonata, as well as works for solo cello by composers such as Stefano Taglietti, Robert J. Franck, and Kevin Hanlon. He won the first prize in the National Cello Competition “G. Turci” in Ravenna, and first prize as a duo with pianist Tommaso Cogato in the International Competition “Città di Padova”. Dr. Mastromatteo completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Cello Performance at the University of Texas at Austin in 2012 under the mentorship of Bion Tsang. He holds a Master of Music and an Artist Certificate from Southern Methodist University, where he studied with Andrés Diaz. In Italy, he worked with teachers such as A. M. Mastromatteo, M. Shirvani, L. Piovano and R. Filippini. Following a deep passion for all arts, he also holds a Master’s Degree with Honors in Literature and History of Arts from the Università “Aldo Moro” in Bari. Published written works include a volume on Italian composer Umberto Giordano for Bastogi Editrice, and an article on Kodàly Solo Sonata for Cello, op. 8 for the International Journal of Musicology.
Noemi Passiatore, Guitar
Passionate musician, extremely interested in historical performance practice and in the original guitar repertoire of the Romantic Period and of the early Twentieth Century, Noemi Passiatore is establishing her artistic profile around very specific research on the historical sound of the classical guitar. She performs mostly with gut strings and without nails, looking for a very varied spectrum in terms of instrumental colors.
After graduating with full grades from the “Tito Schipa” Conservatory working with Lapo Vannucci and Daniel Sardone, Noemi got in 2020 a Master Degree in Guitar Performance from Conservatorio “U. Giordano” of Foggia, also with full grades. She attended a number of master class, and summer courses, being always selected for the final concerts as one of the best student.
Noemi’s passion for guitar started under the tutelage of Andrea Monarda when she was 10, and continued at the Conservatorio “Tito Schipa” of Lecce- Ceglie Messapica where she worked for six years with Oronzo Persano. During the academic year 2016-2017 she studied with M° Andrej Grafenauer at Lubiana Music Academy in the ERASMUS program and she performed numerous concerts in Slovenia. She won first prize in many national and international competitions, such as the “Salento Guitar Festival”, “Satie Competition”, Premio “Lucia Iurleo” and International Guitar Contest of Riga. She is actually enrolled in the Master Program of Second Level in Performance at the Conservatorio “A. Boito” of Parma.