The University Orchestra will be joined by six guest musicians from the Boccherini and Puccini Conservatories in Italy. Puccini Conservatory Faculty members Fabrizio Merlini (viola) and Federico Rovini (piano) will perform as soloists in music by Rolla and Chopin. The concert will also feature a collaboration of Truman students and faculty with students and faculty from Italy for a performance of the Chamber Symphony No. 1 for 15 players by Arnold Schoenberg. The program will conclude with the Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 by Enescu.
Fabrizio Merlini graduated under the guidance of Piero Farulli with honors and subsequently he took specialization courses with Bruno Giuranna and Dino Asciolla in Città di Castello, Portogruaro and at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena where he was awarded with the Diploma of Merit. He has been awarded in numerous national and international competitions including ARAM, Bordeaux and twice in Vittorio Veneto and has performed in important International Festivals in chamber ensembles and in duo with piano: Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Turin Milan, Florence, Rome Vicenza, Stresa, Cervo. As a member of the Orion Piano Quartet Merlini was, for many years, regularly invited to hold concerts and Master Classes in Japan. Since 2000 he has been part of the string quartet Elisa with whom he has toured in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United States, Japan and for the main Italian Concert Companies. He teaches at the Conservatory of La Spezia and holds various advanced courses and Master Classes for his instrument.
After graduating magna cum laude and with a special mention, Federico Rovini continued his studies with Bruno Canino and Martha del Vecchio at the Chigiana Academy in Siena. During this time, he received his Certificate of Merit for an International Improvement course and studied composition with Gaetano Giani-Luporini e Luciano Damarati. As a Soloist and a Chamber musician, he has played as a guest for the most important musical associations and institutions in Italy. As a soloist he has performed with the Moldavian National Orchestra, the Romanian Philarmonic Orchestra in Clos, Modigliani Orchestra, the Instrumental Academy Orchestra in Tuscany, the Orchestra of La Spezia Conservatory, the Grosseto City Orchestra, “Solisti Fiorentini”, The Symphonic Orchestra in Val d’Aosta, “Cameristi del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino”, Wienerkammersymphonie, Philarmonic Orchestra of Florence, “I Filarmonici of Pisa”, High-Austria Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of San Petersburg, performing concerts for piano and orchestra by J.S.Bach, W.A.Mozart, L.v. Beethoven, F.Mendelssohn, S.Rachmaninov, F.Chopin, R.Schumann. He has taught at the officially recognized Music Institute in Teramo, at the Conservatories of Sassari and Cagliari, and now is teaching at the La Spezia Conservatory where he has held the role of Vice Director since the academic year 2004 and now he is the Director from November 2014.