Gaetano Nasillo

Gaetano Nasillo is one of the most renowed baroque cellist. He graduated at the “G. Verdi” Conservatory of Milan with Rocco Filippini, with whom has also studied at the “W. Stauffer Academy” in Cremona.   After having played in the most important groups of contemporary music and in main orchestras in Milan, he started approaching the performance practice on period instruments, learning also the viola da gamba. He attended the “Schola Cantorum Basiliensis” under the guide of Paolo Pandolfo.   Gaetano Nasillo regularly collaborates, often as soloist, with the most prestigious European ensembles on period instruments, among them: Ensemble 415, Concerto Vocale, Zefiro, Le Concert des Nations, Ensemble Aurora, Gli Angeli, performing with them in Europe, the USA, South America, Japan and Australia.   His recording production counts today about 90 titles, most of which were awarded many prizes: Diapason d’Or (A. Corelli, Concerti grossi op. VI, Ensemble 415; Muffat, l’Armonico Tributo, Ensemble 415; Monteverdi L’Orfeo, Ensemble Elyma; Conti, Cantate, Ars Antiqua Austria; A. Corelli, Sonate per violino e basso continuo op. V, Enrico Gatti; Albinoni, Sinfonie a 5 op.2, Ensemble 415; Haendel Fireworks, Zefiro); 10 of Repertoire and Premio Vivaldi (A. Corelli op. V, transcription for viola da gamba, G.Balestracci; A. Corelli, Sonate op. V per violino e basso continuo, E. Gatti); Choc de la Musique (A. Corelli, Sonate op. V); Preis der Deutsche Schallplattenkritik (Bonporti, Invenzioni op. X, C. Banchini); A of Amadeus (Boccherini, Sonate per violoncello; Schuster, Quartetti padovani, Quartetto Joachim; J.S. Bach, Offerta Musicale; Bonporti, Invenzioni op. X), Amadeus cd of the Year (Lanzetti op.1), Muse d’Or (Caldara cello Sonatas).   His soloist production comprises two volumes of sonatas by Luigi Boccherini, the opus 5 by Francesco Geminiani (which was acclaimed by the French magazine Diapason as one of the “30 essential recordings to appreciate the cello”), both recently appeared for Pan Classics; the Salvatore Lanzetti sonatas op. 1, the cello concertos of Leo, Porpora, Sabatino and Fiorenza with Ensemble 415, the Antonio Caldara sonatas and the  Carlo Graziani sonatas (In Viaggio verso Breslavia).   In 2011 he was awarded “Musician of the Year” by Prelude Klassieke Muziek.   He recently created Lycopersicon, a group of variable composition due to explore cello music of 18th and 19th century with original instruments. Lycopersicon has already been invited to leading festivals (Stresa, Mantova, Milan...), arousing great interest with an inusual quartet formed by three cellos and double bass .   Gaetano Nasillo has recorded for Harmonia Mundi France, Symphonia, Teldec, Arcana, Glossa, Ricordi, K617, Ambroisie, Zig-Zag Territoires, Alpha, Christophorus, Nuova Era, Bongiovanni, Stradivarius, Tactus as well as for all the major radio and television broadcasting companies throughout Europe and the United States. In 2008 Sky Classica dedicated to him a documentary film of the series “I Notevoli”.   Besides teaching the baroque cello at the Accademia Internazionale della Musica in Milan and at the Conservatorio G. Cantelli in Novara (where he teaches also the modern cello), Gaetano Nasillo regularly holds master-classes in Italy (Urbino), Spain (Daroca), Brazil, Venezuela and Japan .
He is often invited to take part of the jury of International Competition for baroque instruments in Rovereto.   In 2013 has been invited in Caracas by the Simon Bolivar Foundation to introduce  baroque teaching in the Sistema of Young Orchestras created by Antonio Abreu, taking part as soloist to the first concert of the Simon Bolivar Baroque Orchestra.   He plays a cello made from Giuseppe Ungarini in 1750.