Stefano Molardi (Cremona, 1970) is an italian organist, harpsichordist and musicologist.

Biography Graduated in organ from the Conservatory of Piacenza, he later studied with Ewald Kooiman and Michael Radulescu (with whom he completed a three-year course at the Hochschule für Musik – now the University of Music – in Vienna). He also studied harpsichord with Danilo Costantini (with whom he earned his diploma at the Conservatory of Como), further refining his skills on both instruments under the guidance of Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini and Christopher Stembridge.

He received awards at the organ competitions in Viterbo (1996 – First Prize), Bruges (1997 – Special Jury Prize), and Pasian di Prato (1998 – First Prize).

He has performed across Europe, the United States, Brazil, and Japan, both as a soloist and chamber musician. In 2009, he played the complete organ works of Franz Liszt and César Franck in Lugano.

As a conductor, he has given concerts in Europe and the USA, performing both Italian and German instrumental repertoire from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as sacred vocal music (Vespro della Beata Vergine by Claudio Monteverdi,Bellelay, Abbey, 16–17 September 2017. La Vergine Addolorata by Alessandro Scarlatti,Bilbao, Teatro Campos Elíseos, 1 April 2010. St. Matthew PassionFerrara, Church of San Cristoforo alla Certosa, 4 April 2007. and St. John PassionPonta Delgada, Church of the Jesuit College, 25 March 2017. by Johann Sebastian Bach) and operatic works (Ademira by Andrea Luchesi,Bibbiena, Teatro Dovizi, 2–3 December 2006. Paolo Patrizi, Riscoprendo Ademira, on drammaturgia.fupress.net, 7 December 2006. URL accessed on 20 September 2018. Mitridate by Nicola PorporaValladolid, Teatro Calderón, 7–11 March 2007.). Between 2010 and 2012, he conducted Vivaldi’s Farnace and Giustino at both the Theater an der Wien in Vienna and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris.Farnace: Vienna, Theater an der Wien, 24 February 2010; Paris, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, 28 April 2011. Giustino: Vienna, Theater an der Wien, 21 February 2012; Paris, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, 24 February 2012.

He was the director and co-founder of IBA – Italian Baroque Academy, an orchestra specializing in performances with historical instruments.

He holds the chair of organ and harpsichord at the University School of Music (SUM) in Lugano and at the Luca Marenzio Conservatory in Brescia. He also teaches masterclasses in organ and harpsichord performance in Europe, the USA, Russia and Japan.

He has recorded for networks such as Radio France, Radio Suisse Romande, Mezzo, and Südwestrundfunk, and for the record labels Christophorus, Divox, Tactus,Stefano Molardi [link inactive], on tactus.it. URL accessed on 29 May 2020. and most recently Brilliant Classics.Stefano Molardi, on brilliantclassics.com. URL accessed on 20 September 2018. For the latter, in 2015, he completed the full recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s organ works.Released in batches starting in 2014 (4 volumes), later compiled into a single box set of 15 CDs. J. S. Bach: Complete Organ Music, on brilliantclassics.com. URL accessed on 20 September 2018.

Since 2018, he has been collaborating with violinist Gian Andrea Guerra on baroque violin and organ/ harpsichord literature from the 17th and 18th centuries (Duo Seraphim).

Discography

2001 – Giovanni Valentini: Mottetti e Madrigali (with l'ensemble La Moderna Prattica), Christophorus - CHR 77238. 2003 – Claudio Merulo: Opera Omnia for Organ (Vol. 1), Divox CDX 70309/10-6 (2 CD). 2003 – Giovanni Maria Trabaci: Il Primo Libro de Ricercate (with l'ensemble La Moderna Prattica), Tactus - TC 5720015 Diapasons, awarded by the magazine Diapason, France, 2003. 2003 – Giovanni Maria Trabaci: Il Secondo Libro de Ricercate (with l'ensemble La Moderna Prattica), Tactus - TC 572002. 2003 – Giuseppe Verdi: Trascrizioni per organo, Tactus - TC 812002. 2006 – Claudio Merulo: Opera Omnia for Organ (Vol. 2), Divox CDX 70311/12 (2 CD)5 Diapasons, awarded by the magazine Diapason, France, 2006. 2006 – Antonio Vivaldi: Sinfonie d’opera (with l'ensemble I Virtuosi delle Muse), Divox - CDX 70501-6Crescendo Premium, awarded by the magazine Crescendo, Das Klassikmagazin, Germany, April – May 2006; 5 Stars, awarded by the magazine Goldberg Magazine, Spain, no. 41, August 2006. 2008 – Viaggio a Venezia (with l'ensemble I Virtuosi delle Muse), Divox - CDX 706025 Stars, awarded by the magazine Musica, Italy, no. 196, May 2008. 2014 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Music, Vol. 1, Brilliant Classics - 94850 (4 CD). 2014 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Music, Vol. 2, Brilliant Classics - 94792 (4 CD). 2014 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Music, Vol. 3, Brilliant Classics - 94981 (3 CD). 2015 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Music, Vol. 4, Brilliant Classics - 95005 (4 CD). 2015 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Music, Brilliant Classics - 95105 (15 CD). 2015 – Johann Kuhnau: Complete Organ Music, Brilliant Classics - 95089 (3 CD)Nomination in the Longlist 3/2015 of the "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik", on schallplattenkritik.de. URL accessed on 20 September 2018 (archived from the original URL on 1 May 2016). 2016 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata & Fugue - Famous Organ Music, Brilliant Classics - 95166 (2 CD). 2017 – Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Michael Bach: Complete Organ Music, Brilliant Classics - 95418 (3 CD). 2018 – Giovanni Benedetto Platti: Complete Music for Harpsichord and Organ, Brilliant Classics - 95518 (3 CD). 2018 – Bach Family: Complete Organ Music, Brilliant Classics - 95803 (24 CD). 2019 – Bach Family: Organ Works, Brilliant Classics - 95884. 2022 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Transcriptions, Brilliant Classics - 96413. 2023 – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Six Concertos Wq43 Transcribed for 2 Harpsichords, Brilliant Classics - 95584. 2024 – 17th Century Courts of Northern-Italy Music for Violin & Organ, Brilliant Classics - 96980.

Note

External links Stefano Molardi Official Website Duo Seraphim (Gian Andrea Guerra, Stefano Molardi) Official Website Stefano Molardi on YouTube The World of Recorded Bach Cantatas Organi e Organisti - The website of Italian organs and organists