Biber Mystery Sonatas

Born in Milan in 1965, Riccardo Doni graduated in organ and composition at the “Arrigo Boito” Conservatory in Parma under the guidance of Lorenzo Ghielmi. He later perfected himself in organ and harpsichord at the Schola Cantorum in Basel with Maestro Jean-Claude Zehnder. In Switzerland, a few years later, he will record two discs dedicated to the organ works of Johann Ludwig Krebs at the Silbermann organ of the Arlesheim cathedral. From 1984 to 2009 he assumed the artistic direction of the association Musica Laudantes which had a vocal group with which he performed over 300 concerts, deepening the choral repertoire a cappella and with instruments, in particular from the baroque and classical periods. With this ensemble he records music by Antonio Vivaldi, pieces by Giuseppe Sarti and compositions by Isabella Leonarda from Novara. The experience in the field of choral music is enriched with the Nuova Polifonica Ambrosiana, which he directed from 1990 to 1996, and with the Madrigalisti Ambrosiani, with whom he performed from 1996 to 1998 in Italy and abroad. In 2002 he became harpsichord player of the ensemble Imaginarium, founded by violinist Enrico Onofri, and since 2008 he has been playing in duo with violinist Giuliano Carmignola.

As a harpsichord player and organist – both soloist and accompanist – Riccardo Doni currently has over 3000 concerts to his credit, many of them with instrumental formations of absolute importance. For almost thirty years he has collaborated with the prestigious ensemble the Giardino Armonico directed by Giovanni Antonini, with whom he has performed all over the world, in the most important halls and with internationally renowned artists including Avi Avital, Isabelle Faust, Cecilia Bartoli, Christophe Coin, Ottavio Dantone, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Gustav Leonhardt, Eva Mei, Viktoria Mullova, Anna Prohaska and others. Also with the Giardino Armonico he took on the role of master preparer of numerous vocal productions including The martyrdom of S. Lawrence by Conti (1999, Mozarteum of Salzburg), The pilgrims at the Holy Shrines by Hasse (2000, Vienna), The Resurrection (2003, Graz) and Orlando (2020, Vienna) by Handel, Representation of soul and body by De’ Cavalieri (2021, Vienna). He was also a master collaborator in the staging of operas such as Ercole lover by Francesco Cavalli (Alighieri Theatre in Ravenna), Orfeo by Monteverdi (2000, Styriarte di Graz; 2005, Grand Théâtre de Genève), Agrippina by Händel (2002, Graz Theatre).

In addition to the Giardino Armonico, he has collaborated with the chamber orchestra I Solisti di Pavia (conducted by Enrico Dindo), the Cameristi della Scala, the orchestra of I Pomeriggi Musicali.

Since 2011 he has directed the Accademia dell’Annunciata, an orchestra specialized in baroque and classical repertoire performed on original instruments, constantly collaborating with famous soloists: in addition to Mario Brunello and Giuliano Carmignola, with whom he has an intense recording and concert activity in Italy and Europe, we also remember Gabriele Cassone, Evangelina Mascardi, Andrea Mastroni and Filippo Mineccia. With the Academy, since 2018, he has worked for the Arcana record company and, in parallel with his concert activities, has taught at the conservatories of Castelfranco Veneto, Ferrara and Frosinone. He is currently teacher of basso continuo at the Conservatory of Parma.