home > countertenor profiles > flavio ferri-benedettiFlavio Ferri-Benedetti was born in Scandiano (Italy) in 1983. After moving to Spain with his parents at the age of eleven, Flavio received his Classical Abitur with honours at the age of 17. In 2004 he obtained a Piano Diploma at the Conservatorio Mestre Goterris in Vila-real (Spain) with full marks. In 2005 he received his MA degree in Translation Studies at the Universitat Jaume I in Castellón de la Plana and he is now completing a PhD in Literature at the Universitat de València with a thesis focusing on Classical Tradition and Metastasio.
In March 2006, Flavio was awarded the Premio Velluti in castrato Velluti’s birthtown (Corridonia, Italia) — as young promising countertenor. Thereafter, he was admitted in June 2006 to begin his vocal studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel (Switzerland) with Prof. Gerd Türk. In 2008 he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Voice (Early Music) with Distinction — later obtaining the Master of Arts in 2010, also with Distinction. At the Schola Cantorum he also received lessons from Andreas Scholl, Rosa Domínguez, Evelyn Tubb/Anthony Rooley and Ulrich Messthaler. He is being currently coached by Prof. Lina Maria Åkerlund. He has appeared in concerts and recitals in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and England since 2000 as an alto soloist, with a repertoire ranging from medieval to romantic music. He had his operatic debut in 2007 with Stradella’s Il Barcheggio (Basel) under Dir. Daniela Dolci. In 2009, he received a nomination on OPERNWELT as a revelation artist for his performance in Scarlatti’s Penelope la Casta (Basel). In 2009, Flavio also received the 3rd Prize at the International Sacred Music Competition in Rome. In May 2010, he debuted at Theater Basel as Linfea, in Francesco Cavalli’s Calisto, under Andrea Marcon. For this performance he received again a nomination as revelation artist on OPERNWELT. Since this debut, he has appeared in operas at the Prinzregententheater (Munich 2011), Oper Frankfurt (2011), Opéra Royal de Versailles (2012), Opéra de Nice (2012), Liederhalle Stuttgart (2012) Ópera de Oviedo (2012) in works by Cavalli, Scarlatti, Hasse, Händel and Brescianello — under the musical and stage direction of Michael Hofstetter, Gilbert Bezzina, Gilbert Blin, Jörg Halubek, Benjamin Bayl, Marianne Clement, Jan Bosse, Balazs Kovalik, Christian Curnyn... Flavio also performs often in Lieder recitals and sacred music/oratorio (under the direction, among others, of Laurent Gendre, David Bates, Johannes Strobl...) In 2013 he was semi-finalist at the 50th International Singing Competition “Francisco Viñas” in Barcelona and finalist at the Baroque Opera Competition in Innsbruck. His solo debut-album was published to big critical acclaim by CANTUS with Ensemble Il Profondo, singing baroque cantatas by Vivaldi, Porpora, Bononcini and Alessandro Scarlatti. Hasse’s Didone Abbandonata (Munich 2011) was released by Naxos in 2013, and other CDs will appear soon — including a new solo album. Moreover, Flavio combines performing with teaching privately, as well as master classes of singing. He gives a course in Italian diction/rhetoric at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis as a guest teacher. © Flavio Ferri-Benedetti
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