LAURA FAORO

Eclectic flutist, already defined in 2015 by Fabio Francione of Il Manifesto as “one of the most promising Italian flutists”, emerges on the international scene by winning the Stockhausen Prize in 2019 – a recognition never achieved before by an Italian flutist – awarded to her by the Stockhausen Foundation for her interpretation of KATHINKAs GESANG from SAMSTAG aus LICHT, in the rare version with electronics, the first Italian flutist to perform this arduous masterpiece in its entirety, by heart and in scenic form, with considerable response from the public and specialized critics. She wins the Stockhausen Prize again in the immediately following 2022 edition of the Kurse und Konzerte – Kürten of the Stockhausen Foundation, this time for the interpretation of AVE for flute in G and basset horn in duo with clarinetist Roberta Gottardi.

Since 2014 she has an intense solo concert activity in Italy and Europe, as a flutist, as an author and as a performer, focused on the creation of transmedia shows, aimed at enhancing the contemporary musical language combined with other artistic forms: among the others soloist in KATHINKAs GESANG by Stockhausen at Festival Aperto – I Teatri (Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia), at Teatro Lirico Gaber in Milan, for the Padua Art Center and at Kürten Sulzthalle (DE); soloist in her intermedia project Blue Tube for P. Anfossi Association at Genua Acquarium, at LAC in Lugano and at Centrale dell’Acqua in Milan; soloist for MA/IN Matera Intermedia Festival, guest performer for STEM and the City live on RAI TV; soloist at festival Acanthes in Metz Arsenal; soloist for the Estate Sforzesca festival; soloist with Trio Broz for Jeunesse Musicale; soloist for Milano Musica festival; soloist for Serate Musicali from 2018; musician and leading actress at Piccolo Teatro in Milan, at the Shakespearian Festival in Bari and at Sala Umberto in Rome (“The Merry Wives of William” theatre project); soloist in the II^nd Flute Concerto by A. Jolivet at the RSI in Lugano; selected by GAI Giovani Artisti Italiani and by Italian Ministry for a concert tour in Belgium in 2016; invited by the Italian Cultural Institute of Stuttgart.

Her performances have been broadcast on Rai Radio 3 (Battiti, Radio3 Suite, Piazza Verdi), RSI Rete 2, ORF, Rai Scuola, Radio Marconi, Radio Popolare, Radio Classica, RTVE (Spain), RadiostART, Radio Canale Italia, XRAY.FM Oregon (USA).

Flutist with a multidisciplinary background (she graduated from Verdi Conservatorio while obtaining a degree in Archaeology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan both cum laude), L. Faoro studies with D. Formisano, J. C. Gerard, M. Marasco and specializes in contemporary repertoire as a soloist (cum laude) and chamber musician at the CSI in Lugano, with M. Caroli, A. Tamayo and O. Zoboli and later with A. Morini. As a student she has been awarded with several prizes, including the Bruno Martinotti scholarship; The Assami Prize by Milan Conservatory; the 3rd Prize at the International Flute Competition Città di Ovada; the 2nd Prize at the Syrinx Rome national competition.

She has a rich chamber music activity (Italian Cultural Institutes of Strasbourg and Melbourne; Darmstadt Ferienkurse, Klangspüren festival; Festival Traiettorie; Amici della Musica di Firenze; LagoMaggiore Music Festival, Teatro Dal Verme, Cini Foundation of Venice, Sala Piatti of Bergamo, Società del Giardino of Milan; Società dei Concerti of Lodi; Teatro La Perla in Naples; Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan, Sala dei Congressi in Lugano, Auditorium Pollini in Padua, Spazio Teatro ’89, PactaSoundZone, Parade Electronique at Teatro Arsenale etc).

She collaborates with AGON; Tempo reale; A. Vidolin; MMT; Syntax Ensemble; mdi ensembles; Ensemble Horizonte (DE); Blumine Ensemble; Italian Society of Contemporary Music; Jeunesse Musicale. She plays regularly with versatile musicians such as Trio Broz (string trio), R. Gottardi (cl), S. Cignoli (chit) and her trio Merry Wives.

Since 2014 she has conceived and created several projects as a performer aimed at enhancing the contemporary musical language combined with other artistic forms, for which she has won other prizes and awards: the home-video performance COMFORT ZONE, created during COVID19 on commission from the Centro d’Arte di Padova, then selected as a video installation among the best Italian works produced in lockdown, for Festival Aperto grand opening 2020; the site-specific installation sound project “Scents of sound in soap”, winner of the Mention of the Artistic Director at the 1st Edition of the International Call for Proposals “Festival del Tempo” 2020 in Sermoneta, out of 54 artistic / installation applications; the site-specific installation BlueTube, defined by scholar V. Valentini as an “intermediate concert” (World Water Day 2016; Lugano, LAC 2016 and Serate Musicali 2018); the sound dramatization “Arianna: il suon de’ bei lamenti” (PACTA dei Teatri 2021; Monteverdi 450th Festival 2017 and Percorsi Festival 2019); the musical theater piece “The Merry Wives of William” as a musician and actress (directed by L. Pasetti; music by R. Andreoni; prod. Piccolo Teatro di Milano 2016; Rome Sala Umberto 2018; Shakespearean Month of Bari 2016; II Bonacina Prize 2016); the theatre concert “Alice: 88 tasti nella storia” (with her company Note di Quinta, PACTA 2014; Premio Fersen 2013).

Since 2015 she has also been working on her own sound environments for flute and electronics (Festival Vapore d’Estate 2020 and Change of Season 2020, for the Centro d’Arte di Padova and the Arcella Festival in duo with W. Prati; The flute 2.0, 2019, seminar and concert for Contemporary Music Hub with K. de Fleyt and C. Rees; Teatro Arsenale, Parade Electronique 2018, for MMT; Festival Subsculture 2018 Treviso; Suoni in cammino festival 2019).

In autumn 2021 she publishes her first solo CD for flute and electronics for Stradivarius label, “Ceci n’est pas une flûte”, in collaboration with AGON, with Massimo Marchi as sound director. This recording has obtained several awards from the specialized press, from “Blow Up” magazine to the Anglo-Dutch magazine specialized in extended techniques “Flute colors”, to Radio 3 Suite, reviewed with 5 stars by Amadeus and Classic Voice (Petazzi) and winner of 5 stars and disc of the month of the magazine MUSICA. E. Garzia chief director of Percorsi Musicali says: “The interpretations of Faoro are always very effective, perfect vehicles for transposing the authors’ thought but also demonstrations of incredible timing. Laura makes simple things damn hard for a flutist and is able to explore any situation while maintaining natural control over the instrument”.

In 2023 she is professor of the composition seminar “From theatrical music to instrumental theatre” at the Verdi Conservatory in Milan. In 2022 she is flute professor at the Bellini Conservatory in Catania.

In September 2023 she obtained her Master as a Director, internationally valid, at PACTA dei Teatri in Milan. Since 2021 she has been artistic director of the Milanese festival SPIRITO DEL TEMPO | Teatri del Suono d’Oggi.