Duo Gazzana

The first Italian chamber musicians to record for ECM New Series, Duo Gazzana is formed by sisters Natascia and Raffaella Gazzana. Both were born in Sora, near Rome. Although their first ‘official’ concerts as Duo Gazzana dates back to the mid 1990s, they have been playing together from the beginning of their musical educations, their parallel musical experience and a love of chamber music enabling them to develop their shared sense of harmony. It may be equally significant that their cultural background is more than just musical, both of them having graduated from Sapienza, the University of Rome, in arts subjects: Natascia in visual arts, Raffaella in Italian literature. The two artists, individually and together, have enjoyed encouragement and support from teachers of the first eminence: Bruno Canino and the Trio di Milano, Yehudi Menuhin, Corrado Romano, Uto Ughi, Piero Farulli, Pierre Amoyal, Pavel Gililov, Ruggiero Ricci among others in Rome, Geneva, Brussels, Siena, Lausanne, Fiesole and Salzburg. Both sisters have been awarded prizes, special mentions, diplomas of honours and of merit, in Italy and abroad. The Duo has given recitals around the world, and toured widely in Europe, Africa and Asia, performing at major institutions, festivals, concert halls, galleries, cultural associations and more. The Duo has a special affinity with the Far East, indeed their resumé includes performances in Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong where Natascia and Raffaella Gazzana have also given master classes.