Francesco Verzillo

Francesco Verzillo was born in Genoa in 1966. His musical studies took place in his city, where he obtained a diploma in trombone at the Conservatory “N.

Paganini”. He also graduated in Italian with top marks and honours at the University of Genoa; his dissertation was about the history and literature of his musical instrument. He won the ACADA-ENDAS Prize (Competition for wind instruments “Città di Genova”), and participated in several master courses in trombone in Italy and abroad, attending the courses of international soloists. He participated in several orchestral productions; however, he has never entered stably the ranks of an orchestra, preferring to maintain a freelance professional identity. Since the beginnings of his career, he focused on the concert repertoire for trombone, in duo with organist Emilio Traverso, as well as with many pianists and in several chamber music ensembles. As a soloist he was frequently invited by the Associazione Ligure “Amici dell’Organo”. He performed solo recitals in Bremen and Cologne (Germany); at the “Rassegna Organistica” of Blevio on the Como Lake, and at the Accademia Organistica of Sant’Elpidio (AP). He also performed at the “Settimane barocche” of Brescia, at “Estate Regina” in Montecatini Terme (PT), at the “Mercoledì musicali Ca.Ri.Fi.” in Florence, at the “Rassegna organi storici in Cadore” and the Vallombrosa Abbey (FI), at the Lutheran Evangelical Churches of Genoa, Sanremo, Florence, and Milan, and at the Fondazione Museo “Glauco Lombardi” of Parma, to name but a few examples. More recently, his solo career continued with further appearances in Alassio (SV), at the Rassegna of Andora (SV), in Leffe (BG), and with the Savona Chamber Orchestra with which he performed the Concertos for alto trombone by Michael Haydn and Leopold Mozart. He also participated in the festival “La santità sconosciuta” of Cherasco (CN), an event of national relevance under the patronage of the celebrated violinist Uto Ughi. In the course of such events, he often introduces his performance through historical remarks, in order to better illustrate some little-known aspects of his instruments and of the pieces he plays. His performances and recitals have been always greatly acclaimed by both audience and critics. He performs his repertoire with several models of trombone, with historical awareness. The instruments he employs include Baroque specimens, built as period copies (alto, tenor, bassus); German Romantic instruments (alto and tenor-bassus, also known as Deutsche Konzertposaune), all of which are either copies or original instruments, and also a trombone built in France at the end of the 19th century. He composed Poème for trombone and piano, a piece published by ADM Edition; it is inspired by the style of the French Romantic trombone of the end of the nineteenth century. He is full professor of Italian literature and History at the Artistic High School “Klee-Barabino” in Genoa. He was also appointed to several roles within the Ministry for Education of his country.