L'Appassionata · About

A story
that began in 2019.

The people, the artistic identity and the bond with the Gaspari Foundation.

L'Appassionata in concert
The orchestra

The new italian excellence,
classical soul, young spirit.

«Among its members are some of the finest professional musicians in Italy.»

L'Appassionata was founded in 2019 around the activities of the Gaspari Foundation as a group of outstanding talents devoted to the in-depth study of the chamber orchestra repertoire.

Its members include some of the finest young professional musicians in Italy, trained at the most important musical institutions throughout Europe, who have already gained significant concert experience with leading Italian orchestras: the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano, the Orchestra del Teatro Regio of Turin, the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona Foundation, the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto and the Orchestra Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

The ensemble has collaborated with internationally renowned soloists including Gil Shaham, Emmanuel Pahud, Leonora Armellini, Laura Marzadori, Anna Tifu, Enrico Dindo, Giuseppe Gibboni, Elio and Andrea Battistoni.

In 2021, two recording projects were released: a Vivaldi monograph published for the first time by SONY Classical with flutist Tommaso Benciolini, and a Bach monograph with violinist Jaroslaw Nadrzycki, released by Hänssler Classics. Both recordings were broadcast by RAI Radio 3, BBC Radio, Radio Classica, Radio24, Venice Classic Radio and Sky Classica HD.

People

Direction and founders.

Tommaso Benciolini
Founder · Artistic Director

Tommaso Benciolini

Winner of the New York Respighi Prize 2017, he debuted at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2018 and is today the protagonist of an intense and passionate career.

His concert activity has led him to perform as a soloist in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, including Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Musikverein, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Zurich Tonhalle, the Salzburg Mozarteum, the Seoul Arts Center, the Munich Herkulessaal and the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

He has performed as guest soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of New York, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Nürnberg Symphoniker, the Munich Chamber Philharmonic, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the North Czech Philharmonic, the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach, the Havana Chamber Orchestra, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

He is the dedicatee of numerous contemporary works, including Andrea Battistoni's flute concerto The Garden of Delights — A Flute Concerto after Bosch, which he premiered in 2020 on the occasion of his debut in the Großer Saal of the Berlin Philharmonie.

In 2021 his debut CD was released by SONY Classical: a world-premiere monograph dedicated to Antonio Vivaldi together with the chamber orchestra L'Appassionata, which he founded, unanimously acclaimed by journalists, critics and radio.

In 2012 he became the youngest professor at the "E. F. Dall'Abaco" Conservatory in Verona; he is currently full professor of flute at the "F. A. Bonporti" Conservatory in Trento. He has been invited to give masterclasses as a guest professor in the United States (University of Central Florida), Cuba, Finland, Estonia, Malta and Dubai.

Active also as a researcher, he is the author of the first absolute recording of Mendelssohn's Trio in D minor op. 49 in the version for flute, cello and piano; he has rediscovered a Nino Rota trio and brought to light pages for flute by Antonio Vivaldi.

Lorenzo Gugole
Founding member · Concertmaster

Lorenzo Gugole

Born in 1981, he graduated in violin at the Verona Conservatory with full marks, and pursued advanced studies at the Leeds University School of Music and in Paris with M° J. Lenért. In parallel, he earned a degree in Economics.

In 2019 he was one of the founders of the chamber orchestra L'Appassionata, with which he regularly performs as soloist and concertmaster in leading Italian and international concert venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Tonhalle in Zurich and the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea.

He regularly collaborates with some of Italy's most important orchestras: the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra of Turin, the Venice Baroque Orchestra, the I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra, the Toscanini Orchestra of Parma, the Orchestra Leonore and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma.

He developed his passion for music by specialising in baroque repertoire in Verona with M° Montanari and at the Academy of Ancient Music in Brunico, perfecting himself in the classical repertoire with B. Dean, E. Hobarth and E. Citterio.

He collaborates regularly with major ensembles such as Cordia, I Barocchisti, Europa Galante and Il Complesso Barocco, with tours in Europe, China, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. His discography includes recordings of Petrassi, Telemann, Vivaldi and Dall'Abaco.

Since 2011 he has been a guest artist at the festival "Una hora de música antigua" in Mallorca, in the role of concertmaster and soloist. In 2015 he received the Alois Bachmann prize, gaining the opportunity to play a precious violin by the luthier Georg Mair.

Alongside his concert career he is full professor of baroque violin at the "J. Tomadini" Conservatory in Udine.

Elisa Spremulli
Founding member · Concertmaster

Elisa Spremulli

Born in Rovigo in 1996. She approached the violin at the age of 3 with the Suzuki method and graduated at 16 from the "F. Venezze" Conservatory in Rovigo with full marks and honours. She has studied with C. Beschieru, M. Rogliano, I. Gitlis and I. Grubert.

In June 2018 she earned the Master of Arts in Music Performance in Lugano at the Conservatory of Italian Switzerland with M° Klaidi Sahatci. In June 2022 she obtained, at the Rovigo Conservatory in M° Federico Guglielmo's class, the Diploma of II level in Baroque Violin with full marks, honours and special mention.

She has performed in chamber formations with world-renowned artists, including M. Quarta, F. Manara, D. Rossi, V. Mendelssohn, G. Sollima, K. Sahatci and E. Dindo. She has collaborated as Concertmaster with the Filarmonia Veneta and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto.

Since 2020 she has collaborated as Concertino of the First Violins and Concertmaster of the Second Violins with the Orchestra of Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

She is a founding member and Concertmaster of L'Appassionata, with which she has performed in important Italian and international halls — the Salle Poirel in Nancy, the Seoul Arts Center, Carnegie Hall in New York — and has collaborated with internationally renowned artists including P. Gallois, M. Solozobova, G. Shaham and E. Pahud.

Since 2025 she is full professor of Violin at the "Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa" Conservatory in Potenza. She is the winner of numerous national and international competitions.

Giuseppe Gaspari
President · Gaspari Foundation

Giuseppe Gaspari

Promoter and supporter of the orchestra's activity since its foundation. The Gaspari Foundation is the body that gave life to L'Appassionata in 2019 and continues to support its season and projects, with a patronage vision aimed at promoting Italian musical excellence and young professionals on the international scene.