A unique figure on the international scene both as soloist and chamber musician, the violist Anna Serova has several compositions dedicated to her in recent years by some of the most important contemporary composers. In fact, by writing for her they have created a new genre in composition uniting the form of the concert piece with the action of an opera. The Italian composer Azio Corghi wrote for her the dramatic Cantata “Fero dolore”, in a version with solo viola, a mezzo soprano and the string orchestra. The première was broadcasted on tv by Sky Classica. She premiered also “Tang-Jok(Her)” by A.Corghi, “Dumka” by Paolo Pessina in Moscow, and the opera tragedy “Giocasta” by Azio Corghi at the Olympic Theatre of Vicenza, where Anna Serova, playing her instrument and acting on stage, takes on the role of Destiny. She also performed “The Holocaust Requiem” by B.Pigovat, in Manaus, which was a premiere for Brazil, and “Viola Tango Rock Concert” by the composer Benjamin Yusupov in Belgrade, which was a premiere for Serbia. After studying with Vladimir Stopicev at the Conservatory of St Petersburg, with Bruno Giuranna at the Acacdemy of Cremona and with Juri Bashmet at the Acacdemy of Chigiana in Siena, she began a brilliant career as a concert musician which saw her starring in some of the most important concert seasons and festivals in Italy and abroad. The warm, shining beauty of her sound makes her very much in demand as a chamber musician and she has collaborated with artists like Ivry Gitils, Bruno Giuranna, Salvatore Accardo, Rocco Filippini, Filippo Faes, Toby Hoffman…. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Moscow State Symphony, Siberian Symphony, Karelia Symphony, Krasnoyarsk Chamber Orchestra, Arkhangelsk State Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico, Belgrade Philharmonic, Orchestra da Camera del Teatro Amazonas, Amazonas Philharmonica. Anna Serova is Solo Violist of the “Ensemble Punto It”, with which she is playing and recording the whole Brahms’s chamber music at the “Amici della Musica” in Vicenza. Anna Serova is happy to offer her art for charity: together with Filippo Faes and the Krasnoyarsk Chamber Orchestra Anna Serova has been the leading figure in two humanitarian projects, “Polio Plus”(2002) and “Aiutiamoli a vivere”(2004), strongly supported by the Rotary Club. Serova’s album “Viola Collection (where she plays the 1615 Amati Viola “La Stauffer”) has also been dedicated to the project “End Polio Now” by Rotary International. She recently recorded a CD completely dedicated to Rachmaninov published by Decca with pianist and director Filippo Faes. In June 2006 the Administration of the City of Krasnoyarsk conferred on Anna Serova the title of Attachè for Cultural and Trade Relations. Thanks to her tireless work, shortly afterwards a protocol promoting the organisation of cultural, commercial and administrative exchanges between the vast Central Siberian region and Italy, was signed by Cremona and Krasnoyarsk. Anna Serova is Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Biella “L.Perosi” International Academy and also frequently holds viola and chamber music masterclasses.
Floraleda Sacchi is regarded by critics as one of the most interesting and original harpist in the international concert panorama: “Floraleda invents a fascinating chapter of modern history of the harp” (La Repubblica), “the best harp playing ever heard” (American Record Guide) “Floraleda’s harp lends itself particularly well to the minimalist logic of Philip Glass” (The Indipendent) are just some of the reviews she got.
Floraleda’s CDs sold thousands of copies and she recorded for majors (Decca, Universal, Deutsche Grammophon) and Tactus, Brilliant Classics and Amadeus Arte.
She won prizes at 16 competitions and performed as soloist in major halls and festivals: Carnegie Hall-Weill Recital Hall (New York – presented by Italian Artist Found.), United Nations Palace (New York), Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Konzerthaus (Berlin), Auditorium Binyanei Hauma (Jerusalem), Sala Verdi (Milan), Matsuo Hall (Tokyo), Prefectural Hall Alti (Kyoto), Salle Varèse (Lyon), Gasteig (Munich), Concerts de la Croix Rouge (Geneva), River Concert Series (Washington), Gessler Hall (Vancouver), CBC-Glenn Gould Studio (Toronto), Società del Quartetto Milano, Festival Musica no Museo (Rio de Janeiro), Auditorium della Conciliazione (Roma), Octobre Musical (Cartage-Tunis), Quintai Hall (China), etc.
Floraleda appeared as soloist with several orchestras (Neubrandenburger Philharmonie, Camerata Portuguesa, Milli Reasürans Oda Orkestrasi, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Wuhan Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma ecc.). She was soloist also with the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana in for the Christmas’ Concert broadcasted internationally by tv. In 2014 she recorded a new concerto by Manuel De Sica with Filarmonica Toscanini published by Brilliant Classics. In 2016 premier a concerto dedicated to her by two Grammy winner composer Claudia Montero.
Curious and lively she plays classical music, but she acted widely in electronic music and composed for theatre and cinema.
She created the music for the play “Donna non rieducabile”. The show – which had more than 150 performances (including the European Parliament in Brussels to main Italian theaters) – was transformed by RAI 2 into a movie presented at the 66th Venice Film Festival and published in DVD by PromoMusic.
She regularly gives masterclasses in Europe, the United States and Canada.
When 21, she won the Harpa Award (Prague, 1999) for her book on English Harpist Elias Parish Alvars (Odilia Publishing).
She has written several articles appeared on major harp journals (American Harp Journal, Harpa, World Harp Congress Review) contributing to expand and discover new repertoire.
Born in Como (Italy), Floraleda was inspired to play the harp by Annie Challan’s recordings. She studied at Como Conservatory of Music and perfectionated with Alice Giles (Frankfurt), Alice Chalifoux (Salzedo School, Camden, ME, USA) and with Judy Loman (Toronto, Canada).
