Leonardo Grittani began to study Music at a very young age. After getting the diploma with the highest final mark at the classical High School, he graduated with honors in flute at the N. Piccinni Conservatory of Bari under the guidance of Maestro Antonio Minella and Maestro Franco Di Puppo. In 2015 he entered the class of Maestro Andrea Oliva at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome, and he also studied Chamber Music at the Fiesole Music School with Maestro Giampaolo Pretto with whom he certified his Didactic path at the “Into Sound” School.
He attended the master classes of Peter Lukas Graf in Sermoneta, Patrick Gallois at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, James Galway at the Auditorium Pollini in Padua, Erwin Klambauer at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Thies Roorda at the Royal conservatoire Den Haag.
He studied Orchestra, Banda and Chorus Conducting, Interpretation and Artistic Management at the International School of Maestro Francisco Navarro Lara in Spain.
As a scholar of composition and musical score reading, he attended the class of Maestro Roberto Andreoni, Giovanni Farina and Luca Belcastro at the N. Piccinni Conservatory of Bari where in 2015 he achieved a degree in Music Didactics and the Teaching Degree with honors.
As a Teacher, in 2016 he won the flute teaching contest by the Italian Ministry of Education and he periodically gives Masterclasses and advanced training Courses.
In 2021 he founded his International Flute Academy with students from all over the world.
He performs as a soloist and chamber musician, by personally choosing the hall programs and organizing the concerts in the most prestigious concert halls of the international area such as the Musikverein in Vienna, the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris, the Biblioteca Musical Víctor Espinós in Madrid, the Argentina Theater in Rome, the Colòn Theater in Huelva (Spain), the San Carlo Theater in Naples, the Majesty’s Theater in Aberdeen (Scotland), the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst of Graz, the Academy Chigiana in Siena, the Hall of Mirrors of the Petruzzelli Theater in Bari, the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican City, the Royal Conservatoire in Den Haag, the Foro Ibero Americano de la Rabida (Spain), the National Institute for the Honor Guard to the Pantheon royal tombs whose President, responsible for the headquarters in Rome and for the musical performances and the concert organization, awarded Leonardo Grittani the title of “Honor Guard” in July 2012.
He has a remarkable experience as a soloist: with the O.I.D.O Orchestra of Huelva (Spain) in the concert in G major for flute and in C major for flute and harp by W.A. Mozart, the Chamber EurOrchestra of Bari, in the concert for flute and strings n 3 op.10, “il Gardellino” by Vivaldi and in the Concerto n 6 op.10 by Vivaldi for flute and strings, the Levante Symphony Orchestra, in the IV Brandenburg Concerto by Bach, the Nicolò Piccinni Symphony Orchestra in the Divertimento by Ferruccio Busoni for flute and orchestra, by cooperating with the conductors M ° F. Navarro Lara, G. Pelliccia, M. Angius, D. Giorgi, M. Marvulli etc. . and playing in S. Giovanni Rotondo and in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican City, in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI.
In 2019 he achieved the First Absolute Prize in Spain among over 150 performers from all over the world in the Concurso Internacional de Interpretacion Musical announced by the Escuela Navarro Lara, later becoming Co-Author of the bestsellers “El Gran Libro de la Interpretacion Musical” and “La Forja de un Maestro ”published by Navarro Lara Production. He ranked first in the Stravinsky national music competition of Bari and in the San Nicola Giovani Talenti European competition. He was also rewarded two First Prizes in the EurOrchestra International Competition, both in the “new performers 2011” and in the “soloist with orchestra” selections.
In 2015 he passed the selection for flute by the Pistoiese ProMusica foundation, getting the opportunity to cooperate with the Leonore Orchestra in the production of Mahler’s 4th symphony under the direction of Maestro Daniele Giorgi at the Manzoni Theater in Pistoia. He has also a large experience as a chambermaid:
In June 2015, through a scholarship, he got the First Prize in the competition organized by the Camerata Musicale Barese and he was appointed as the best concert player in the whole music chamber season “Dedicated to…”, for his performance in duo with the pianist Maurizio Zaccaria. After a successful collaboration in the Accademia dei Cameristi, in duo with the pianist Maurizio Zaccaria, Leonardo Grittani won several international chamber competitions :
Absolute First Prize in the Rizzardo Bino di Braone international chamber music competition. Winner of the 11th “City of Matera” Music Performance Competition in the “Chamber Music” selection. Awarded the Crescendo Prize, the Pinzauti Prize and the First Prize in the Crescendo International Chamber Music Competition in Florence; Palmi 2018, and recently awarded the Wien – Musikverein Grand Prize Virtuoso 2017 by performing in the prestigious Musikverein hall in Vienna and standing out as the only Italian winners of the Berlin Grand Prize Virtuoso 2017.
Also with Zaccaria in 2018 he recorded for the Onclassical label the album Schubert – Music for flute and piano, which was then chosen by Radio France and Rai 3 Classica and in 2019 for the same label he recorded the Integral Album by Astor Piazzolla dedicated to flute and piano . On the occasion of the 130th anniversary from the composer Giulio Briccialdi’s death, he recorded the Quartet in A Major for four flutes on the CD “Homage to Giulio Briccialdi” published by Valdom. He also founded the Trio EnChantè with the soprano Marika Spadafino, and the Trio with the cellist Eduardo dell’Oglio by performing in France and Scotland and achieving resounding success by critics and audience.
Attentive promoter of Contemporary Music, he is the artistic director of the “Miguel de Cervantes” International Composition Prize which promotes the direct relationship and intellectual exchange between composers and performers. He is also a member of the Six Memos Ensemble, an international group that is highly qualified in New Music.
Keen on Contemporary Music, he has a long experience of partnerships with living composers and dedicatee of new works, including: Raffaele Minella, Linda Marcel, Alessandro Solbiati, Toshio Hosokawa, Luca Lombardi, Carmen Fizzarotti, Stefano Gervasoni, etc.
In 2019 after a unanimous vote he ranked first as a Conductor of Orchestra in the International Conducting Competition of the Escuela Internacional de Dirreccion Orquestral Francisco Navarro Lara, Band and Chorus by conducting in the prestigious Foro Ibero Americano della Rabida and invited to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra of Paraguay.
He was director and founder of the Dicunt Choir – a rare chamber choral ensemble specializing in Hispanic American repertoire as well as of the Harmonia choir of the Aldo Moro University of Bari. In August 2018 he conducted the O.I.D.O Orchestra in the Colòn Theater in Huelva – Spain. Furthermore, he is the current Artistic Director of the Spanish Language and Culture Associations and he often holds the artistic direction of the Italian-German Association based in Bari.
Attentive promoter of Contemporary Music, he is the artistic director of the “Miguel de Cervantes” International Composition Prize which promotes the direct relationship and intellectual exchange between composers and performers. He is also a member of the Six Memos Ensemble, an international group that is highly qualified in New Music.
In 2020, in the middle of the Covid Pandemic, he founded NeoFlautArmonia – the First World Flute Orchestra made up of more than 100 flutist from more than 13 countries around the world (Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland, Thailand, Ecuador, Mexico, Mozambique, Romania, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, etc).
“Leonardo Grittani stands today as an admirable reality in the context of the young standard bearers of musicality. Besides the impeccable instrumental technique, Grittani has wandered with sincere enthusiasm in the composite world reflected in the songs, offering stimulating performances warmly applauded ” Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno
“Leonardo Grittani relived his musical commitment with intense dedication and exemplary made sound, recreating with exemplary tension and color the very different spirit of the proposed works. Warm and well deserved success!“ Repubblica
