Aniello Desiderio

At the age of eight, Aniello Desiderio gave his first public performance, displaying such extraordinary talent that music critics began referring to him as a “child prodigy,” “wunderkind,” “genius,” “Orpheus of the guitar,” “guitarist of the century,” and “il Fenomeno.” He quickly established himself as a concert artist with a distinctive voice, winning 18 first prizes in prestigious competitions, both nationally and internationally. Among the most notable are: 1st Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of South American music at the International Guitar Competition in Havana, Cuba (1988); “Neapolitan of the Year” Award in Italy (1988); 1st Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of Tarrega’s music at the International Francisco Tarrega Competition, Benicasim, Spain (1992); and 1st Prize at the International “Guerrero” Competition, Madrid, Spain (1994). He regularly performs worldwide — in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa — at the most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Munich Philharmonic, Cologne Philharmonic, Alte Oper, Tonhalle, Teatro delle Palme, Radio France, Die Glocke, Istanbul Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Opera House, and Concertgebouw Amsterdam. As a soloist with orchestras, his recent appearances include performances with the Oregon Symphony (USA), Pro Musica Columbus (OH, USA), Bavarian Chamber Orchestra and Romulo Larrea (Bandoneon) Tango con Passion (Germany), Zagreb Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra (Turkey), RSO Berlin, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Alessandro Scarlatti, I Pomeriggi Musicali, Bach Collegium, Wiener Kammerorchester, and Kremerata Baltica with Gidon Kremer. He was also invited by the legendary violinist and conductor Salvatore Accardo to the “Settimane di Musica Internazionali” in Naples, Italy, where he performed with the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Vladimir Spivakov. Passionate about chamber music, he has developed multiple projects over decades. His guitar duo with renowned soloist Zoran Dukic, often called the “From A to Z” Duo in the USA, has been featured in numerous European festivals since the early 1990s and is frequently invited to perform in major international venues, including the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. He has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Frame, Waku Music, Koch-Universal, Adoro Records, Brilliant Classic, and Accelerando Music Production, and since 2018 he has been recording for the GuitarCoop label. A champion of contemporary music and often referred to as “the musician’s musician,” he inspired renowned guitarist John McLaughlin to choose him for the European premiere of his Concerto “Thieves and Poets.” Other composers who have written new works for him include Roland Dyens, Stephen Goss, Dale Kavanagh, Carlo Domeniconi, Simone Iannarelli, the late Angelo Gilardino, and Georg Schimtz, director of the Koblenz Festival and Honorary Professor at Mainz University, Germany. His students include some of the brightest and most promising emerging concert artists of the new generation worldwide, often winners of the most prestigious guitar competitions, among them Artyom Dervoed, Pavel Shamshura, Carlotta Dalia, Andrea Roberto, Nino D'Amico, Elia Portarena, Eleonora Perretta, Cristina Galietto, and Nicola Montella, among many others. Aniello Desiderio graduated with honors from the Conservatory of Music in Alessandria, Italy, in 1992. He is currently a professor of guitar at the Domenico Cimarosa University of Music in Avellino, Italy, and serves as the global Artistic Ambassador for D’Addario Strings.