MANLIO BENZI Conductor Graduating from Conservatorio di Musica Arrigo Boito di Parma he gained first class honours from the University degli Studi di Parma, going on to the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He founded the Erlebnis Chamber Orchestra specialising in 20th century and contemporary music and also founded the Notti Malatestiane Festival in Rimini. He has conducted opera and symphony throughout Italy and recently made a considerable impression conducting L Orfeo e Euridice for L Opéra National de Paris (Garnier) and later at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York. He also received considerable acclaim for his concerts with L Orchestra National de France at both the Théàtre des Champs Elysées and the Théâtre du Châtelet, conducting a programme of Schubert, Liszt and Sibelius. In 2014 he returned to Paris for the reprise of L Orfeo e Euridice and conducted the Orchestra of the Opéra de Paris for the Atelier Lyrique. He also made a return to Theater Erfurt to conduct Verdi s Don Carlo and conducted a tour of Falstaff in Italy. In London he appears regularly with Opera Holland Park where he is greatly appreciated. Operas he has conducted with the company are Mascagni s Zanetto and Puccini s Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly, Adriana Lecouvreur and Aida. He recently made his debut at Staatstheater Stuttgart, conducting Cenerentola and also at the Aalto Theater Essen where he conducted La Boheme. His Scandinavian debut was with the Göteborg Opera conducting Madama Butterfly and he has gone on to conduct Cenerentola on a tour with Den Jyske Opera. He conducted La Boheme once again with Welsh National Opera both in the UK and in Dubai and returned to Staatstheater Stuttgart for I Puritani. Opera repertory includes: ADRIANA LECOUVREUR ~ Opera Holland Park AIDA ~ Opera Holland Park AMICA (Mascagni) ~ Festival della Valle d'itria, Martina Franca ANDREA CHENIER ~ Theater Erfurt; Antipolis Théâtre Antibes ATTILA ~ Aquileia (UD) Piazza Capitolo UN BALLO IN MASCHERA ~ Teatro Nazionale di Tblisi LA BOHEME ~ Aalto Theater Essen; Estonian National Opera; Welsh National Opera in the
UK & Dubai I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI ~ Opera North; Opera Ireland CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA ~ Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad CENERENTOLA ~ Staatstheater Stuttgart; Den Jyske Opera DON CARLO ~ Arena Sferisterio Macerata; Theater Erfurt DON PASQUALE ~ Teatro Sociale Como FALSTAFF ~ Baden Baden; Cover M Hengelbrock Baden Baden Festspielhaus; Theatres of Cesena, Pesaro, Ferrara FIDELIO ~ Bayerische Staatsoper - assistant to Daniele Gatti GIANNI SCHICCHI ~ Opera Holland Park LA GIOCONDA ~ Theater Erfurt ITALIANA IN ALGERI ~ Teatro La Fenice di Osimo LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR ~Teatro La Fenice di Venezia; Teatro Sociale di Como; AsLiCo. MACBETH ~Semperoper Dresden MADAMA BUTTERFLY ~ Bayerische Staatsoper; Hamburgische Staatsoper; Estonian National Opera; Göteborg Opera MARCELLA (Giordano) ~ Festival della Valle d'itria, Martina Franca MESE MARIANO (Giordano) ~ Teatro La Fenice Osimo NABUCCO ~ Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad ORFEO ED EURIDICE ~ Opéra National de Paris (Palais Garnier); Lincoln Center Festival. I PAGLIACCI ~ Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad PARSIFAL~ Bayreuther Festspiele - assistant to Daniele Gatti. POLYEUCTE (Gounod) ~ Festival della Valle d'itria, Martina Franca
IL PRINCIPE PORCARO (Rota) ~Teatro La Fenice; Teatro Sociale di Como; AsLiCo. I PURITANI ~ Estonian National Opera; Staatstheater Stuttgart LA REINE DE SABA (Gounod) Festival della Valle d'itria, Martina Franca RIGOLETTO ~Wiener Volksoper LA SERVA PADRONA Castello Sforzesco Milano, Orchestra Sinfonica G. Verdi di Milano SIBERIA (Giordano) ~ Festival della Valle d'itria, Martina Franca; SIGNOR BRUSCHINO ~ Teatro La Fenice di Osimo TOSCA ~ Wiener Volksoper; Opéra Royal de Wallonie; Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad LA TRAVIATA ~ Fondazione Toscanini Busseto; Estonian National Opera IL TROVATORE ~ Auditorium Rimini ZANETTO ~ Opera Holland Park Recordings For Dynamic: Gounod LA REINE DE SABA; Gounod POLYEUCTE; Giordano: SIBERIA. Reviews Opera Magazine Musically, Opera Holland Park s first Aida was a success, starting with the City of London Sinfonia s eloquent realization of Manlio Benzi s detailed conducting. Benzi s hold over the score s exploding tensions and imploding passions was complete, and the orchestra delivered some idiomatic raw brass tinta and plangent woodwind solos. Benzi s flexible, singer-friendly acumen was tested further at the performances I attended by having John Hudson singing Radames from the pit, replacing an indisposed Peter Auty, who acted the role silently on stage. What sonstage Manlio Benzi, deservedly one of OHP's stalwarts, is a superb Verdi conductor and he delivered a majestic account, his brass, horns and percussion erupting like Etna from the open pit. Mark Valencia London, Off-West End 25 Jun 2015 http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/aida-holland-park_38142.html The Stage...while both chorus and orchestra are on strong form under conductor Manlio Benzi, who really understands how this music should go. George Hall - 25th June 2015 https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2015/aida/
Londonist That it can be so moving is largely attributable to the undoubted musical qualities of the evening, with Manlio Benzi s excellent conducting being complemented by standout performances. Sam Smith 28th June https://londonist.com/2015/06/opera-holland-parks-aida-is-no-museum-piece-review The London Evening Standard Manlio Benzi generates noble, uplifting paragraphs and authentic splashes of Verdian colour. Barry Millington 27th June 2015 http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/aida-opera-holland-park-review-10348484.html Opera Britannia The music was conducted with Italianate fire by Manlio Benzi; John E. de Wald -27th June 2015 https://operabritanniauk.wordpress.com/2015/06/27/verdi-aida-opera-holland-park-24th-june-2015/ MusicOMH In the pit Manlio Benzi had the epic scope of Verdi s opera that was so blatantly missing from the stage, well within his grasp. Keith McDonnell -24th June 2015 http://www.musicomh.com/classical/reviews-classical/aida-opera-holland-park-london Financial Times The later acts of Aida are so viscerally exciting that it is impossible not to get swept along by the passion of the music, especially with conductor Manlio Benzi working up some authentic Italian fire.. Richard Fairman 26th June 2015 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/75a9d212-1b22-11e5-8201-cbdb03d71480.html The Guardian There s fine conducting from Manilo Benzi, Tim Ashley 25th June 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/25/aida-review-worth-hearing-just-shut-your-eyes The Telegraph Never mind, there s lavish spectacle for the eye and a feast for the ear, as Manlio Benzi conducts the City of London Sinfonia in an excitable reading of the gorgeous score. Rupert Christiansen 27th June 2015 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalconcertreviews/11701529/aida-opera-holland- Park-review-a-feast-for-the-ear.html Express.co.uk The City of London Sinfonia under conductor Manlio Benzi reminds us how much we love the opera, despite the antics on stage. Clare Colvin 28th June 2015 http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/587300/opera-review-brittens-death-in-venice- Verdi-s-Aida
Classical Source. Manlio Benzi has the measure of the music, instilling emotional urgency and intensity. Colin Anderson 24th June 2015 http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=12927 Opera Today we were able to sit back and enjoy a vibrantly dramatic account of the score. Robert Hugill 26th June 2015 http://www.operatoday.com/content/2015/06/aida_opera_holl.php#sthash.k7vrlvs4.dpuf Mark Ronan Theatre Reviews For the fourth performance on July 4, the orchestra under Manlio Benzi produced a thrilling and vivid account of Verdi s score, helped by excellent singing and a colourful and imaginative production.the chorus were magnificent, and the City of London Sinfonia under Manlio Benzi gave a memorably dramatic rendering of the score. Mark Ronan - 5 July 2015 http://www.markronan.com/2015/07/aida-opera-holland-park-ohp-july-2015/ British Theatre.com Amongst all these mixed messages the musical values of the performance were nevertheless very well projected. The City of London Sinfonia under conductor Manlio Benzi had a very good evening. The brass have a lot of work to do both onstage and off, whether triumphant or darkly ominous, and all these hurdles were handsomely cleared. Elsewhere there was all the bite and heft you could ask for in the ceremonial moments, and many delicate solos and chamber-style interludes to balance them. Benzi was very sensitive to the needs of his singers in pacing the accompaniment, though some of the choruses were taken at a break-neck speed that seemed to press everyone a little harder than the score demands. By Tim Hochstrasser 29th July 2015 http://britishtheatre.com/review-aida-opera-holland-park-3stars/ Opera Magazine Manlio Benzi drew authentic Italianità from the musicians of the City of London Sinfonia - he s a conductor who really knows how this music should go and how to show it in its best light. Hugh Canning October 2014 The Telegraph Manlio Benzi conducted the City of London Sinfonia with silky finesse. Rupert Christiansen - 26th July 2014 re: Adriana Lecouvreur at Opera Holland Park http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/10991177/adriana-lecouvreur-opera-holland-parkreview-brave-but-misguided.html What s on Stage Conductor Manlio Benzi is a dab hand at this musical idiom (Cilea was an exact contemporary of Puccini, and sounds it) and he drew playing of gut-wrenching beauty from the City of London Sinfonia, who've been on superb form all summer. Mark Valencia 25th July 2014 http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/07-2014/adriana-lecouvreur-hollandpark_35174.html
The Guardian It's conducted with lethal precision by Manlio Benzi, too. Tim Ashley 24th June 2012 re: Zanetto & Gianni Schicchi at Opera Holland Park http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/24/zanetto-gianni-schicchi-review?newsfeed=true