A fascinating journey in chamber music exploring classical, jazz and rock composers in a new performance concept. Valentina and Anais met in 2023 to merge their chamber classical and jazz experience and create a brand-new repertoire focused on modern violin, double bass, and voice ensemble. In June 2023, the countertenor Riccardo Strano joined the project, bringing his wide baroque experience to the repertoire. Valentina and Anais carefully chose the repertoire to work on the irreverent side of classical music. Mozart, Scarlatti, Purcell are not far from Frank Zappa's artistic concept; they are just from a different historical period. Ciardelli-Drago-Strano will take you on a thrilling journey into the most amazing sound experience that combines the classical chamber music experience with the most catchy and groovy repertoire from Baroque to Frank Zappa, attracting the widest audience you can ever imagine in a chamber concert, breaking down borders of musical genres. The first album "Shake Your Duty" was released as record in May 2024 produced by Parco della Musica, Roma.
Anais Drago: Violine, Arrangements, Kompositionen, Gesang
Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli: Kontrabass, Arrangements, Kompositionen, Gesang
Riccardo Strano: Countertenor
Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli
composer, arranger, performer
Apple Music classical contemporary playlist 2021
BBC Music Magazine Rising Star July 2020
Double bass professor - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
An Italian-German composer and double bassist, Valentina grew up in Lucca and began studying piano at an early age. Her artistic and personal life has been marked by two major revelations: at the age of 11, she discovered Frank Zappa's music, and at 20, she discovered the double bass, completing her diploma in just four and a half years. Valentina quickly gained recognition by winning national and international competitions, and collaborating with prestigious institutions such as the BBC SO Orchestra and the Mahler Academy in Bolzano. She also has considerable experience as a jazz musician and plays electric bass. Valentina is a synesthetic artist and the driving force behind various artistic projects, such as her recent harp and double bass album Ruutsu, which had its world premiere at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and her project ´How I met Puccini®´.
Anais Drago
A violinist and winner of the Top Jazz 2022 award in the “new proposals” category, Anais Drago navigates through the sounds of free improvisation, electroacoustic music, jazz, world music, and pop, collaborating with some of the biggest names in both the Italian and international scenes. She has performed as a leader on the stages of Italy’s most important jazz festivals, such as Umbria Jazz, Time in Jazz, and the Torino Jazz Festival. In January 2022, the magazine Musica Jazz named her the best new talent on the Italian scene, adding to her collection of numerous awards and recognitions. Over the years, Anais has been selected for several artistic residency programs, which have been key milestones in her musical growth. She has released two albums under her own name (with CAM Jazz and Another Music Records) and appears on many recordings as a side musician.
Riccardo Strano
Italian countertenor from Catania, Riccardo Angelo Strano made his debut in 2009 in the role of Nerone in G.F. Handel's Agrippina at the Koninklijke Schouwburg (The Hague, Netherlands). He graduated in Classical Singing at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in 2012, after which he launched an international career in opera, concerts, and recordings, earning various awards in international competitions.
He is regularly invited to perform at theaters and festivals around the world, including the Teatro Massimo of Palermo (2022 and 2017), Tel Aviv Opera (2022), Château de Versailles Festival (France, 2016 and 2017), Copenhagen Renaissance Music Festival (Denmark, 2013), and many others. In addition to baroque music, his repertoire extends to classical and romantic composers (Mozart and Rossini) as well as contemporary composers like Dallapiccola and Sciarrino.
In 2016, the London label Toccata Classics released his first solo album, featuring the world premiere recording of cantatas for solo voice by Francesco Nicola Fago (1677-1745). A second volume followed in 2018. In 2019, the Italian label Farelive released his new project, #C.I.P. Counter Irish Project. From 2015 onwards, labels like Dynamic and Bongiovanni have published various live opera recordings on CD/DVD.
