Marco Lo Russo
aka Rouge was born in Latina, Italy in 1977. Graduated in accordion, composition, orchestration and arrangement as well as in DAMS (Drama, Art and Music studies), he is an extremely eclectic figure of accordionist, composer, arranger, conductor, musicologist, producer and professor in the conservatory. He is appreciated by critics and artists like, e.g., Ennio Morricone, Leo Brouwer, Nicola Piovani, Piera Degli Esposti, Giorgio Albertazzi, Pupi Avati and many others.

Since 2008, Marco Lo Russo has been listed in the Annuario del cinema italiano for his compositions (TV, theatre, soloist works) and the intense concert activity. Nevertheless, he is considered an outsider artist for his professional experience, sensitivity, talent and inspirational character. Marco Lo Russo is an extremely eclectic artist who loves Mediterranean and contemporary sounds and whose interests range from classical repertory to Argentine tango and to jazz and electronic contaminations.

Besides teaching accordion, composition and arrangement techniques, computer music, theory, rhythmic, musical perceptions and reading sung, he holds seminars, conferences, and lectures in master classes in several institutions, foundations and universities in Italy and abroad.

Marco Lo Russo is a professor in the Conservatory of music “A. Scontrino” in Trapani, Italy, President of the Association of Music Culture Marco Lo Russo Music Center in Sermoneta (Latina), Italy and the artistic director and executive producer of the Rouge Sound Production.

As a soloist Marco Lo Russo has participated in many international events and concerts such as the in Teatro dell'Opera in Rome and Jazz Foundation of America in New York (to mention a few of them). He is considered as an ambassador of the Italian culture abroad. For many years he has worked with large number of famous artists, including Nicola Piovani, the Oscar winner for the soundtrack of Life is beautiful directed and starring by Roberto Benigni.

As a soloist performer, he has recorded several soundtracks. He has composed those of the films Cityzen (2014) by Ruggero Gabbai and Il popolo di re Heruka (2015) by Rodolfo Martinelli Carresi with Isabel Russinova.

Marco Lo Russo has performed in front of the Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, for the Exposition of the Holy Shroud in Turin Cathedral and on several other occasions in television broadcast worldwide by RAI, RAI Vatican, TV2000 and other radio and television stations worldwide.

He has taken care of the artistic and music direction of TV programs broadcasting worldwide (I Promessi Sposi d'Italia for Rai History and Rai International), of several cultural and musical reviews, and has participated in concerts and theater seasons, dance performances, classical, contemporary and jazz music concerts, film festivals and visual arts, in Italy and abroad (Europe, South America, Canada, Cuba, Mexico and the United States).

Marco Lo Russo, had the honor to transcribe and perform in world premiere for solo accordion a work, initially thought and composed for guitar by Leo Brouwer, during the IVth and VIth International Festival of Chamber Music, Havana, Cuba (2012 and 2014).

Marco Lo Russo has recorded, collaborated, published, produced and or co-produced for Animando, DNA, GBMUSIC, Flipper, Itacalibrei, Molto Recordings, Nelson Records, Polskie Nagrania, Rai Trade, Rhino, RTI, Smoothnotes, Universal Music, Universo, Velut Luna, X Energy, Warner Chappell Music and many others. In his career he has received numerous awards and honors including the Award Federico II di Svevia 1997, Best Graduates in 2001, Honorable Mention by TIM 2004 in Paris, Award ETI 2005, Awards SONORA 2007, Award OPERA IMAIE 2009, Orpheus Award 2009, 2010, 2011, Picture Award Latina 2011, Special Cultural Award Albatros 2012.

Marco Lo Russo plays instruments by Armando Bugari.

Guido Felizzi
He is teaching chamber music in Conservatory of Cagliari (Italy) in the past he teached at the Conservatory of Sassari (Italy). He taught violin for several years at Conservatory of Cagliari. He took specialization chamber music classes. He has been first violin several years in the Lyric Theatre Orchestra of Cagliari. He has played as Leader at many chamber orchestras, frequently taking part as solo violin and conductor.

He has played as guest Leader in several Symphony Orchestras : in Lecce (Istituzione Concertistica Orchestrale); Milano (Orchestra Symphonica Verdi); Sassari (Ente di tradizione “De Carolis”); Roma (Accademia S. Cecilia); Parma (Fondazione Toscanini); Ferrara (Filarmonica Estense); Piacenza (Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana); Ancona (Fond. Orchestra Regionale, delle Marche).

When he was a boy, he was a member of the “European Community Youth Orchestra” (ECYO) London for many years and for three years has was the only Leader of the “Orchestra Giovanile Italiana” (OGI) Fiesole (Firenze).

In his long experience he played with world famous conductors such as: Abbado, Ashkenazy,Bellugi, Francis, Maazel, Melles, Metha, Pretre, Sawallish and others. He has played in very important halls of the world, for example: Concertgebouw (Amsterdam); Konzerthaus (Vienna); Teatro alla Scala (Milano); Lincoln Center (New York); Century Hall (Tokio); l’Opera de Paris (Paris) etc. Actually, he is playing in “Symphonica Toscanini Orchestra” (Milano), all over the world, conducted by Lorin Maazel.

He takes a great activity playing in duo with piano; harp; accordion, with the string quartet “ICHNOS” (founded himself) and other chamber groups. He has conducted lyric; symphony orchestras; various groups.

He has studied conductorship of orchestra with teachers likes: Bellugi (Firenze) and Rabaglia (Parma). In 1987 he obtained his Diploma with full marks in Conservatory of Cagliari under the instruction of the music teacher Vittorio Sarigu, subsequently he has continued his studies with teachers like G. Prencipe and Brainin (violin), Cartocci (copmposition), Farulli and Nannoni (string quartet), the masters of the “Trio di Trieste” (chamber music), Bellugi ( conductorship). Recently he obtained his degree in Chamber Music with full marks and honours in the Conservatory of Parma.

He has two “Diploma di merito” as 1st violin in string quartet in the “Accademia Musicale Chigiana” (Siena). He has won three national competitive examination for teaching of “Violin”. “Chamber Music” and “String Quartet” in Italian State Conservatories of Music.

He has taken part in the making of many CD’s and DVD’s (mainly classic music, but also pop music) as a solo violin, leader, conductor, and sound engineer.

He composes various music for chamber music groups and orchestra. He transcribes and adapts the music of authors such as A. Piazzolla, Horner, Morricone, Webber etc.