Francesca Aspromonte
Renowned as one of the best interpreters of the baroque and classical repertoire, Francesca Aspromonte graduated with honors from the Mozarteum in Salzburg and studied with Renata Scotto at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Francesca has performed in such venues as Teatro alla Scala, Carnegie Hall, Theatre de Champs-Elysees, Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Zaryadye Hall, Opéra Royal de Versailles, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Wiener Musikverein, Theatre an- der-Wien, Wiener Konzerthaus, Fundaçao Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Teatro Real de Madrid, Teatro la Fenice, Grand Theatre de Provence, Philharmonie Essen.

She sang with renowned conductors such as Zubin Metha, John Eliot Gardiner, Ivor Bolton, Christophe Rousset, Gustavo Gimeno, Manfred Honeck, Diego Fasolis, Ottavio Dantone, Giovanni Antonini, Maxim Emelyanichev, Enrico Onofri, Leonardo García Alarcón, Raphaël Pichon, Stefano Montanari.

Among her past engagements, it’s worth mentioning: the title role in Cavalli’s Erismena at the Festival d’Aix en Provence; the title role in Hasse’s Semele at the Innsbrucker Festwochen; Almirena in Handel's Rinaldo with Accademia Bizantina; Euridice in Luigi Rossi’s L’Orfeo with Pygmalion; the title role in Caldara’s Dafne in Teatro la Fenice; Deidamia in Corselli’s Achille in Sciro at Teatro Real de Madrid with Ivor Bolton; Angelica in Vivaldi’s Orlando furioso at Teatro La Fenice; La Musica and Messaggiera in Monteverdi’s Orfeo at the 2015 BBC Proms; the title role in Caldara’s La Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo in Prague with Collegium 1704; the title role in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea at Beaune International Baroque Opera Festival; the title role in Haendel's Acis&Galatea in Moscow, Marzelline in Beethoven's Fidelio with Zubin Metha at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Carlo Celmino in Vinci's Li zite 'ngalera at Teatro alla Scala plus numerous recitals dedicated to sacred, operatic or chamber music repertoire.

Francesca recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Sony DHM, Alpha Classics, Christophorus, Harmonia Mundi, Ricercare, HDB Sonus. She signed an exclusive recording engagement with Pentatone Music and her debut album “Prologue” (a selection of 17th-century operatic prologues, from Monteverdi to Scarlatti) with Il Pomo d’oro ensemble and Enrico Onofri, has been worldwide critically acclaimed. ​

Her second album for Pentatone "Maria&Maddalena" (among the best recordings of 2022 according to Gramophone) portrays the Two Maries through early 18th-century oratorios by Bononcini, Scarlatti, Haendel, Lulier, and others, together with violinist Boris Begelman and I Barocchisti under the baton of Diego Fasolis.

Future plans include a Liederabend dedicated to Robert Schumann with pianist Domenico Codispoti in La Coruña, her debut at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia as Eurice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, the release of her third recital album "Un'alma innamorata" for Pentatone with Arsenale Sonoro conducted by Boris Begelman. ​

Since 2019 Francesca teaches interpretation of the Italian baroque repertoire at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.

Arsenale Sonoro
Founded by Boris Begelman in 2014, the Arsenale Sonoro ensemble quickly gained critical acclaim with their debut album for Sony DHM, dedicated to Telemann's sonatas for violin and basso continuo.

“...This young group shows with tremendous technical éclat and interpretative flair what an inventive composer Telemann was...” (The Sunday Times)

In 2022, they released an album dedicated to Domenico Scarlatti on Obsidian Records. It presents an interesting interpretation of some sonatas that are usually performed on harpsichord, but whose virtuosic writing, full of leaps and arpeggios, suggests they were intended for violin and basso continuo.

Specializing in the 18th-century repertoire, Arsenale Sonoro has performed in various chamber and orchestral formations at such festivals as the Valletta Baroque Festival, Timisoara Early Music Festival, Musik&Kirche Brixen, Mittelfest, Pur ti miro Festival, Urbino Early Music Festival, Amici della Musica di Firenze, and the Concerti del Quirinale.

Arsenale Sonoro Ensemble, situated in the vibrant city of Bologna, is dedicated to a captivating mission over the upcoming years. With a resolute focus on revitalizing the forgotten musical gems of the Bolognese repertoire spanning the late 17th to early 18th centuries, the ensemble aims to unearth and resurrect these buried treasures. Through meticulous research and passionate dedication, they are committed to breathing life back into the music of this era, presenting it in a range of immersive settings – from intimate chamber performances to grand orchestral spectacles. Their endeavors encompass a diverse spectrum, embracing solo Motets to the grandeur of Oratorios, providing audiences with a profound journey through a rich musical heritage that has long remained in the shadows.

Their upcoming engagements include concerts for the Monteverdi Tuscany Festival, and Roma Festival Barocco, as well as the release of soprano Francesca Aspromonte's new recital album for Pentatone.