Mario Ancillotti & Eliana Grasso
Biography Mario Ancillotti & Eliana Grasso
Mario Ancillotti
Mario Ancillotti was born into a family of musicians. His musical training took place at the Conservatorio 'Cherubini' in Florence where he studied and collaborated with musicians such as Luigi Dallapiccola, Carlo Prosperi, Franco Rossi, Piero Farulli, the Quartetto Italiano, Piero Bellugi and Salvatore Alfieri. It was in fact thanks to such a stimulating environment, and to meeting such personalities, that he absorbed a particular rigour in approaching the study of music, in all its various aspects. The study of composition has enabled him to become a complete musician, capable of tackling ancient and modern scores with awareness. This training has led him to take the most impervious and difficult roads and to approach his activity with the rigour of one who knows the ethical and moral value of art. A number of collaborations with like-minded musicians (exemplary is his association with pianist Piernarciso Masi, which has lasted for more than 40 years), have distinguished him as a demanding musician who is oriented towards research that is never completely satisfied and accomplished.
With such a foundation, every experience he undertook was very fruitful. As 1st flute in the Orchestra di Roma della Rai, and later in Santa Cecilia, Ancillotti played with conductors such as Bernstein, Boehm, Maazel, Sawallisch, Giulini, Schippers, Masur, Abbado, Muti, Ozawa, Metha, and others.
By the time he later decided to leave the orchestra, he was an established and career-prepared musician.
Ancillotti's contribution to the interpretation of contemporary music has stemmed from fruitful collaborations with Berio, Sciarrino, Penderecky, Henze, Donatoni, Pennisi, Clementi, always accompanied by that rigour that has kept him at a distance from approximate and superficial choices in favour of the qualitative aspect.
