Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

With Sir Antonio Pappano in the role of Music Director since 2005, the stature of the Orchestra has enjoyed extraordinary success, building an international reputation for itself. With Pappano at the helm, the Orchestra has appeared at some of the major music festivals including the Proms in London, White Nights in St. Petersburg, Lucerne Festival, Salzburg Festival and has performed in some of the most world’s best-known venues, including the Philharmonie in Berlin, Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal Albert Hall in London, Salle Pleyel in Paris, La Scala in Milan, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Semperoper in Dresden, Carnegie Hall in New York.

After long-term collaboration with some of the biggest international record labels who have produced recordings that have since become legendary, Santa Cecilia Orchestra records extensively for Warner Classic. The releases, under Pappano, include Puccini’s »Madama Butterfly«(with Angela Gheorghiu; the recording won a Brit Award), Verdi’s Requiem (Gramophone Award, BBC Music Magazine, Brit Classical), Rossini’s and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with Anna Netrebko (Gramophone Editors’ Choice Award), Rossini’s »Guillaume Tell«, Mahler’s Symphony no.6, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Verdi’s Quattro pezzi sacri, Britten’s War Requiem, and a CD entitled »Rossini Ouvertüren«. Recently recorded, Verdi’s »Aida« boasts a stellar cast (Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann, Erwin Schrott) and has taken home numerous awards: Best Recording 2015 for The New York Times and for The Telegraph, Best opera 2015 – Apple Music, Choc Classica de l’année, Diapason D’or and Choix de France Musique, Record of the month for Gramophone, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. A CD also came out in 2015, with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no. 1 and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no. 2 performed by Beatrice Rana, Brahms’s Violin Concerto with Janine Jansen (Decca) and Schumann’s Piano Concerto performed by Jan Lisiecki (DGG).

Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra also recorded »Nessun dorma, The Puccini Album« with tenor Jonas Kaufmann (Best Classical Music Recordings of 2015 for The New York Times), which made the world charts, Schumann’s Symphonies no. 2 and no. 4, Elgar’s Symphony no. 1 (ICA Classics), the CD “»Anna Netrebko. Verismo« (DGG), »Le Carnaval des Animaux« with Martha Argerich, the Bernstein Symphonies (Warner Classics), Verdi’s »Otello« with Jonas Kaufmann (Sony Classical, 2020), »Tudor Queens« with Diana Damrau (Warner Classics, 2020), Rossini’s Messa di Gloria (Warner Classics, 2022) and in March 2023 Puccini’s »Turandot« with Sondra Radvanovsky, Jonas Kaufmann and Ermonela Jaho (Warner Classics).

The origins of the multi-secular Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia are closely linked to choral singing: in the second half of the 1500’s, several Chapel-masters and Choristers formed an association, electing as President Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, thus founding the Accademia. In May 1595, Pope Sisto V issued the papal bull »Ratione congruit«, the act officially founding the Congregazione dei Musici.

The objectives of the Institution, which was launched as an association having both artistic and charitable aims, have undergone continuous modification over the centuries, but the promotion and growth of the art of music in all its manifestations have always been the inspiration guiding all its activities. The Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia appears in both the winter and summer seasons of the Accademia, joining the Orchestra for performances of the great classic and modern symphonic-choral works.

Highlights among its more recent engagements include tours the Santa Cecilia ensembles made together with Music Director Antonio Pappano to the Dresden Semperoper (2006), the London Proms (2007, 2011, 2013), the Salzburger Festpiele (2011, 2013, 2014) and the Enescu Festival (2017); its appearance in Lucerne with the famed Lucerne Festival Orchestra directed by Claudio Abbado (2006); and its participation (October, 2007) in the Sacred Music Festival in Rome, for the performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Daniele Gatti.

The Chorus has also made numerous recordings. Together with the Accademia Orchestra, it took part in the recording of »Madama Butterfly« by Puccini, the Requiem by Verdi (both directed by Antonio Pappano), Rossini’s »William Tell« and Petite Messe Solennelle, Britten’s War Requiem, Verdi’s Quattro pezzi sacri and »Otello« (Warner Classics 2020), and more recently, the recording of »Turandot« (Warner Classics, 2023).