Federica Bianchi Peppe Frana

Federica Bianchi

From an early age, Federica Bianchi was fascinated by historical instruments and praxis. She studied with A. Conti (Conservatory of Florence), Gordon Murray (Universitaet fur Musik Vienna), Bob Van Asperen and Richard Egarr (Conservatorium van Amsterdam) obtaining her Master in harpsichord with full marks and honors. Awarded in many of the most prestigious international competitions, “International Harpsichord competition G. Gambi”, “Bologna European Harpsichord Competition”, “Haendel Early Music International Competition Goettingen”, “Biber International Competition.” She has had the privilege to collaborate with great soloists and ensembles such as il Pomo d’Oro, Les Musiciens du Louvre,  Il Giardino Armonico, Imaginarium Ensemble, Spira Mirabilis, Kanazawa Japan Orchestra, Beijing Opera, E. Onofri, G.Antonini, M.Minkosky, D.Sinkovsky, J.Di Donato, P.Jaroussky, R.Minasi, ecc. with whom she performed as soloist and continuo player throughout Europe, China, Japan, South America, and Russia. She has recorded for Sony DHM, Decca, Deutsche Grammophone, Alpha. Erato and Brilliant Classic (winning Diapason d’Or, Grammy Awards, Echo Classic). Federica has a master degree in philosophy with honors.

Peppe Frana

Passionate from a young age about rock music from America and overseas, he quickly became the nightmare of the best electric guitar teachers in the area.

At 20 he was dazzled by interest in modal music from outside Europe thanks to the work of Ross Daly and took up the study of Turkish oud and other chordophones played with a plectrum, making frequent trips to Greece and Turkey. There he visited some of the most renowned maestros: Yurdal Tokcan, Omer Erdogdular, Murat Aydemir, Daud Khan Sadozai and Ross Daly himself.

A meeting with the members of Ensemble Micrologus inspired his interest in European medieval music and in plectrum lute. He quickly became one of the most appreciated soloists and teachers specializing in Italian Trecento repertoire.

In 2013 he began to study medieval lute at the Schola Cantorum in Basel Switzerland under the guidance of Crawford Young, marking his first experience of academic music study.

He has an honors degree in philosophy from the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples. He regularly works with many artists and musical projects in the world of early, eastern and non-classical music, his flourishing artistic activities mean he has performed in the most prestigious festivals both in Italy and around the world. He is the artistic director of Labyrinth Italia.