FLAVIO MATANI

Flavio Matani was born in Caracas, Venezuela, of Italian father and Venezuelan mother.. His interest in music began at an early age, sparked by his mother’s singing and playing on the guitar of Venezuelan and Latin-American folk and popular music.

He entered the Escuela Superior de Música de Caracas in 1971. There he received a broad musical education, including Theory of Music, Harmony, Counterpoint, History and Aesthetics of Music, and other related subjects as well as Classical Guitar. He also attended courses on Venezuelan folklore and ethnomusicology, and on composition with distinguished Venezuelan composers.

From 1975 until his graduation in 1982, Flavio studied the Classical Guitar with Maestro Leopoldo Igarza. He has also atttended masterclasses given by many masters of his instrument. Between 1983 and 1985 Flavio was a member of the board of the Venezuelan Guitar Society. In that capacity he produced ‘Arpegios’, a weekly radio programme on the guitar for Radio Nacional de Venezuela.

Flavio has given many recitals thoroughout Venezuela, including performances for the Venezuelan Cultural Television channel. Since his establishing in the U. K. he had further studies with John W Duarte and masterclasses with many of the most outstanding masters of the classical guitar. He has performed with the Chiltern Philarmonic Orchestra Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’, as well as performing regularly as a soloist.

In addition to the performing side of this career, he is a dedicated teacher of his instrument. He also has an interest in languages and literature. He also has a variety of music interests and is involved in various projects involving rock and world music.

At present Flavio is based in North London

———————–The Watford Observer page 7
Frlday, November 27, 1998

“MUSIC Jill Barlow reviews a concert by the Chiltern Philharmonic
‘Two’s just too much of a good listening thing’

This Saturday, The Chiltem Philharmonic resumed to Watford for the tenth anniversary of its spectacular debut, to play the first concert of a Beethoven Symphony Cycle, to a modest sized audience in St. Michael’s Church, Watford, on an icy cold night…… However, the first half of the evening was Iifted by an emotive perfommance of Rodrigo’s popular Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra, with soloist Flavio Matani from Venezuela supplying oodles of Latin flavour and lovely, languid Adagio, soothingly lethargic and giving a nice touch of contrast.

We had a stunning cor anglais solo from Alison Ault of the Royal College of Music to cap it all in this trendy work, visibly thrilling Latin fans in the audience….”