Photo : Christophe Alary

Silvia Lenzi

Cello, Viola

Since settling in France in 1995, Silvia Lenzi has divided her activity between the viola da gamba and the cello. The viola da gamba allows her to devote herself to ancient music with the Lacrimæ Consort (directed by Philippe Foulon), and to interpret contemporary music on both this instruments; with the Ensemble 2e2m or Les Jeunes Solistes (directed by Rachid Safir). She furthermore plays the cello as soloist or in chamber music, above all with the Zellig Ensemble.

Born in Ferrara (Italy), her earliest music studies were crowned by a unanimous first prize in cello at the Frescobaldi Conservatoire, in 1988. She undertook advanced study in training programmes and residencies at the Romani Foundation in Brescia, the Salzburg Mozarteum, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and in Moscow with Natalia Shakovskaya. She has appeared as soloist with the National Orchestra of Ile-de-France, the ensemble 2e2m, Modern Music Ensemble of Moscow, Tomsk Philharmonic Orchestra and in various ensembles, such as the Nuovo Quartetto Artis, Camerata Mozart, Orchestra of the Italian broadcast RAI, Bologna Opera Orchestra and the Toscanini Orchestra of Parma. As a result of an ongoing exploration of the potential of the viola da gamba for contemporary music programmes she has developed an innovative and deeply personal musical technique.