Mauro Valli belongs to the great school of Camillo Oblach, the legendary cellist favored by Toscanini for his magical velvet sound. Oblach counted among his students G. Sassi and A. Baldovino, both teachers of Mauro Valli. For over 30 years, Mauro has devoted himself mainly to ancient music performed on historical instruments, collaborating with many of the world’s leading specialists in this area. He was a founding member of Accademia Bizantina and he performed with the group for more than 20 years, contributing decisively to its international success. For many years he has been the first solo cello of the Barocchisti di Lugano conducted by Diego Fasolis, and has also repeatedly been called upon to play lead cello in the Baroque Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala.
Mauro collaborates regularly with Maurice Steger, who is considered the best recorder soloist and virtuoso in the world. Together they have made numerous recordings for Harmonia Mundi, always reaching top sales rankings. After a duo concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Valli was described as a “master of embellishments” by his famous colleague Anner Bylsma.
Among his countless recordings are, for Sony, the Six Songs of Angelo Berardi that won over music critics and those in the know. In particular the famous composer and cellist Giovanni Sollima “driven by the power of music and performance” did not fail to express his enthusiasm “for the great imagination, vision and knowledge” that characterize this interpretation.
His latest recording, which has received enthusiastic reviews from the specialist press, is a complete recording of J.S. Bach’s Suites and D. Gabrielli’s Ricercari, recently published by ARCANA. Described by the Californian photographer and blogger Paul Sargeant as “the last man of the Renaissance”, Mauro Valli passionately devotes his spare time to viticulture and olive growing, producing excellent organic wines and olive oil.