Riccardo Calogiuri born in 1990, at the age of five started studying guitar with M° Gabriella Lubello, under her guide, in 2008, he graduated at conservatorio “N. Piccinni” in Bari with a firstclass honours degree and special mention. In 2012 he finished his postgraduate study in Bari with full marks and in 2015 he attended the course of Formazione Continua in Lugano, Switzerland, with M° Lorenzo Micheli. Great world-wide famous artists have said about him:
“I have listened to more resumptions the young Riccardo Calogiuri and I have confirmed every time the opinion that this guitarist has a non common talent and an ability to apply him without parallel, in elements of his age. I am certain that, with the time and to the footstep that has undertaken to mark, his artistic maturity won’t miss to leave a deep sign among the musicians of his generation” (Oscar Ghiglia) – “He is an overgifted boy, the only place where I heard somebody like him is China ” (Eduardo Fernandez) – “He has an extraordinary technique, I never heard a young boy with his accuracy, self-confidence, clarity and unbelievable speed” (Ernesto Bitetti) – “I think I heard one of the greatest guitarist of the future” (Paavo Lindberg) and many others like Elena Papandreau, Oscar Casares, Marcos Diaz, Remì Boucher.
He attended several master classes with M° Oscar Ghiglia (the complete course at the prestigious Accademia Chigiana in Siena, from 2005 to 2008, where he was still admitted at the final concerts ), M° Alirio Diaz, M° Alberto Ponce, M° Eliot Fisk, M° Stefano Grondona, M° Bosko Radojkovic, M° Luis Quintero, M° Aniello Desiderio, M° Nando Di Modugno, M° Maurizio Colonna, in all of this masters he had merit diploms.
He has an intensive concertistic career in Italy and all over the world (in november 2006 he played at the international guitar festival of Great Britain, in October 2010 at the international guitar festival Andrès Segovia in Madrid and in May 2012 in Malibù-USA). He performed many concerts for guitar and orchestra; since he was 14 years old, in February 2005, he performed at Paisiello theater in Lecce the “Fantasia para un gentilhombre” by J.Rodrigo with great appraisals by audience and press. In October 2010, he received The Golden Guitar Award at the International Guitar Convention in Alessandria for the best up-and-coming guitarist.
He won 20 first prizes in national competitions and 8 first prizes in prestigious international competitions, including 1st prize at “Maria Quintieri” International Competition in 2015, 1st prize at “Alirio Diaz” International Competition (Carora -Venezuela) in 2009, 1st prize at International Competition of Gargnano in 2009 and 1st prize at International Competition of Fiuggi in 2009. He won also a 2nd prize at “Emilio Pujol” International Competition in 2008, 2nd prize at International Competition of Mottola in 2009, 2nd prize at International Competition of Veria (Greece) in 2012, 3rd prize at “Andrés Segovia” International Competition in Linares (Spain) in 2009, 3rd prize at “Julian Arcas” International Competition in Almeria (Spain) in 2010, 3rd prize at “Stefano Strata” International Competition in Pisa in 2012 and 3rd prize at “Alvaro Mantovani” International Competition in Follonica in 2017.
In 2004 he recorded for “village records” the cd “Novecento e dintorni”, in 2007 for “silver frog” the cd “Percorsi”, in 2008 the cd “Corde del Salento”, in 2013 the cd “Viaggio nella musica del mondo” with quartetto Lupiae and in 2017 the cd “Appunti spanoli” for dotGuitar.
He is currently a Professor of Guitar at the “T. Schipa” Conservatory in Lecce (Apulia, Italy).
