Born in Saronno, Italy, Giulio Mercati began studying music at the age of six under the tutelage of his grandfather, Maestro Lamberto Torrebruno, a representative of an important family of musicians: he then completed his musical studies in organ, composition, and harpsichord under distinguished and famous musicians.
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Guilio Mercati
Biography
Giulio Mercati is extremely active and esteemed as a concert performer: as an organ and harpsichord soloist he played in more than twenty countries. He performed in some of the most important concert halls and cathedrals, from the Great Concert Hall of the Philharmonic Orchestra in St. Petersburg to the Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York. He’s also active as an organist and as a continuo player in many important ensembles, working especially with and the Orchestra of Italian Switzerland (Orchestra della Svizzera italiana), under conductors such as Alain Lombard, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Juraj Valčuha, Robert Treviño, Alexander Vedernikov, Heinz Holliger, Hubert Soudant, Howard Griffiths, Markus Poschner, Timothy Brock, Antonello Manacorda, Diego Fasolis, Stefano Montanari, Ottavio Dantone, Pablo González and many others.
He was accompanied by some important orchestras, playing several concerts for organ and orchestra – from Haendel to Hindemith, Poulenc and Barber – as a soloist and many times also as a conductor. He has recorded for the RTSI (Swiss Italian Radio), Bottega Discantica, Tactus and Dynamic-Naxos. He is the director of the vocal group San Bernardo and founder of the Concentus Lucensis, a vocal and instrumental ensemble based in Lugo Cathedral (Spain). He is resident organist at the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli in Lugano. He’s an active composer, especially in the field of organ and choral music. His most recent work is the music for the theatre production of Interrogatorio a Maria, by Giovanni Testori, with Angela Demattè and directed by Andrea Chiodi. In 2019 a disc was released and presented, completely dedicated to his works, published by Tactus and entitled «Giulio Mercati: Interrogatorio a Maria and other sacred works» (available in Amazon, Itunes, Spotify et cetera). In 1996, Giulio Mercati graduated in Philosophy at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, with a dissertation on musical aesthetics. He’s an esteemed musicologist and lecturer.
His most important publication is an extended essay, entitled “Bruno Bettinelli: il cammino di un musicista”, dedicated to the life and works of Milanese composer Bruno Bettinelli, in light of the most recent hermeneutic philosophical developments, brought out by the publisher Rugginenti (Milano). In 2018 he published a large scientific essay on the Theological Revue of Lugano, with the title “Birth, evolution and use of the Kirchenlied: between the catholic model and the community singing’s urges”. As musicologist he worked also for the Teatro alla Scala, the Orchestra Verdi, the Festival MiTo, the Festival Milano Musica and many other important music festivals. He is artistic director, and even creator, of numerous prestigious international festivals in Italy, in Switzerland and in Spain.He’s Professor of History of sacred music at the Faculty of Theology in Lugano. Since August2021 he’s in charge for all the musical events organized by the Diocese of Lugo (Spain).