Lorenzo Della Fonte

Winner of the First Prize at the International Conducting Contest “Prix Credit Suisse” at the Internationale Musikwoche Grenchen 2000 (Switzerland), Della Fonte was born in Sondrio (Italy) in 1960. He received degrees in Clarinet, Band Composing and Jazz Music at the Foggia, Parma and Brescia Conservatories. Then he followed specialized studies for conducting, in particular with J. Conjaerts, R. Reynolds, H. van Lijnschooten, E. Corporon, J. Cober, G. Gelmetti, A. Spörri. Della Fonte has conduct wind orchestras in Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, France, Canada, Spain, Portugal, USA, Argentina, Brasil, Taiwan. He was guest conductor, among others, at Murray State University, North Texas Wind Symphony, Northern Iowa University, WIBC Seattle (USA), at the Symphonisches Jugendblasorchester Stuttgart (Germany), at the University of Saskatchewan Wind Orchestra (Canada), at the Banda Sinfonica de Cordoba (Argentina), at the State of Sao Paulo Symphonic Band (Brasil), at the Banda Sinfónica da Bairrada (Portugal), at the Lemmens Instituut in Leuven and Fedekam Band in Gent (Belgium), at the Civica Filarmonica di Balerna, the Internationale Blasorchester St. Moritz and Stadtmusik Zürich (Switzerland), at the Taoyuan Symphonic Band (Taiwan).

As a composer, Della Fonte wrote several arrangements and original music, performed and recorded from bands all over the world and published from Molenaar, Mitropa, Scomegna, Animando, Wicky Music and Eufonia. His compositions were awarded at International Contests and chosen as compulsory piece for contests. He is often request for meetings, adjudicator (Italy, Switzerland-Eidgenössisches Musikfest, Spain-Valencia Certamen, Hungary, Poland, France) and lectures about Band Music. From 1992 to 1998 Della Fonte was President of the Italy National Section of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles), and 1993 to 1999 served as member of the Board of Directors in the same Association. He conducts Bands professionally since 1986: more than 480 concerts conducted in career, working with very well-knowed artists as (among others) Steven Mead, Patrick Sheridan, Gabriele Cassone, Fabrizio Meloni, Jaques Mauger, Giorgio Gaslini, Maurizio Giammarco, Fabrizio Bosso, Leonhard Westermayr, Roger Webster.

He is guest, and from 1994 to 1997 principal, conductor at the City of Milano Wind Orchestra, the only professional Band in Italy other than the Military Bands. In December 1997 Della Fonte performed with this Band to the 50° Mid-West Clinics in Chicago, as first italian conductor and band ever. He is conductor of the Orchestra di Fiati della Valtellina (Sondrio-Italy), awarded with several Prizes in european contests; the Societa Filarmonica di Arogno (Switzerland); the Festival Brass Band Aosta (1999-2003) and since 1995 is also conductor-teacher at the “Ripatransone Young Wind Orchestra”, an international summer Band Camp in middle Italy.

Della Fonte teaches band conducting, orchestration and composition at the Udine Conservatory, and also in many courses and workshops in Italy and outside. In July 2002 he teached conducting at the Conducting Collegium of North Texas University. Della Fonte has recorded 13 Compact Discs, some of them excellently reviewed from the best magazines in classical music, for the companies “Mirasound”, “Agora”, “Mark”, “Amos”, “Animando”, “Tirreno”, “Tawa”, “Stradivarius” and broadcasted by Swiss Radio, RadioTre RAI (Italy), WNYC New York, WDR4 Germany. Della Fonte is author of the book “La Banda: orchestra del nuovo millennio”, about the history of the wind literature, presented by F. Battisti.