ENSEMBLE DEGLI INTRIGATI
Francesco Checchini
flute and piccolo
Francesco Darmanin
clarinet and bass clarinet
Michele Pierattelli
violin
Dagmar Bathmann
cello and voice
Omar Cecchi
percussion instruments
Massimiliano Cuseri
piano
Davide Vannuccini
electronics
Andrea Molino
conductor
Ensemble degli Intrigati is an ensemble specializing in contemporary and avant-garde music, with a strong commitment to the promotion of new musical languages. Founded within the framework of the Camere Contemporanee artistic residency, organized by the Fondazione Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte in collaboration with the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the ensemble takes its name from the historic Accademia degli Intrigati of Montepulciano, whose motto, “È il miglior ordine mio l’essere confuso” (“My best order is to be confused”), can still be seen on the façade of the Teatro Poliziano.
Since its foundation, the ensemble has distinguished itself through an intense artistic activity dedicated to contemporary music, collaborating with internationally renowned artists and musicians including Marco Angius, Roland Böer, Carlo Boccadoro, Detlev Glanert, Luciano Garosi, and Andrea Molino.
Following its debut at the 42nd Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte in Montepulciano, the ensemble has performed at major festivals and concert series in Italy and abroad, including the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Festival Nuova Consonanza in Rome, the concert season of the Gioventù Musicale Italiana in Modena, I Concerti della Normale in Pisa, the Fondazione Teatro Barco in Padua, the University of Siena, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Bruxelles as part of a concert series dedicated to Giacinto Scelsi.
Throughout its activity, the ensemble has taken part in significant artistic projects, including 8×8 (2019), coordinated by Fabrizio Festa and dedicated to eight young composers inspired by the architectural heritage of Montepulciano, as well as numerous productions featuring world premieres and newly commissioned works.
Since 2017, the ensemble has regularly served as ensemble-in-residence at the Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte of Montepulciano, participating in editions 42 through 46. In 2021, it won first prize in the international “Residenzensemble für Neue Musik” competition organized by the Musikakademie Rheinsberg, becoming the first ensemble-in-residence for contemporary music at the prestigious German institution. In 2022, it also received first prize at the Festival Atemporáneain Argentina.
In 2022, the ensemble made its debut at the Festival Nuova Consonanza in Rome, presenting three world premieres by Andrea Molino, Carlo Fizzarotti, and Francesco Santori alongside works by Luciano Berio, Franco Donatoni, Carlo Boccadoro, and Giovanni Taccani. In 2024, it participated in the Scatola Sonora series within I Concerti della Normale in Pisa, performing a programme dedicated to contemporary Italian music.
Since 2024, the ensemble has maintained an ongoing collaboration with the composition classes of the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence, contributing to the development and performance of new works through the annual Galileoproject.
In 2025, the ensemble took part in the international project Befreiung, presented in Berlin, Augsburg, and Hamburg as part of Germany’s commemorations marking the liberation from Nazism. Directed by Andrea Molino and featuring original music by Marc Sinan, the project brought together ensembles from across Europe. In the same year, Ensemble degli Intrigati presented the first Italian monographic concert dedicated to British composer Alex Paxton at the Teatro Barco in Padua. Following this performance, Paxton’s work Spit Crystal Yeast-rack, Dripping (à l’orange) received the Premio Abbiati 2026 in the category Best Italian Premiere. During the award ceremony, held at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the ensemble was invited to perform another work by the composer.
Ensemble degli Intrigati promotes a repertoire that embraces the many facets of contemporary music, combining commissioned works and world premieres with masterpieces of the twentieth- and twenty-first-century repertoire. Since 2018, it has presented more than twenty world premieres by composers affiliated with some of the most prestigious national and international institutions.
Conceived as a modular and versatile ensemble, it performs in a wide range of configurations, from chamber formations to large ensemble settings, adapting to the artistic requirements of each project.
Since 2024, the ensemble’s Music Director has been Maestro Andrea Molino.