Biography Antonio Malinconico

The guitar or football?

This was no difficult decision for the 11-year-old Antonio Malinconico. Born in 1979 in

St Gallen, where he was to grow up, the boy with Italian roots was involved in diverse

musical projects from a very young age. He experimented, gained experience and

discovered his love for the classical guitar. In 2005, he completed his five-year guitar

studies at the Zurich University of the Arts with honours. Where his studies gave him

a fundamental basis, his travels through Central and South America, as well as

through the Middle East, gave him a window to a wide variety of guitar playing styles.

Tango and South American folklore served to broaden his musical horizons.

Antonio Malinconico’s music reflects the emotions of the South. Characterised by

passion and an unfathomable melancholy – as professed in his name. These

contrasting emotions melt together to form the bitter-sweet mixture that defines

southern art and culture and penetrates Argentinian folklore, tango and Neapolitan

folk music in equal measure. Argentinian guitar music, compositions by master Astor

Piazzolla and Jorge Cardoso in particular, epitomises Malinconico’s work. The “St.

Galler Kampanier”, a name emphasising Malinconico’s Italian heritage and Swiss

residence, interprets them with his very own mixture of southern temperament and

northern balance.

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Live

Antonio Malinconico now looks back upon a long-standing, diverse career of live

performances. Since 2009, he has travelled through Switzerland, Germany and

Austria with his trio named “Antonio Malinconico e Amici”. Following the release of

the solo album entitled “Vamos al Sur”, solo concerts in Switzerland and Germany

ensued in spring 2013, alongside five exclusive concerts in Buenos Aires and inland

Argentina.

Since the beginning of 2014, he has contributed to the „Night of NylonGuitars“. This

project involves three virtuoso guitar compositions from the categories “world”,

“tango”, and “bossa jazz” played on an acoustic nylon string guitar. Every year,

around seven concerts held in the German region spanning Karlsruhe to Dresden are

met with resounding approval from the audience. The nylon guitar nights are the

brainchild of Martin Müller. Originally from Karlsruhe, he has dedicated the past 25

years wholeheartedly and with pioneering spirit to the Brazilian guitar and has

established himself as a leading composer, author and musician in his field.

In November 2015, Argentinian guitarist and composer Juan Falú invited Antonio

Malinconico to the “Guitarras del Mundo” festival. The five concerts held in the

renowned concert halls of Argentinian cities San Miguel, Córdoba, San Luis,

Mendoza and San Juan were an unforgettable experience.

Numerous concerts have already been planned for 2016 and are to take place in

German-speaking Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland and Germany.

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Discography

Antonio Malinconico’s discography reflects his relentless work. In 2007, his mini-

debut “Adiós” was released, featuring his own compositions. In February 2010, his

first long play, “Tempesta”, created with the trio “Antonio Malinconico e Amici”,

appeared on the shelves. In that very same year, he recorded a tango CD with his

former university guitar teacher, Jury Clormann, which was given the title “Misteriosa

Vida”. In the spring of 2011, his first solo album, “Por siempre Sur” followed, featuring

South American works by Astor Piazzolla, Ariel Ramirez, Eduardo Falú and Jorge

Cardoso. “In Attesa”, another works by the trio „Antonio Malinconico e Amici”, was

released in 2012. The solo album “Por siempre Sur” was continued in the summer of

2013 with “Vamos al Sur”.

In 2014 and 2015, various videos were created, including “La Trampera” by Anibal

Troilo, the melancholic “Un Dia de Noviembre” by Leo Brouwer and “Milonga“ by

Jorge Cardoso featuring Columbian dancer Andrea María Méndez Torres.

A CD entitled “Cambio de Cuerdas”, translating to “a change of strings” is scheduled

to be recorded in Holland in June 2016. The title stems from Malinconico’s

endeavour to broaden his repertoire, moving beyond Argentinian pieces to

incorporate music from other Latin American countries. These new additions were

inspired by musical encounters over the past two years, such as those with Martin

Müller (Germany), Federico Diaz (New York City) and Edsart Udo de Haes (the

Netherlands).

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Background and grants

Antonio Malinconico’s family is originally from the hinterland of Naples. He spent

much of his childhood there, and, even today, he is drawn back to his hometown on a

regular basis. This Mediterranean environment inspires the guitarist. Thanks to a

grant from the Culture Foundation of Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden, he had the

opportunity to complete a four-month stay in Naples in 2011. This fascinatingly

contrasting maritime city was where he wrote the piece “In Attesa” for the trio

“Antonio Malinconico e Amici”. In 2012, the city council of St Gallen accorded him a

three-month stay at an art studio in Genua and the canton of St Gallen provided

support in the form of a grant. These contributions and stays abroad enabled the

composer and guitarist to dedicate himself to developing his music.

Translation: Amber Latheron

Text: Diana Zucca

More information about:

Antonio Malinconico http://www.antonio.ch

Antonio Malinconico Videos http://www.antonio.ch/videos

Antonio Malinconico Biography http://www.antonio.ch/biografie

Antonio Malinconico e Amici http://www.antonioeamici.ch

Night of NylonGuitars http://www.night-of-nylonguitars.de

Festival Guitarras del Mundo http://www.festivalguitarrasdelmundo.com

Martin Müller http://www.brazilguitar.de

Edsart Udo de Haes http://www.edsartudodehaes.nl

Federico Diaz http://www.federicodiazguitar.com

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