Alfredo Bernardini
moved to Holland in 1981 in order to specialize in the baroque oboe and Early Music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with, among others, Bruce Haynes and Ku Ebbinge.

In 1987 he obtained the Soloist Diploma from that institute. He now plays regularly with the most outstanding Early Music groups, including Hesperion XX, le Concert Des Nations, la Petite Bande, Das Freiburger Barockorchester, The English Concert, Bach Collegium Japan and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra.

In 1989 he founded Zefiro together with the brothers Paolo and Alberto Grazzi. He has performed in all European Countries, the United States, Latin America, in China, Japan and Israel.

He has taken part in about fifty recordings, some of which received important international prizes, for example the Cannes Classical Award of 1995 for the CD of Vivaldi's Concertos for Oboe.

Beside directing Zefiro as a baroque orchestra, he has directed orchestras in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as the European Baroque Orchestra, with whom he has toured in China, Spain and Germany.

In addition to his playing career, he is active as a researcher into the history of wind instruments - many of his articles have been published by important international magazines - and he makes copies of historical oboes.

He teaches regularly in summer courses, including Urbino, Venice, Barbaste and Innsbruck; since 1992 he has taught the Baroque Oboe at the Amsterdam Conservatory and from 2002 at the Escola Superior de Musica de Cataluña in Barcelona.

Zefiro Torna
The vocal-instrumental ensemble Zefiro Torna brings to life the cultural heritage from the middle ages, renaissance and baroque in a unique way. The ensemble does not limit itself to a merely historical approach but combines it with other musical traditions, as well as literature, science, philosophy and current art expressions in the field of fine arts, theatre and dance. This results in fascinating pieces of ‘Gesamtkunst’ around a variety of symbolic or allegorical themes.

Therefore, the ensemble entered into dialogue with individual artists, directors, choreographers, composers and performers as Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Bram Bosteels, Brody Neuenschwander, Dick van der Harst, Ghalia Benali, Ief Spincemaille, Jeroen d’Hoe, Martin Valcke, Mauro Pawlowski, Sigrid T’Hooft, Stefaan Degand, Stevie Wishart, Timo Van Luijk, Tom Hannes and with ensembles as Abattoir Fermé, ARSENAAL/LAZARUS, Antwerps Kathedraalkoor, Figurentheater De Maan, Frank Vaganée Trio, Ialma, LOD, Pantalone, Psallentes, Ultima Thule, Vlaams Radiokoor/Hervé Niquet, Vocalconsort Berlin, ZOO/Thomas Hauert.

Through this approach, Zefiro Torna has gained international renown. The ensemble is a welcomed guest in prestigious (inter)national concert venues as Amuz, Bozar, Concertgebouw Brugge, De Bijloke, De Singel, Flagey, Handelsbeurs, Kaaitheater, Muziekgebouw aan ‘tIJ Amsterdam, Philharmonie Haarlem, Radialsystem V/Berlin, Vredenburg Utrecht, Wilminktheater Enschede and art and music festivals as Brosella, Charleroi Danses, Festival de Wallonie, Festival van Vlaanderen-Mechelen, Klarafestival, Laus Polyphoniae, MAfestival Brugge, Zomer van Antwerpen, Banchetto Musicale/Vilnius, Biennale Alter Musik/Konzerthaus Berlin, Concentus Moraviae, Festival de Musica Antigua de Sevilla, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, Festival Seviqc-Brezice Slovenië, Frysk Festival, Gergiev Festival Rotterdam, Internationale Orgelwoche Nürnberg, Landshuter Hofmusiktage, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Operadagen Rotterdam, Theaterfestival Boulevard ’s-Hertogenbosch en Zeeland Nazomer Festival.

Their creations are regularly awarded and several of them have been released on the labels Et’Cetera, Warner Classics, Homerecords and Antarctica Records.