Ensemble El Cimarrón

Ivan Mancinelli

Began his musical studies in Percussion Instruments at the N. Piccinni Conservatory in Bari, where he graduated summa cum laude with Mr. Forestiere in 1996. In the same year he was admitted as ordinary student at the Universität für Musik Mozarteum Salzburg, where he attended the class of Mr. Peter Sadlo and where, in October 2003, he obtained, summa cum laude, the grade of Magister.

He can boast an intense concert activity in chamber ensembles and orchestras, as well as a soloist, and he has been touring Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France, United States, Bulgaria, China, and Thailand.

As a soloist, he shows particular interest in the classical and contemporary repertory for percussion, bringing along intense collaborations with living composers such as S.E. Panzer, who has dedicated to him various compositions such as “VAeST” (the first absolute execution having been performed in duo with the guitarist Christina Schorn in Salzburg), and “Assente III” (for Marimba solo).

In 1999 he met H. W. Henze in Munich, working on the Maestro’s chamber opera “El Cimarrón”.

Several performances of the piece followed: in Salzburg (Salzburger Festspieleröffnung, Festival Aspekte), Tübingen (Kammeroper), Monopoli (Conservatory), Hallein (Junge Kultur), Hamburg (NDR), Nürnberg (Theater Nürnberg).

In 2003 he published the essay Cello Suites, dal Violoncello alla Marimba, (Cello Suites – from the Violoncello to the Marimba) for the Edizioni Pugliesi - Martina Franca.

He is being frequently invited as guest percussionist by the RAI Symphony Orchestra in Turin.

He has made recordings for Aulos, Enja and Edizione Paoline. He is the only Italian percussionist who plays original Gandharva Loka ethnic and handmade instruments.