MJB – Manzoni Junior Band – Lecco

As early as the 1970s, the Manzoni presidency had become aware of the fact that only by cultivating new talents, the future of the band could be ensured. Over time, musical teaching was initially entrusted to the most expert musicians and to the section heads who, under the supervision of the Maestro, instructed the young students; later real and proper classes of strumento were structured and entrusted to graduated professors. In the 1980s, Manzoni made an agreement with the “Zelioli” Civic School of Music in Lecco for the training of clarinetists, flutists and saxophonists, but this experience did not have the desired results. Likewise, in the early 1990s, Manzoni supported the establishment of the small band at the “Tommaso Grossi” middle School in via Ghislanzoni, with the loan of some musical instruments. After the first dazzling results, the strip broke up also following an overall reorganization of the didactic and musical paths among the schools of the city.

On the other hand, the subsequent experience with the “Stoppani” Middle School was positive: the marked musical sensitivity of the headmaster Eugenio Ripamonti, combined with the tenacity of professor Annita Viganò (literature teacher at Stoppani and secretary of Manzoni for many years), allowed the startup of an experimental afternoon course for clarinets. In addition to the positive conduct of the lessons, the three- year period, covered by the agreement, allowed to establish excellent bonds with the valuable music teachers of that school, thanks to which interesting collaborations are still possible today for the brass, flute and percussion sections. With a pinch of pride, we can see that those best boys of the “Stoppani” often cover the first parts in Manzoni today; some students have continued their studies at the conservatory where they obtained their diploma, thus being able to carry out teaching activities for the youngest.

But the real leap in quality in the organization of the Allievi School was due to the project “Che Musica Ragazzi!” which was activated by the band in 2004 for a value of almost 10 thousand euros, and obtained the precious financing of half of the expenses from the Foundation of the Province of Lecco chaired by Mario Romano Negri. In this way, an amplification system and new musical instruments were bought for the children. It was possible to print a colored brochure, capable of intriguing the children and bringing them closer to band music. The didactic director of the students’ school, Emanuela Milani, assisted by all the music teachers of the band, organized an intervention plan in 12 lessons and concerts at the elementary schools of Lecco, which was then replicated in the following years, thus giving life to a positive influx of young students towards the Banda school. Elisabetta Frizzi (President of the Manzoni Band from January 2020) has recently intensified and expanded collaborations with local schools, also thanks to the collaboration with the Cariplo Foundation.

To achieve such a well-established school, and considering the fact that the musical level reached in the meantime by the major staff of the band did not allow an immediate admission of the students, it was necessary to create a “buffer” that would allow the students to move the first notes in the ensemble music. For this reason, in 2008, the “MJB-Manzoni Junior Band” was formed, and in May of that year it made its debut in the competition of Valmadrera (Lc), conducted by trumpeter Marcello Corti. In 2009 his place was taken by Maestro Francesco Chimienti, an already established musician and clarinet teacher, who allowed the “Junior”, in a short time, to obtain flattering results starting from the 2009 Christmas performances, held in the interlude of the official Manzoni program. . Already on 4th December 2010, at the invitation of a local association, the “MJB” held its first official concert in the council room of the Municipality of Oggiono (Lc), thus releasing that link with the major band, and starting to move the first steps alone. Since then, it has performed regular concerts in schools, theaters and squares in the Lecco area.

CURRICULUM VITAE BY FRANCESCO CHIMIENTI

Born in 1972, he brilliantly graduated from the “G. Verdi ”in Milan in 1992 in the class of Maestro Primo Borali.

He followed master classes with Maestro Fabrizio Meloni and, for the Eb clarinet, with Maestro Denis Zanchetta.

From the school year 2017/18, he is a permanent music teacher at the Comprehensive Institute “G. Carducci “in Olginate with the task of musical enhancement and contact person for the Music Department.

He studied the musical culture by following a conducting course within the “Didactics of Music” courses at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan.

In 2006 he attended two university courses about Music Therapy, held by the Catholic University of Milan with Professor Dario Benatti and with Maestro Rolando Benezon. He was a music teacher in the two-year period 2005/06 and 2006/07 in the special middle school “La Nostra Famiglia” in Bosisio Parini.

He directs several youth teams.

From 1988 to 1995 he collaborated with Maestro Davide Gualtieri (professor at Milan Conservatory) first as a cantor (performing a repertoire from Palestrina to Bach) then as a clarinetist specialized in contemporary music (also performing the “Clarinet Sequence” of Luciano Berio).

In 1995 he was first eligible in the International Orchestra of Italy.

He also collaborated as first clarinet with the following musicians and directors: Michele Campanella, Gabriele Cassone, Sergio Lattes, Steven Mead, Mario Marzi, Massimiliano Caldi, Julius Kalmar, Alun Francis, Derek Han, Jean-Luis Steuermann, Gianandrea Noseda, Massimiliano Caldi, Massimo Palumbo, Mario Valsecchi, Leon Spierer, Elena Duran, Emilia Moskvitina, Julian Kovachev, Vladimir Jurowski.

As a solo clarinet, he collaborated with the most famous directors and composers for wind orchestra:

Lorenzo Della Fonte, Andrea Franceschelli, Maurizio Billi, Fulvio Creux, Franco Cesarini, Jan Van Der Roost, Johan De Maij, Frank Battisti, Lazlo Marosi, Pietro Damiani, Pablo Samchez Torrella, Joseph Horovitz, Alfred Reed, Ferrer Ferran.

He has collaborated with the following orchestras:

Stabile di Como, Swarowski of Milan, International Orchestra

D’Italia, Symphony Orchestra “G. Verdi “in Milan (first clarinet from December to March ’98, he also held the role of clarinet in Eb), Teatro alla Scala (obtained eligibility in 1998, he played in the opera” L’Elisir d’amore “by G.Donizetti), UECO Orchestra (first clarinet and in Eb), “Nova et Vetera” Orchestra (performing several solo concerts with the same in the summer of 2007), Lecco Symphony Orchestra (soloist in the WA Mozart K622 Concerto) , Jupiter Orchestra.

He collaborates with the jazz pianist Roberto Zimmermann with whom he founded the DUO KIMIERMANN and with Maestro Mario Valsecchi performing several concerts with the TRIO ANCIANTICA music by Graupner, Bach and Telemann transcribed for clarinet, cello, organ and sopranos.

He owns a Vinatieri Clarinet from 1831.

In 2014 he founded with the pianist Isabella Chiarotti the DUO FRAÌSA (Romantic repertoire and early twentieth century).

He plays the electronic clarinet Ewi Akai, with the rock group 5FINGERS (www.5fingers.info)

Since 2019 he has been collaborating with “YATRÌAH”, a training specialized in klezmer music and in general in the Eastern European music. (www.yatriah.org)

In 1996 he took part in the Mid West International Band & Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.