Diego Chenna

Diego Chenna ha studiato con V. Menghini al Conservatorio di Torino e con Azzolini presso la Musikhochschule di Stoccarda. In quegli stessi anni ha suonato con la Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester e la European Union Youth Orchestra sotto la direzione di Claudio Abbado, il quale lo ha recentemente invitato come primo fagotto, docente e solista presso l’ “Orchestra Mozart” di Bologna. Come primo fagotto ha collaborato, tra le altre, con la Chamber Orchestra of Europe e la World Orchestra for Peace diretta da Valery Gergiev. Nel 1998 si è aggiudicato il primo premio al Concorso Internazionale “Fernand Gilet” negli Stati Uniti e ha intrapreso la carriera come solista e camerista. Apprezzato interprete del repertorio cameristico, il suo nome compare nei cartelloni di importanti festival europei dove suona con musicisti quali H. Holliger, G. Kremer, M. Portal, A. Lonquich, M. Brunello, M. Bourgue, Y. Bashmet, P. Moraguès, P. Kopatchinskaja e molti altri. Nell’anno mozartiano 2006 ha eseguito il concerto K. 191 con la Kremerata Baltica, lo stesso anno ha partecipato al Festival di Lucerna, nuovamente sotto la direzione di Claudio Abbado. Attualmente, è fagotto solista presso la «Irish Chamber Orchestra».

Hanno scritto di lui:

«… passionalità e riflessione in perfetto equilibrio, suoni da fantascienza da un tubo di legno… virtuoso assoluto. «

(Badische Zeitung, 24.07.09)

“…finally, the bassoon gets opportunity to star…his  sound is warm, rich and expansive…; a bassoonist with the “gentle sway” of Lester Young…”

(Garreth Smith, The Daily Star)


Diego Chenna studied with V. Menghini at the Turin Music Conservatoire and with Sergio Azzolini at the MHS in Stuttgart. In those same years, he played with the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester and the European Union Youth Orchestra directed by Claudio Abbado, who has recently invited him to play in Lucerne Festival Orchestra and to cooperate with Orchestra Mozart, as a teacher, first bassoon and soloist. In 1998 he won the first prize at the “Fernand Gillet International Competition” in U.S.A. and started his career as a soloist and chamber musician; as a soloist, he performed with Rai Orchestra Nazionale della Radiotelevisione Italiana, Orchestra da camera di Mantova, Camerata Bern, Camerata Zürich, Moscow Soloists, European Union Chamber Orchestra, Georgian State Symphony Orchestra, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Beethoven Academie (Antwerpen), Bieler Sinfonieorchester u.a.

In “Mozart year 2006” he performed the bassoon concerto K 191 with the “Kremerata Baltica”.

As a first bassoon player, he cooperated with The Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the World Orchestra for Peace directed by Valery Gergiev. Being an appreciated chamber musician, his name appears in various important European festivals, playing with such artists as Heinz Holliger, Alexander Lonquich, Gidon Kremer, Maurice Bourgue, Yuri Bashmet, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Mario Brunello, Michel Portal, Jacques Zoon a.o. . His ceaseless search in the music field often leads him to move on beyond the classical repertoire of his instrument, onto innovative grounds: the rediscovery of forgotten music, the development of new execution techniques, the utilization of live electronics and the creation of a new repertoire nowadays represent his main interest. Many composers have dedicated some of their works to him.

Presently, he’s bassoon solo at the Irish Chamber Orchestra.

“…finally, the bassoon gets opportunity to star…his sound is warm, rich and expansive…; a bassoonist with the “gentle sway” of Lester Young…” (Garreth Smith, The Daily Star)