Mario Caroli

“Mario Caroli has nearly superhuman skill, paired with extraordinary musical intelligence.”  — American Record Guide 

“He made a sound you wanted to drink in.” — New York Times 

“A musician whose possibilities are boundless.” — Le Monde de la Musique 

“The range of colour and texture that this outstanding soloist obtains is hauntingly beautiful.”  — The Guardian

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At the occasion of one of Mario Caroli’s recitals at the Société Philarmonique of Bruxelles, a critic remarked: “the audience was literally amazed by his technique, his power, his poetry and his musicality”, whereas his first recital at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris was called to be “of an amazing evocative power.”

Mario Caroli appears regularly in the greatest concert halls of the world including the Philharmonic Halls of Berlin and Cologne, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Opéra Garnier in Paris, the New York Lincoln Center (in the cycle of “Great Performers”), Oji Hall, Suntory Hall and Opera City House of Tokyo, the Parco della Musica in Rome, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Bruxelles, the Amsterdam Muziekgebouw.

He plays flute concertos – from Vivaldi to Sciarrino, as well as Mercadante, Ibert or Jolivet – with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Orchestra of Radio Cologne (WDR), the Orchestra of the Stuttgart Opera Theatre, the Orchestra of the Rouen Opera, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Stockholm, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the Ensemble Contrechamps of Geneva, the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, the Schola Heidelberg with conductors like Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Heinz Holliger, Christian Mandeal, Kazushi Ono, Pascal Rophé, Oswald Sallaberger.

Mario Caroli also obtained a university degree in philosophy (summa cum laude, with a thesis on Nietzsche’s “Der Antichrist”) and has a passion for poetry, cinema and psychology. This cultural interest supports his attempts to renew and revitalise the traditional views on the instrument and its repertoire. Going beyond the great canon of the historical flute repertoire, Mario Caroli became a preferred soloist for some of the greatest composers of today. He is the only contemporary flutist having performed on monographic concerts the complete works for the flute by Sciarrino, Ferneyhough and Jolivet. Interpretations of a stunning virtuosity, phantasy and energy which made critics call him a “phenomenon”.

His scenic appearance was often a subject of critics: “Tall and elegant, he seems to be a figure by El Greco, with a total mastery of his instrument” (Muzsika, Budapest). Others wrote: “He played fairly rocking out in ecstasy, and one could only look in an incredulous stupor” (Musicweb international, New York), “A musical gesture elegant as well as sensual, he gave a concert which doesn’t allow any objection” (Diario Basco, San Sebastian).

His discography contains approximately twenty titles. The recent recordings of works for flute by Jolivet (“one of the best performances heard in recent months – maybe even in a few years”, American Record Guide) and by Sciarrino were received with the highest possible acclaim: “Diapason d’or” (Diapason), “Recommandé” (Répertoire), “Coup de Coeur de l’Académie Charles Cros”, “A!” (Anaclase), “Eccezionale!” (Musica), “Best recording of the year” (Musicweb international), “Best CD of the month” (Amadeus and CD Classics). His recordings and concerts have been broadcasted by radio and TV stations thoughout the whole world.

Concerning his didactic activities, Mario Caroli has given masterclasses and worked as an artist in residence at prestigious institutions like Harvard University (where he was invited to hold the FROMM-residency between 2007 and 2008), Toho College (Tokyo), the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), the Centre Acanthes (Paris, Metz) or the Conservatoire Superieur of Geneva. After having been teaching for 17 years at the Académie Supérieure de Musique de Strasbourg, the city where he still lives, Mario is holds the chair of flute at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg (Germany), whose prestigious fluteclass is recognized worldwide.  At the occasion of one of his recitals at the Société Philarmonique of Bruxelles, a critic remarked: “the audience was litterally amazed by his technique, his power, his poetry and his musicality”, whereas his first recital at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris was called to be “of an amazing evocative power.”

A cosmopolitan and polyglot artist, Mario speaks fluently in six languages.