About
Orchestra: Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Age: 49
Interview date and place: November 14, 2010 at the Conservatorio della Svizzzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
Instrument: Dürk D3
Mouthpiece: Oliphant Orval 6S with BR rim
Primary Teacher: Elvio Modonesi, solo horn of RAI Orchestra
Professional Background: La Scala Orchestra since age 19
At just 16 years of age Danilo Stagni was selected by Claudio Abbado to become first horn player in the orchestra of Teatro la Scala, a position he continues to hold. From 1979-1980, again under Abbado´s direction, Stagni gained the position of first horn in the European Community Youth Orchestra.
During this time he won various international awards eg
- the GB Viotti (1978)
- the F.G Verganti in Stresa
- the International Competition for Wind Instruments in Ancona (1979)
in addition to other awards.
From 1981 he has challenged both lyrical and symphonic repertory under such prestigious conductors as Carlos Kleiber, Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Georg Solti, Wolfgang Sawallisch,Carlo Maria Giulini and Valery Gergiev. During the 1997 Teatro La Scala production of the Wagner Ring cycle directed by Riccardo Muti, Stagni performed the celebrated onstage horn solo in Siegfried.
Among the most significant recordings he made under Riccardo Muti´s direction feature:
- W.A Mozart: Symphony for four wind soloists K297
- Stravinsky: Baiser de la Fée (integral version)
- Brahms: Serenade no. 1 for Sony classical
Under Giulini´s baton he participated in the recording of the complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies and with Chailly, two unedited Rossini cantatas with horn obbligato. In the course of the 2002 concert season of the Filarmonica Della Scala, Stagni performed the Britten Serenade for Horn,Tenor and Strings under the direction of Sir Jeffrey Tate which was filmed and recorded by Mediaset. With Riccardo Muti conducting La Filarmonica della Scala, he performed the horn obbligato of the the Bach B minor Mass. On various occasions Stagni has performed the Mozart horn concertos at Teatro La Scala with the Orchestra dell´Accademia, some of whose members he has taught since 2000. He has recorded the Haydn horn concertos with Italian Swiss Radio Orchestra. He has held masterclasses both in Italy and Japan (Ashikaga University and the Sapporo Summe Festival).
From 2008 he is working as guest solo horn with Berlin Staatskapelle under D.Baremboin direction