Gabriele Bonolis is a multifaceted conductor, violoncellist, and composer, recognized for his versatility across various musical genres. He is the recent recipient of the “Premio Internazionale Ennio Morricone per la Pace,” an award established by Marcello Filotei. His conducting repertoire encompasses a wide range, spanning from the 18th and 19th centuries to contemporary works, alongside extensive experience in music for theater and cinema.
Throughout his career, Bonolis has conducted numerous esteemed ensembles, including the Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera of Rome, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale of Rai, the Orchestra della Toscana, the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, and the Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese, among others. He has also collaborated with I Solisti Aquilani, the Icarus Ensemble, the Orchestra of Rome and Lazio, the Teatro Lirico of Cagliari Orchestra, the Ente Concerti Marialisa de Carolis of Sassari, the Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, the Gruppo Musica d’Oggi, and Roma Sinfonietta, working with notable soloists such as Luis Bacalov, Elizabeth Norberg Schulz, Andrea Bacchetti, Maurizio Zanini, and Charlie Siem.
As a violoncellist, Bonolis has performed across various countries, including Italy, Canada, Norway, France, Morocco, Brazil, Scotland, Japan, and the United States. He has frequently collaborated with prominent musical institutions, such as the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, the Teatro delle Muse Foundation in Ancona, the Teatro Donizetti of Bergamo, Musica per Roma, and the Royal Opera House of Muscat in Oman. His work has included participation in renowned festivals like MITO, Ruhrtriennale, Dresden Semperoper, the Reate Festival, and the Teatro Marrucino, collaborating with distinguished artists such as Roman Vlad, Bruno Bartoletti, Mirella Freni, Ennio Morricone, and Hans Werner Henze. Notably, he worked with Henze on the lyric operas "Gogo no eiko" (performed at the Festival of Two Worlds in 2010) and "Gisela!" (featured at the Ruhrtriennale and Semperoper in 2010).
In 2015, Bonolis was selected by the Teatro delle Muse in Ancona to conduct Giacomo Puccini’s "La Bohème" with the FORM. That same year, he made history as the first musician to conduct a symphonic concert in various stations of Rome’s new metro C underground, leading the Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera of Roma in an event titled “WE DID NOT CRY – Coming out from the ghetto: the artists of Terezin speak to our time,” produced by the SHE LIVES Association. This event garnered significant media attention and was broadcast live on Rai Radio 3.
In the past two years, Bonolis has achieved several notable debuts, including "Un’infinita primavera attendo," a lyric opera with a libretto by Sandro Cappelletto and music by Daniele Carnini at the Accademia Filarmonica Romana; "Operagalla," a lyric gala for Opera Rogaland in Stavanger, Norway; "Il colore del sole," a lyric opera with a libretto by Andrea Camilleri and music by Lucio Gregoretti at the XVII Festival Pergolesi Spontini and Teatro Pavarotti Modena; and "I due timidi" and "La notte di un nevrastenico" by Nino Rota at the Reate Festival. He also presented "Una serata con Ennio Morricone" at the I.U.C. of Rome.
In January 2018, the Accademia di Santa Cecilia invited him to conduct "Anna e Zef," a lyric opera about Anne Frank, featuring a libretto by Ad de Bont and music by Monique Krüs, with Cesare Scarton as director. In February, he conducted "La Bohème" by Puccini and "Die Fledermaus" by J.S. Strauss at Opera Rogaland in Norway. June marked his debut with "La buona figliola" (La Cecchina) by Niccolò Piccinni, based on a libretto by Carlo Goldoni.
Bonolis is also a recipient of the 2003 Mario Nascimbene Awards, a competition for film composition, where he was honored under the presidency of Roman Vlad. He currently holds the position of full professor of Chamber Music at the Conservatory ‘N. Sala‘ in Benevento, Italy.
