MoNo Guitar Duo

MoNo Guitar Duo
(Molino Giuseppe and Nowicka Anna K.)

'There is nothing more beautiful than the guitar […], except maybe two'

These words attributed to F. Chopin are the most famous quote about the guitar. The beauty of this instrument and the uniqueness of the musical formation that is a duo are emphasized in their artistic activities by the members of MoNo Guitar Duo – Giuseppe Molino and Anna K. Nowicka. In June 2021, their debut album 'The Well-Tempered Guitars vol.1' was released, dedicated to works written for two guitars by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. The creativity of this composer from Florence, previously overshadowed by the fame of his students, including Henry Mancini and John Williams, is gaining international recognition today. The CD 'The Well-Tempered Guitars vol.1' released by the Italian-Japanese label Da Vinci Publishing is the first part of a musical project that anticipates the recording by MoNo Guitar Duo of the Opera Omnia M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco for two guitars. The foreword to the album was written by the outstanding Italian composer, musicologist, and expert on classical guitar – Angelo Gilardino.

MoNo Guitar Duo is a Polish-Italian guitar duo from Rome. Anna and Giuseppe met in 2010 during their master's studies at the Conservatorio 'Santa Cecilia', but the idea of founding MoNo Guitar Duo came to them only in 2017. They are known for creatively promoting the classical guitar – an instrument that is often missing from orchestral compositions, which makes it frequently overlooked in the concert programs of important musical institutions.

The core of MoNo Guitar Duo's repertoire consists of their own arrangements for two guitars, mainly of orchestral and piano works. In 2020, two of these arrangements achieved success. Chopin's Prelude in their interpretation won a competition organized by the Italian television Telesia Tv, and for two weeks, their music video could be seen on screens at airports, trains, and subways in major Italian cities. In this way, Chopin on two classical guitars was heard and seen by several million people.

In July 2020, a video clip of their unusual transcription and interpretation of the famous 'Anitra's Dance' by E. Grieg for four hands and... one guitar gained popularity among internet users, achieving over a million views.

At the center of Anna and Giuseppe's musical activities is also collaboration with other artists. At the very beginning of the pandemic in April 2020, they created a project titled #Vivaldi93vsCovid19, which involved over 30 performers from 5 continents. The goal of #Vivaldi93vsCovid19 was not only to collaborate with artists from around the world but also to highlight the situation of musicians during the pandemic and to reflect on their role in contemporary society. The project received recognition from Italian media, and articles about it were published in 'Corriere della Sera' and 'Blog della Musica'.

The artists, besides their artistic activities, are also engaged in music education: they conduct masterclasses and seminars on the most important aspects of musicians' development, such as effective practice techniques, building stage confidence, and the impact of well-being and creativity on the development of a musical career.