Mirko Zanotti is an Italian classical guitarist based in Rotterdam, performing throughout Europe in concert series and international festivals. His experience encompasses solo recitals, appearances as a soloist with orchestra and chamber music collaborations. He holds two master’s degrees, in Classical Guitar and Chamber Music, both awarded with the highest honours, and has won first prizes and received further distinctions in solo competitions. His approach to performance combines close attention to musical structure with an exploration of the guitar’s colours and expressive possibilities. He seeks to make the character of each work clear to the listener, sharing the details and emotions that give the music its meaning. Mirko began studying the guitar at the age of nine and pursued his education at the O. Respighi Conservatory in Latina and the L. Refice Conservatory in Frosinone, completing his bachelor’s degree with the highest honours before undertaking his postgraduate studies. His teachers have included Stefano Palamidessi, Francesca Vicari, Eduardo Baranzano and Andrea Pace. An Erasmus period at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Navarra in Pamplona marked the beginning of several years of musical activity in Spain. He subsequently returned through a Working with Music scholarship to teach guitar and chamber music at the same institution. Chamber music is a central part of his professional life. He performs with his brother, guitarist Gabriele Zanotti, as Duo Z, and with flautist Margherita Brodsky as Duo Voyager. His ensemble experience includes E-cetra, TrioDimensional and the historic Orquesta de Pulso y Púa Paulino Otamendi in Pamplona. In the Netherlands, he is a member of ONI and LVGE, continuing to develop musical connections within his adopted home. Alongside his performing activity, Mirko brings more than fifteen years of teaching experience across conservatory, music academy and private settings. Following his work in Navarra, he taught at the Scherzo Music Academy in Estella and continues to teach students internationally, both in person and online, in Italian, English and Spanish. His teaching places technical development alongside musical understanding, encouraging students to become confident and independent musicians. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Festival Internacional de Guitarra Clásica “Monasterio de Irache” in Ayegui, Spain, where his responsibilities include artistic programming, artist coordination and the development of partnerships. Set within the historic monastery, the festival brings established performers, emerging musicians and audiences together around the classical guitar. An RC Strings Artist, Mirko’s work across performance, education and artistic direction reflects a sustained commitment to the instrument and to the people who encounter it.
A closer listening
“To me, performing is like guiding someone through a museum: drawing attention to details that reveal the character of a work, so that its meaning becomes clearer-even to someone encountering it for the first time.”
My aim is to remain as faithful as possible to the composer’s intentions, through a careful reading of the score and an understanding of its context. A staccato, a forte or a crescendo leaves room for interpretation, but that freedom serves a musical purpose. Just as we may read a question aloud in different ways while still making it unmistakably a question, I believe interpretation should make the musical message clear. I want to help listeners hear the relationships, gestures and colours within a piece, and discover its expressive depth without needing specialist knowledge.
Mirko Zanotti