MerryStrings Ensemble
The MerryStrings Ensemble combines the sophisticated sound of string instruments with a passion for all genres of music, providing a varied and captivating musical offering.
The MerryStrings Ensemble was born from a well-established friendship that turned into an artistic partnership. Manuela Trombini on the violin/viola/mandolin, Elisa Nanni on the viola and Cecilia Zanni on the cello, have merged their individual experiences to create a dynamic and engaging musical project.
Having graduated from the conservatories of Ravenna, Bologna and Rovigo, they have been able to combine their classical training with their passion for different musical languages, mixing classical, ethnic, jazz, pop and world music.
Their artistic taste has led them to personally write arrangements and original music capable of enhancing the ductility of their string instruments, considered by most to be ‘serious’ instruments suitable only for the classical repertoire.
With the aim of disrupting this preconception and educating the public to listen and open up their sound horizons, they have ventured into educational projects and live concerts.
Thanks to the musicians’ versatility, the MerryStrings Ensemble proposes a diverse musical offer that lends itself to the public event, the private party or the concert in a hall or theatre.
Elisa Nanni
viola
She graduated in violin at the Istituto Musicale pareggiato ‘G. Verdi’ in Ravenna under the guidance of Grazia Raimondi. From the year 2000 she devoted herself exclusively to the study of the viola, obtaining her diploma under the guidance of Luciano Bertoni.
She won two scholarships as best graduate in the city of Ravenna, in 2000 as violinist and in 2004 as violist.
She attended specialization courses with Professors: Enzo Porta, Cristiano Rossi, Danilo Rossi and a quartet course with Professor Sadao Harada, cellist of the “Tokyo string quartet”.
In 2003/2004 she attended the orchestral training course, organized by the Arturo Toscanini Foundation, as first viola player. In 1999, she was part of a support orchestra for an international opera singing course with final concerts conducted by Maestro E. Handt. She has collaborated as an adjunct violist with the following orchestral and chamber ensembles: Bakau Philharmonic Orchestra of Romania, Orchestra Bizantina of Ravenna, orchestra ‘’i virtuosi italiani’’, orchestra of the Corale Polifonica Malatestiana of Cesena, orchestras of the conservatories of Bologna, Cesena, Ravenna, Rimini, orchestra ‘’La camerata del Titano’’ of S. Marino.
She currently collaborates with the following orchestras:
* orchestra Bruno Maderna di Forlì
* orchestra Città di Ravenna
* orchestra da camera di Ravenna
*associazione Mosaici Sonori di Ravenna
* orchestra “Alighieri” di Ravenna
* Cappella musicale della Basilica di San Francesco
After obtaining her diplomas, she devoted herself to teaching music to children. In 2006 she attended a course called “simple music” dedicated to teaching music to groups of children and young people. She has worked, and still works, in recording studios for classical and light music record productions. She is first viola at the Cappella Musicale della Basilica di San Francesco in Ravenna.
In addition to her concert activity, she performs musical propaedeutic projects at nursery and primary schools and is a violin and viola teacher.
Manuela Trombini
violino, viola e mandolino
Manuela Trombini obtains diploma in violin …
Cecilia Zanni
Cello
She was born in Ferrara and she started her musical studies with Italo Rizzi.
In the academic year 2002 she graduated brilliantly under the guidance of Tiziano Berardi, obtaining the Traditional Diploma in Cello.
She attended the International Course in Cello and Chamber Music held by Alessandro and Luca Simoncini in Saturnia, the 20th Century Performance Praxis course held by Stefano Cardi, and furthered her studies with Teodora Campagnaro.
She attended the specialist course at the F. Venezze Conservatory in Rovigo, studying with Luca Simoncini (cello) and with Carlo De Pirro and Patrizia Montanaro (analysis and composition). In 2005, she obtained a second level degree in Musical Disciplines (Cello) with top marks.
In 2007, she obtained a further second-level university specialization, graduating, again with top marks, in Chamber Music under the guidance of Tiziano Mealli.
Since 1999, she has dedicated herself to chamber music and has been interested in performing live music in theatrical productions. She has participated in numerous festivals and reviews that have led her to perform in important theatres and she works with important chamber ensembles and established actors such as: Ivano Marescotti (Tangaz in 1999), Nuovo Quartetto Italiano (in 2003), Quartetto Fonè (performance of Metamorfosi by R. Strauss in 2003), Marco Rogliano (in 2005), and Giorgio Albertazzi (Una ballata e qualche canzone and Dante legge Albertazzi in 2008).
She collaborates with various ensembles, including: MerryStrings Ensemble, Obtortocello, Ferrarakammertrio, Ferrara Cello Quartet, Promenade Cello Ensemble, Promenade cello quartet, Mosaici Sonori, Italian Cello Consort and the Villani – Zanni duo. As a cellist she is regularly invited by the following Orchestras: Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Virtuosi di Verona, Orchestra Alighieri, Accademia del Concerto and Silver Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2005 she has also been teaching her instrument and in 2015, she qualified to teach cello at the Conservatory of Parma with Maestro Ballarini Michele.
In 2016 she won the Ordinary Competition for titles and exams for teaching cello in Licei Musicali.
She holds the cello chair at the Liceo Musicale ‘Attilio Bertolucci’ in Parma.
Cecilia Zanni plays a Custode Marcucci.
Video presentation of the MerryStrings Ensemble
Collaborazioni e progetti
