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Nicola Possenti and Paolo Pellegrini form a musical duo that stands out for its musical exploration dedicated to the chamber music of little-known and often marginalised composers, alongside the classical repertoire for this ensemble. United by a deep passion for this repertoire, their project aims to subvert the traditional hierarchies of chamber music, challenging the dominance of string instruments and offering an innovative vision of a genre traditionally confined to classical circuits.

The Duo Althea is closely followed by Henk Guittart, esteemed violist and conductor, and former member of the renowned Schoenberg Quartet. Considered by the duo to be a true mentor, Guittart plays an essential role in their artistic journey, greatly contributing to their musical and interpretative growth.

Their collaboration began in 2019 in Tallinn, at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. After meeting again in Italy, they decided to continue their musical journey together, making their concert debut in Flero (BS). In 2021, they reached the finals of the Tallinn International Chamber Music Competition, winning the special jury prize for their performance of Jörg Widmann’s “Fünf Bruchstücke”. The same year, they won the ‘Novecento’ prize at the Concorso Internazionale “Luigi Nono” in Venaria Reale.

From 2022 to 2024, they performed in important Italian halls such as the Sala dei Giganti at the Liviano in Padua and the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome. They participated in major festivals such as the Borgomusica Festival and the Festival delle Nazioni, also presenting premieres of pieces commissioned especially for them, including Andrew Tholl’s “The Difference Between Space and Oblivion” and Eden Lonsdale’s “Dawnings”.
In 2023, the duo reached the semi-finals at the International Chamber Music Competition in Pinerolo and the finals of several prestigious competitions
(“Concurso Internacional de Música de Cámara Antón García Abril”, Concorso Nazionale “Alberto Burri”)
In 2024, they won First Prize and Audience Prize at the 6th International Competition “Amics Cambra Romanica” in Andorra and Second Prize at the International Competition “Giulio Rospigliosi” and were artists-in-residence at the Residart and Pergolesi Spontini Festival in Jesi.

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