Massimiliano Donninelli was born in Jesi, achieves studies of Saxophone with Albino Mattei, Enzo Veddovi (Diploma with Flying Colours and Merit at the Conservatoire G.Rossini - Pesaro) and Jean-Marie Londeix (Prémiere Prix et medaille d’Or à l’unanimitè avec felicitations du Jury au Conservatoire National de Region de Bordeaux et Prix de Musique de Chambre), Composition, Conducting with Zoltán Peskó, László Tihany and George Pehlivanian.

Winner at very young age of national and international Competitions, he enters upon an international career, invited in festivals as Trieste Prima, Mittelfest, Otranto Festival, MGN Monaco, Biennale-Europa Mediterranea (Roma), Biennale Musica (Venezia), Teatro La Fenice (Venezia), Rijeka, Pula, Xth World Saxophone Congress (Pesaro), Xth International Saxophone Master-Class (Fermo), Teatro “G.Rossini” di Pesaro,  Milano Oltre, CDMC (Madrid), Biennale Zagabria, Zaal De Unie (Rotterdam), Nuove Forme (Verona), VIII Mednarodno Srecanje Saksofonistov (Nova Gorica), 14th World Saxophone Congress (Ljubljana), Lubenicke Festival (Croazia), Bordeaux, Centenary of the birth of Goffredo Petrassi (Trieste) and Luigi Dallapiccola (Pisino d’Istria), RadioFrance (Paris), Sagra Malatestiana di Rimini.

He performed as soloist with Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, he collaborated with Lu Jia, Christian Lauba, Ovidiu Balan, Orchestra Mihail Jora, Valeria Moriconi, Gruppo La Macina, Ensemble International des Saxophones de Bordeaux, Jean-Marie Londeix, Luciano Berio (Massimiliano is the only italian saxophonist to have collaborated with the Master of the execution sequence IXb for alto saxophone), Claudio Ambrosini, Alessandro Sbordoni, Eric Trémolières, International Saxophone quartet – Sax Overseas, Giampaolo Coral, François Rossé, Stefano Bassanese, Renato Rivolta, Alessandro Solbiati, Dimitri Nicolau, Luca Mosca, Mauro Lanza, Lorenzo Pagliei, Andrea Vigani, Fabio Nieder.

He gaves master-classes, concerts and conferences for Istitutions as Youngstown University (USA), Alberta University (Edmonton, Canada), Universität Klagenfurt, Fondazione Regionale per lo Spettacolo (FVG), SISSA (Trieste), Centro Nazionale di Studi Leopardiani (Recanati), CTP (Centro Tradizioni Popolari, Jesi) Museo Teatrale “C.Schmidl” (Trieste), Grm-Ina (Paris). In collaboration with Socrates Project he gaves masterclasses and concerts for Real Conservatorio Superior de Mùsica (Madrid), Escola Superior de Mùsica (Lisboa), Konservatorium Wien and Trinity College of London.

He took part of the jury of the “III International Saxophone Competition Alpe-Adria-Danubio” (Nova Gorica), II International Competition for youngs saxophonists “Saksistra 2007” (Koper), 36 Concorso Nazionale “TEMSIG” (Ljubljana), III and IV International Competition Paolo Spincich Prize (Trieste).

His compositions are performed in Italy, Germany, Slovenia, France, Croatia, broadcasted by Rss Sky, Rete A, Telequattro, Radio Vaticana, RAI, UN Radio (Antioquia, Colombia) and performed as world prémiere by interpreters as Zagreb Saxophone Quartett, Celje String Orchestra, Nenad Firšt, Luisa Sello, Arno Bornkamp. He wrote music for the theatre, CTK-Lecce, UPT Trieste and Regione FVG, he published with Pizzicato (Udine), Sloway Music Editions (Ljubljana) Rusty Records (Milano-Torino) and recorded for CBC, Rai, Rai Slo, RNE, RadioFrance.

He founded and he conducts regulary the “PrismaEnsemble” of Trieste, “Gruppo-Laboratorio di musica da camera Contemporanea del Conservatorio G.Tartini di Trieste” and “Trieste Saxophone Orchestra”. Collaborates with Chromas Ensemble of Trieste and “Ex-Novo Ensemble” of Venice.

Has been appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor “ONGI” (Italian National Youth Orchestra) project that began as the development of JMIYO. He has been appointed Vice President of GMI (Youth Music of Italy - Jeunesse Musicales International) seat of Verona.

He was nominated Artistic Director of “paeSaggi Sonori”, project understanding from the Conservatory of Udine and Trieste, winner of competition of the Regione FVG for the production and divulgation of new music.

He was invited from the Italian Department of State Education (MIUR - Ministry of State Education, University and Scientific Research) to take part to the national commission to value the new didactic courses in the Italian Conservatoires of Music and Instituts of Music Officially recognized.

He teached at the International Master-Class of Spilimbergo (Istituto G.A. Fano-ANBIMA) and at the International Master-Class of Associazione D.Sarro - European Arts Academy di Trani. He teached at the Conservatory “A.Scontrino” of Trapani, at the Istituto Musicale Pareggiato “P.Mascagni” of Livorno and as a winner of State Competition for Chairs of teacher of Saxophone he teached since 1995 to 1996 at the Conservatoire of Music in Benevento and since 1996 he is the teacher of Saxophone at the Conservatoire “G.Tartini” in Trieste, where he teached also Semeiography of contemporary music for the Accademic level.

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