Conductor and lutenist Luca Pianca was born in Lugano. He studied with Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, before beginning a 30-year association with Concentus Musicus Wien.
He was a co-founder of Il Giardino Armonico, one of the leading ensembles in the field of early music. He has made over 80 recordings, including the complete lute works of Bach and Vivaldi. His worldwide concert activity includes recitals in all the major European and US venues. His regular concert partners are violinist Dmitry Sinkovsky, viola da gamba player Vittorio Ghielmi and sopranos Marie-Claude Chappuis and Roberta Mameli.
Since 2008 he has been directing a Bach cycle at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, including performances of a hundred of Bach’s cantatas, as well as the Christmas Oratorio and the St John Passion.
In 2018 Luca Pianca was awarded the Swiss Music Prize, which is the highest recognition from the Swiss Federal Department of Culture.
