Manuel Padula

Born in 1993, Raffaele Manuel Padula graduated in saxophone in 2012 at the “Umberto Giordano” Conservatoire of Music in Rodi Garganico, Foggia, where he studied with Maestro Gabriele Buschi. In 2014, at the same Conservatoire of music, he obtained a Master’s degree with honours in Saxophone. Later, in 2017, he graduated with honours in Chamber Music (Master’s degree) at the “Giovan Battista Martini” Conservatoire of Music in Bologna where he studied with Maestro Guido Felizzi. In the last 2020, he completed his studies with Maestro Hans de Jong at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp (Belgium) where he obtained a Master in Arts and Music cum laude.

Throughout his academic studies, he brilliantly attended many masterclasses conducted by musicians such as Mario Marzi, Hans de Jong, Angel Soria Diaz, Marco Gerboni, Francesco Santucci, Bill Smith, Jérôme Laran, Arno Bornkamp, Paweł Gusnar,Federico Mondelci. He also took private lessons by Marco Gerboni and Massimo Mazzoni. Manuel Padula also achieved many national and international prizes, for instance in 2015 he won the first prize at the “Concorso Internazionale Garganum” playing an interesting composition by Maestro Daniele Faziani. In the following 2017 and 2018 he obtained the first prize at the “Concorso Alberghini” both in chamber music – with the pianist Andrea D’Alonzo - and soloist wind instrument. After winning an audition, in 2016 dicember 17th, he played as soloist at the Comunale Theatre of Bologna with the orchestra conducted by Maestro Alberto Caprioli.

Manuel Padula regularly works as saxophonist with the Comunale Theatre of Bologna and The Philarmonic Orchestra of Bologna in different productions such as West Side Story in 2018 (conducted by Maestro Timothy Brock) and with the Philharmonic Orchestra (conductor Maestro Kristjan Jarvi) with Stefano Bollani as solist in 2019 (...). In 2023 Manuel Padula performed with the Teatro Comunale Orchestra for a very important symphonic production directed by the world-renowned director Daniel Oren.

Manuel Padula plays in duo with different pianists as Andrea D’Alonzo and Luca Cocomazzi in majour theatres throughout Italy and Europe. He worked with severals orchestras being Orchestra Aquilana, Wind Orchestra of Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, Symfonie Orkest of Antwerp. In 2019 he set up the European Panlink Saxophone Quartet which plays several concerts in Italy and Europe.

In 2021 he published his first album “Hasta que la musica se pare” as a tribute to Astor Piazzolla, in duo with the pianist Francesco Monaco. At a later time, he published another album “In Time” in duo with the pianist Stefano Bezziccheri. In 2022 he published two important recording projects with the Accademia 2008 publishing house. The wind quartet has recorded a disc dedicated to the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla on the title “Un año después” , subsequently, he recorded as a soloist with the wind orchestra of Umbria " Orchestra Fiati della Valnerina".

Manuel Padula is a Buffet Crampon Artist.