Ivan Monighetti

Professor Ivan Monighetti, the last maestro pupil of the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich at Moscow Conservatory, is regularly praised by the public, composers, other artists, and press as one of the most fascinating musical personalities of the present day. Winning the renowned Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1974 meant the beginning of an international career and the continuous ascent of Ivan Monighetti into the world’s musical elite. Since this success, the artist has performed with such recognised orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, and the Moscow and St Petersburg Philharmonics.
Apart from his numerous solo commitments, Ivan Monighetti is heard regularly in the concerts of chamber music on the world’s most prominent stages. The artist has performed music together with Martha Argerich, Sabine Meyer, Sharon Kam, Gérard Poulet, Liana Issakadze, Mikhail Pletnev, Arto Noras, Anner Bylsma, and Pavel Gililov.
Monighetti is as appreciative a specialist in contemporary music as in the performance practices of the 18th century. He continues to receive new creative impulses from contacts with the greatest composers of his time including Krzysztof Penderecki, Sofia Gubajdulina, Alexander Knaifel, Valentin Silvestrov, Frangis Ali-Sade, and Rudolf Kelterborn. Many works of these composers have made their way into his basic repertoire.
Monighetti performs gladly as a guest at renowned festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Cello Festival in Kronberg, the Ravinia Festival Chicago, the Borjomi Arts Festival in Tiflis, the Santa Fe Music Festival, Martha Argerich and the Berliner Festspiele.
His numerous CDs recorded for different labels were honoured with important prizes all over the world. His performance of J.S. Bach’s 6 Suites for cello solo won him the Polish Golden Fryderyk Prize in 2002, and the Swiss RTSI television produced two TV documentaries: “Ritratto A Monighetti” and “Monighetti: storie di famiglia” on the artist.
Ivan Monighetti lives at present in Switzerland, where he is the Professor of Cello at the Music Academy in Basel. As a teacher he continues the tradition of his teacher Mstislav Rostropovich. Many of his students, including Sol Gabetta, Emil Rovner, Nicolas Altstaedt, and Asier Polo, enjoy international renown.
Ivan Monighetti’s latest CD (autumn 2008) recorded for ECM features works by Alexander Knaifel with the artist performing as the cellist, pianist, and conductor.