Born 1963 in Krefeld (Germany). After classical studies of piano and violoncello intense occupation with various aspects of European folk music with its respective instruments. Several years street musician in Europe, researching medieval roots of traditional music.

Studied at the Music Academy Gothenburg in Sweden, where he obtained in 1990 the "University Certificate in Music" for drone music. He studied the hurdy-gurdy, the French bagpipe, specialized in early harps and holds a diploma for music education.

He conducts many mastercourses of early music, has published several articles and written a manual for playing the hurdy-gurdy. Apart from CD-, radio- and TV-recordings, his international concert engagements with various early music ensembles such as "Oni Wytars" (D), "Ensemble Unicorn" (A), "Accentus Austria" (A), "Le Concert Spirituel"(F), "Les Menus-Plaisirs du Roy" (B) are witness to his work to date.

While growing up Riccardo Delfino obtained a classical music education by learning to play the piano and the cello. After he had finished school he started to take an interest in the traditional music of Europe. This interest lead him to the medieval routes of occidental music. He has been working as a freelance musician concentrating on early music for 35 years. On top of that he is an internationally accredited expert and sought-after in this field.

In the context of the growing interest for historical music and its instruments in the eighties Riccardo Delfino became one of the pioneers of medieval music and music of the renaissance. He was substantially involved in the revival of the hurdy-gurdy and historical harps, especially their repertoires and playing techniques.

During the first decade of his working life he worked as a street-musician and by doing so he gained a lot of experience whilst doing research on the traditional music of Europe, its instruments which date back to medieval times and their playing techniques. At the age of 21 he co-founded the ensemble “Oni Wytars”. Even today the ensemble still gives concerts and is seen as one of the most respected ensembles for early music on international ground. His very first own instruments were built by him. He then visited musicians and instrument manufacturers all over Europe to exchange information and develop new playing techniques. While studying early music at the music academy of Gothenburg he increase the depth of his knowledge, learned theoretical basics and gained broad experience by playing in various ensembles. He played at medieval markets, wrote solo recitals and started giving more and more concerts. After having taken part in the seminar for Waldorf Education in Stuttgart and having learnt educational principles he achieved the status of certified music teacher.

In the second decade of his working life he concentrated on giving concerts. Together with famous ensembles for early music he played concerts on big stages and at festivals in Europe, in the Near-East, in North Africa and North America. During this time he began his extensive producing of records which are already over 80 up till now. Moreover he concentrated on pursuing his professional activity as a lecturer for special courses in adult education and as a private tutor for music education. He also wrote an extensive method for the hurdy-gurdy, which has established itself as a standard reference work.

During the third decade Riccardo Delfino continued his artistic work and devoted himself increasingly to teaching in addition to his concert activities. He expanded his educational work as a private tutor for music education, as a music school teacher at a Gesamtschule (equivalent to a secondary school) and as a lecturer at vocational training centres. By founding AFFETTO MUSICALE in the 2011 Riccardo Delfino wants to extend these services and his extensive knowledge and lastly share his experience.

In the course of the fourth decade, Riccardo Delfino also worked his way into the world of web design, whereby he meets the individual demands of customers in a particularly sensitive and musical way. He is also responsible for the website in his wife's company ("Blockflötenbau Kulossa" - owner Doris Kulossa-Delfino) and works there in the office, in sales, in advertising and in design.

ARTISTIC ACTIVITY/CAREER

Instruments: historical harps, celtic harp, hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes; guitar, piano, cello, percussion instruments, voice/vocals inter alia

since 1984: co-founder and member of the ensemble for early music “Oni Wytars”

from 1992: member and guest-artist in various ensembles for early music: „Ensemble Unicorn“ (Wien), „Ensemble Accentus“ (Wien), „Le Concert Spirituel“ (Paris), „Les Menus-Plaisirs du Roy“ (Brüssel), „Joglaresa“ (London), „Ars Choralis Coeln“ (Köln), „Ala Aurea“ (Köln), „Vox Werdensis“ (Essen), „Ensemble Beltatz“ (Köln), „Chant des grillons“ (Köln), „Dialogo“(Oldenburg), „DuoDelfino“ (Blomberg), „Ensemble Lad“ (Moskau), „Clemencic Consort“ (Wien), „Convivium Musicum“ (Göteborg), „Forum Interart“ (Dortmund)

Concert tours in:
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Festivals and venues among others:
Hamburger Musikfest (D), Alte Oper Frankfurt/M (D), Int. Festwoche d. Alten Musik Bad Wimpfen (D), Int. Tage der Alten Musik Brandenburg (D), Montalbâne Festival, Freyburg/Unstrut (D), Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik, Schwäbisch Gmünd (D), Festwoche Alter Musik Stuttgart (D), Tage der Alten Musik Stockstadt (D), Abendmusik Kölner Dom (D), Tage Alter Musik Herne (D), MusikTriennale Köln (D), Romanischer Sommer Köln (D), Philharmonie Köln (D), Wittenberger Renaissance Musikfestival (D), Tage der Alten Musik Staufen im Breisgau (D), Tage der Alten Musik Münster (D), Playground-Festival (Weimar), Renaissance Musikfestival (Wittenberg)
Konzerthaus Wien (A), Resonanzen Wien (A), Styriarte Festwochen d. Alten Musik, Graz (A), Festwochen d. Alten Musik, Innsbruck (A), Ambraser Schloßkonzerte Innsbruck (A), Festwoche der Alten Musik, Krieglach (A), Donaufestival Krems (A), KunstHalleKrems (A), Brucknerhaus Linz (A),
Kyburgiade Winterthur (CH), Festival Lenzburgiade (CH), Flimserstein Festival (CH), Herbstfestival Alte Musik (Zürich)
Castel dei mondi, Andria, (I), Teatro Chiabrera, Savona (I), Teatro Carlo Felice, Genova (I), Festival Alia musica, Fidenza (I),
Rencontre int. des Luthiers et Maîtres Sonneurs / St.-Chartier (F), Festival de Clisson et Loire Atlantique (F), Voix et route romane (F), Opera de Versailles (F), Arsenal de Metz (F), Festival de Conques (F)
Festival für Alte Musik Utrecht (NL), Festival van Flanderen Brugge (B), Flanders Festival Antwerp (B),
Skara Early Music Festival (S), Early Music Festival Stockholm (S), Moskauer Philharmonie (RU), Music in Old Kraków (PL), Musik im Königsschloss Warschau (PL), Festival Konvergencie Bratislava (SK), Festival Radovljica (SLO)
Purcell Room London (GB), Southbanks London (GB), Buxton Music Festival (GB), Galway Early Music Festival (IRL),
Palau de Música Barcelona (E), Fíra de la Mediterrania, Manresa (E), Festival internacional de música antiga i barroca de Peníscola (E), Semana de Música Antigua Sevilla (E), Concerts d Estiu a Montserrat (E), Festival de Santander (E), Espazos sonoros, Santiago de Compostela (E),
Festival da Madeira (P),
Festival de musique ancienne de Quebec (CAN), Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa (CAN)
A Yehiam Festival (ISR), Musica da camera Tel Aviv (ISR),
Essaouira Festival (M), Ductac Theatre, Dubai (UAE), Royal Conservatory of Amman (JOR), Festival Al Bustan Beirut (LBN), Music in the Old Library of Dimasque (SYR), Fajr-Festival Teheran (IRN)

Recordings for TV and the radio; more than 80 recordings with a number of programs such as: spiritual and worldly music dating from medieval times, renaissance and early baroque; contemporary pieces; theatre music; songs for children; lyrics and music; folklore; Pop music

from 1999 to 2003: Work in his own recording studio; learned the basics of computer technology, digital music editing and graphics/design

from 01/1989: musician at the “Folkteater” in Gävle, Sweden
and from 08/1990 to 01/1991: musician at the “Folkteater” in Gothenburg, Sweden; productions of historical dramas, transcriptions of Nordic mythology and children’s theatre

in 08/1988: Theatre musician at the „Spegelteater“in Stockholm, Sweden

from 01/1985 to 04/1985: rehearsal work as an actor at the theatre “Forum 3” in Stuttgart

from 01/1984 to 06/1984: Co-worker on the marionette stage Elisabeth Schöneborn in Stuttgart


ARTISTIC EDUCATION

Mastercourses and individual lessons with:
Andrew Lawrence King (historical Harptechnique), Nuria Llopis Areny (spanish Renaissanceharp), Valentin Clastrier (hurdy-gurdy), Evelyne Girardon (hurdy-gurdy), Jean Blanchard (french bagpipe)

from 08/1987 to 12/1988 and from 07/1989 to 03/1990: Studies of early music and folklore at the music academy of Gothenburg and at the Sibelius-Academy of Helsinki with a focus on: Early music, the hurdy-gurdy, historical harps, the bagpipes, singing, historical dances, the history of music, music theory (counterpoint, arrangement, the philosophy of music…);

from 1984 to 1987: street musician; travelling in Europe; learning the basics concerning traditional music and its instruments

from 08/1984 to 12/1984: Acting studies at the Novalis School in Stuttgart


EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY

since 2014: Lecturer at the Folkwangschule Esssen, Mastercourse medieval music

since 2008: Lecturer for music at the Waldorf seminar for educators in Mannheim

from 08/2007 to 07/2010: Music teacher for 10- up to 16-year-olds at the Intercultural Steiner school in Mannheim

from 11/2006 to 05/2007: Teacher at the Steiner school for special education in Oslo

since 2000: Choir conductor for various private amateur choirs

1997: Freelance co-worker at the music school “balance” in Stuttgart

1997: Publication of a method for the hurdy-gurdy with Matthias Loibner as co-author together with the publication house “Verlag der Spielleute”

since 1994: Internationally involved in courses that concentrate on early music, ensemble playing, harp and hurdy-gurdy techniques

from 11/1991 to 11/1992: Internship at the Tobias house in Stuttgart (Home for people with multiple severe disabilities)

from 08/1982 to 12/1983: Civil service at the special education home for young people Weckelweiler


EDUCATIONAL TRAINING

from 09/2003 to 10/2006: Studies at the school of The Christian Community, priest seminary

during that time from 09/2005 to 10/2006: Congregational internship in the Sophia Church in Frankfurt/Main

from 11/1992 to 07/1994: Studies at the School for Steiner education in Stuttgart; received a degree to be a class teacher and music teacher.

from 08/1982 to 12/1983: Seminar for special education in Weckelweiler