Giampaolo  Pretto Giampaolo Pretto, who was born in Dossobuono (near Verona) in !965, may 22, graduated at the age of seventeen from the Conservatory of Verona with full marks cum laude under the guidance of Renzo Pelli and after graduation he studied for many years with Glauco Cambursano. His orchestral technique has been greatly influenced by the teachings of Angelo Faja. Moreover throughout the following years he attended several seminars and master classes with some of the most important flute players of the international scene, such as Alain Marion, James Galway, Aurele Nicolet, always raising great admiration. A particularly important role was played by Patrick Gallois, with whom Giampaolo Pretto studied for two years at the Ecole Nationale d'Aulnay of Paris and obtained in 1994 the "Premier Prix". In 2009 he also obtained the degree in Composition at the Turin Conservatory, under the guidance of Giorgio Colombo Taccani. He served as Principal Flute from 1986 to 1994 at the "Orchestra Sinfonica della Rai" of Milano and he has kept the same position since 1994 for the "Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai" in Torino. He started his Solo Flute career at the early age of seventeen in the most prestigious Italian youth orchestra (Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, 1982-1985) and continued in several other professional orchestras. In 1997 he obtained the habilitation as Principal Flute for the "Teatro la Scala" of Milano. Moreover he has been often invited to play as Solo Flute by the major Italian orchestras, in particular "Maggio Fiorentino", "Filarmonica della Scala" and "Accademia di Santa Cecilia", conducted by Mehta, Muti, Chung, Temirkanov and many others. His principal motivation has always been the interpretation of the widest possible repetoire. In 1992 he recorded in London the complete Mozart Flute Concertos with the European Chamber Orchestra and six years later he re-recorded the G major Concerto with the SudWestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim conducted by Alexandros Myrat. In the same period he played in Milano the Suite and the Brandeburg Concertos by Bach with Daniele Gatti, in Milano and Torino the "Concertanti" by Mozart with Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli, and the concertos of Boccherini, Salieri, Vivaldi, Pergolesi, with several other important chamber orchestras and groups. As far as contemporary music is concerned, in 1987 he played "Pietro su Pietra" composed by Sylvano Bussotti with the violin player Cristiano Rossi for the italian public radio (RAI) of Milano. In 1999 played for the Biennale of Venezia the concerto for flute and orchestra by Goffredo Petrassi with the "Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino" conducted by Arturo Tamayo. The recording of Petrassi's concerto produced by Stradivarius obtained five Diapason from the french magazine "Diapason". In 2000 he took part of the first performance in Città di Castello of the "Studi per l'intonazione del mare" by Salvatore Sciarrino as one of the four soloists. In March 2002 the "Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI" included in its season a concert for flute and orchestra written by Ivan Fedele titled "Ruah". The concert was written for, and dedicated to Giampaolo Pretto, who has been the first performer. In August 2002 he performed again the Petrassi Concerto, in several european cities, including Aosta and Berlin as part of the summer tour of the "Orchestra Giovanile Italiana". In the same year he recorded for "Stradivarius" Ruah by Fedele with the "Orchestra Sinfonica Nazioanle della RAI" conducted by Pascal Rophè obtaining for the second time the five Diapason. In 2003 he performed "Suite" for flute and piano composed appositely for him by Bruno Cerchio, presented at the Austrian Flute Festival in Wien along with the Concerto in D major of Boccherini. In 2004 he recorded "German Romantic Flute Sonatas" with the pianist Marino Nicolini and in the same year was invited to give a Master Class in South Corea, concluded with a flute recital in Seoul. In 2005 and 2006 he has been invited as soloist by some of the best Italian chamber orchestras, such as the "Solisti di Pavia" of Enrico Dindo for the Brandeburg Concerts, "I Filarmonici" of Verona conducted by Corrado Rovaris, the "Camerata strumentale di Prato" for the flute and harp concert by Mozart with Anna Loro and of the second Suite by Bach. In 2007, he made his dèbut of Concierto Pastoral by Rodrigo in Florence under N. Paszkowski, and played again, for the Nice Festival in Montecarlo, the "Ruah" Concerto by Fedele under P.A.Vàlade. In 2009 he recorded the Concierto Pastoral by Rodrigo and the Concerto da Camera by Honegger with the Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino.