Ercole Nisini
Renaissance & baroque trombone
Broken Consorts for All Instruments


Born in Viterbo and raised in Rome, Ercole Nisini completed his trombone studies at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in the class of Maestro Gianni Mazzoni with excellent results.
Then he played with orchestras such as the Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Torino, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, the Süddeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, where he held the position of second trombonist – assistant principal trombonist under Riccardo Chailly in the 2001-2002 season.
He continued his studies at the Musikhochschule Trossingen, where he obtained a Master’s degree in modern trombone with Prof. Abbie Conant and a Master’s degree in historical performance practice with Wim Becu.

In 1999 he was selected as one of 20 active participants for the Alessi Seminar in New York (Joseph Alessi, principal trombonist of the NY Philharmonic). Regular lessons in England and Italy with Denis Wick (former principal trombonist of the London Symphony Orchestra) have marked his career.

Since 2007 he has devoted himself primarily to the study and performance of trombone music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, constantly deepening his knowledge of historical performance practice and repertoire from original sources.

He has performed in concerts and audio-video productions throughout Europe with ensembles such as La Petite Bande, Orchestre des Champs Elysées, Hannoversche Hofkapelle, L’Arpa festante, L’Orfeo Barockorchester, Cappella Leopoldina Graz, Capriccio Stravagante, Musica Fiata, Capella de la Torre, Musica Antiqua Austria, Marini Consort Innsbruck, Weser-Renaissance Bremen, Cappella Sagittariana, United Continuo Ensemble and Il Giardino Armonico.

While still a student in Trossingen, he founded the ensemble Instrumenta Musica, with which he continues to perform as leader and soloist at festivals such as the Frauenkirche Dresden, Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Skalholt Sommerkonzerte (Iceland), WDR Funkhauskonzerte, Fortepianum Katowice (Poland), Kloster Michaelstein Foundation, Varazdin Baroque Concerts (Croatia), Heinrich Schütz Music Festival, Tabors Triptyk (Czech Republic), WDR Funkhauskonzerte, Kloster Michaelstein Foundation, Batzdorf Whitsun Festival, Prague Early Music Festival and Silbermann Days Freiberg.

Although Ercole Nisini’s main focus is on early music, his musical world knows no stylistic boundaries. His fascination for the music of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods, for the original sources of music history, for theatre, jazz and modern song are sources of inspiration for the realisation of musical concepts and concert programmes designed to appeal to the senses of the modern listener. These projects are realised in collaboration with versatile and creative international musicians, sensitive artists and actors, as well as vocal ensembles, and performed under his direction.
In this fertile environment, Ercole writes and composes music that is timeless and combines different musical genres. His works have been performed at international festivals and recorded for Genuin Classics.

In the 2024-25 season, Ercole Nisini will be the Ruth Merkle Foundation’s Artist in Residence at Gut Hohen Luckow, composing music inspired by and dedicated to the music-making angels on the 1707 stucco. The pieces will be premiered and recorded at a concert in May 2025.

As leader of his ensemble Instrumenta Musica and as a soloist, Ercole Nisini has recorded twelve CDs for RAMÉE, Querstand, Christophorus, Carus, SONY and Genuin Classics, as well as numerous digital and video productions.

His new CD ‘Der Posaune Lust-Hof’ with music by Jacob van Eyck for recorder arranged for trombone and period percussion will be released by Genuin Classics in March 2025.

Ercole Nisini has been regularly teaching private pupils and students for 20 years. Since 2022 he has been a co-founder and teacher of trombone at the Evangelische Musikschule Dresden and regularly gives workshops and masterclasses for historical trombone and the broad repertoire of early music (e.g. German Trombone Symposium Klagenfurt and Dresden, Sackbut & Friends Mainz, Music Academy Zagreb, Music Academy Katowice).
In 2014, 2020, 2022 and 2025 he was commissioned by the Kulturstiftung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt to organise and artistically direct the Michaelstein Summer Academy for Early Music with seven lecturers.

Further information about Ercole Nisini can be found at:

https://www.ercolenisini.de/

About The Class

Trombone
The lessons will begin with a warm-up session focusing on various aspects of historical trombone playing, including sound production, articulation, division patterns and flexibility.
There will be an analysis of the treatises by Rognoni, Dalla Casa, Bovicelli and Ortiz, followed by an opportunity to put what has been learnt into practice.
The technique of transposition and the use of different trombones (in A, G, F, E and D) will also be covered.
The development of trombone playing from the Renaissance through to the Classical and Romantic periods will also be covered. There will be practising of vocalises and vocal music on the trombone.
Single lessons will take the form of masterclasses involving active teaching, listening and interaction. Topics about historical performance on the trombone will be explored.
Breathing technique and its application to trombone playing will also be covered.
Small and large broken Consorts for all instruments
Classes are open to all Renaissance and early Baroque instruments: Recorders, renaissance traversos, violins, viols, cornetts, trombones and dulcians, as well as the continuo group, will explore Italian, German and Flemish instrumental and vocal music from the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Singers are welcome, too.
Music will be available in both modern and original prints.
Diapason in the ensemble class: 440 Hz.
Already existing ensembles with own repertoire are welcome
Please apply in advance to the class to find out which ensembles are available and to prepare the scores.

Level Of Skills Required

advanced & professionals

Maximum number of students

8

Teaching Languages

English, German, Italian