Dulcedo Ardens was born from the meeting between soprano Martha Rook and lutenist Tommaso Tarsi. The two young musicians are both students at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence when they began their artistic collaboration in 2021, a collaboration that continues, in parallel, in other musical projects.
The duo ranges from late 15th-century to early 17th-century music, tackling composers from Josquin to Marazzoli, and accompanying the singing from time to time with different plucked instruments depending on the repertoire (theorbo, baroque guitar, lute).
The duo has performed at the San Gimignano Baroque Festival, in Florence for the FloReMus festival, the Museo de Medici, Giardino Dell’ArteCultura, and the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. In 2023 Dulcedo Ardens was selected to perform at the Early Music Fringe Morella (Spain) and Oude Muziek Utrecht (Netherlands).
Tommaso Tarsi
Tommaso Tarsi was born in Pesaro on March 24, 1995. He began his guitar studies at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro and then continued his musical journey in Florence. In February 2020 he received the Second Level Academic Diploma in Classical Guitar, at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory, under the guidance of teacher Francesco Romano, with highest honors. In February 2023, he received the First Level Academic Diploma in Lute with honors.
He perfected with Oscar Ghiglia at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena in 2018, as a full student, earning the Diploma of Merit, and actively participated in advanced music courses with Aniello Desiderio at the Stefano Strata Academy in Pisa. He perfected himself in lute with Paul O’dette and Eduardo Eguez.
He performs as a soloist and in various chamber ensembles: Florence Lilium Duo, Orchestra Cupiditas, Ensemble Luigi DallaPiccola, Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, Auser Musici, Musici del Gran Principe, Dulcedo Ardens, Passi Sparsi.
He has performed for various institutions and festivals including: Fondazione Zeffirelli Onlus, Accademia Chigiana, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Prato,Accademia Belle Arti di Firenze, Toscana Classica, Fondazione CR di Firenze, Institute of French Culture, “Festival Floremus,” “Concerti al Cenacolo,” “Festival Toscano di Musica Antica a Vicopisano,” Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Verdi di Pisa, Teatro Coccia di Novara, Teatro Pavarotti-Freni di Modena, Teatro Municipale Valli di Reggio Emilia. He was a speaker at the XXVI International Guitar Conference in Milan in 2021 He has received several awards in guitar and chamber music competitions. He carries out teaching activities at the L.Da Vinci Scientific High School.
Martha Rook
Martha Rook was born in Florence, Italy, and from the beginning of her vocal studies she favored the Renaissance repertoire and a theatrical and expressive approach to performance. She received her bachelor’s degree with highest honors in 2021 from the Conservatory of Florence and under the guidance of Romina Basso, and continued her studies with Gabriele Lombardi at the Maderna Conservatory in Cesena. She is currently pursuing the MAS in Advances Vocal Ensemble Studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
Martha has performed in ensembles and as soloist for major festivals such as Laus Polyphoniae, Operadagen Rotterdam, Henry Mary, FloReMus, Concerti al Cenacolo, Anima Mundi, Monteverdi Festival, Festival del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Grandezze e Meraviglie, Lucca Classica.
She has collaborated with ensembles such as L’Homme Armé, Theatro dei Cervelli, Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini, Cappella musicale di San Petronio and Coro della Cattedrale di Siena Guido Chigi Saracini. Martha is a founding member of the ensemble PassiSparsi, selected in 2022 for IYAP (International Young Artist Presentation – AMUZ, Antwerp) and winner of the Attraverso i Suoni competition in the same year.
In addition to the ancient repertoire, Martha is interested in contemporary repertoire performing in numerous premieres by conductor Fabrizio Bartalucci (ensemble Prismatico InCanto); two musical theater works, “Il Sigillo” and “Vite in Cerchi” by Laura Manescalchi; the opera scene for soprano soloist “Preludio e morte di Sarah K. ” by Francesca Gambelli; Damiano Ferretti’s “Humble and High” for soprano soloist and chorus; L. Manescalchi’s “Fallen Angel,” soundtrack for the short film “Il Cielo Addosso,” directed by Sara Fioretto.
Martha has dressed the roles of Dirindina (Dirindina by D. Scarlatti), Belinda (Dido & Aeneas by H. Purcell), Proserpina and Musica (Orfeo by C. Monteverdi), Fortuna (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria by C. Monteverdi) and Ninfa (La catena d’Adone by D. Mazzocchi). Martha participated in the recording of the CD “Music in Golden-Age Florence” (Outhere Music) with the ensemble Theatro dei Cervelli, directed by Andrés Locatelli.
