1978: Rodolfo Bonucci started a prestigious career as solo violinist: hes been the only violinist to be invited at the age of 17 to perform as soloist with the famous ensembles I Virtuosi di Roma conducted by Fasano and I Musici. Pupil of Accardo, Szering and Grumiaux (of whom very often Bonucci has been recognized as the true heir by press and musicians), winner of important prizes and competitions, Bonucci played up to date in the most importat concerthalls of Europe (Salle Pleyel et Gaveau in Paris, Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Berlin Philarmonie, Santa Cecilia in Rome, Vigad in Budapest, Geneva Conservatoire, Filarmonica in Rome, Milano Conservatory) . He plays with pianist such as Bruno Canino, Gyorgy Sandor, Jrg Demus. He toured: Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Swizerland, Brazil , Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico and USA. His United States debut was in 1990 with two concerts performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York: a recital with the famous pianist Gyorgy Sandor and the Respighi's Concerto. He played the United States premire of Faure's Violin Concerto in New York and held recitals in San Francisco and other cities. In 1993/94 he played Beethoven's 10 Sonatas in Detroit.
We owe him the re-discovery, disclosure and world's first CD recordings of Faure's Violin Concerto and Domenico Scarlatti's Sonatas for violin and harpsichord (with Bruno Canino). He also recorded in CD: Locatellis Art of Violin 12 Concertos, 24 Caprices with Santa Cecilia Orchestra. Vivaldis Four Seasons with I Giovani Musici. Complete violin works by: Donizetti, Respighi, Martucci, Dallapiccola, Ghedini.
His teacher for conducting was Franco Ferrara
1990: Bonuccis debut as conductor with RAI (Italian Radio-TV) Orchestra in Rome in a Mozart-Haydn programm. Concerts in Turkey as conductor of Istanbul Philharmonic (Vivaldi 4 Seasons and Respighi Pines of Rome) . He conducts the Brasilia Symphony Orchestra and hes invited as guest conductor regularly for the following 5 years.
1991: concert as soloist and conductor of I Filarmonici di Bologna, he starts a long and successful cooperation with this orchestra. He conducts Santa Cecilia Chamber Orchestra in concerts and recordings: 4 CD with Locatelli Art of the violin
1992: hes appointed principal conductor of I Filarmonici di Bologna and creates the season I Concerti dei Filarmonici in Bologna , of which he becomes Music Director. Soloists such as Kenneth Gilbert, Leonhardt, Bream, Yepes, join him. He conducts the Salzburg Chamber Soloists in concerts in Salzburg, USA (S. Francisco and Miami), Canada (Montreal, Festival de Piano, Salle Claude Champagne) and Rome (Santa Cecilia)
1993: to improve the quality of the orchestra in Bologna, he creates I Solisti di Bologna, a first class ensemble with which he still tours nowadays. The concert season becomes I concerti dei Solisti di Bologna, he conducts concerts with soloist such as Demus, Canino, van Asperen, Alirio Diaz. He invites as well other ensembles to perform: The Consort of Musicke with Antony Rooley, Berlin Schauspielhaus, Esperion XX with Jordy Savall, Amsterdam Academy with Sigiswald Kujken, Berliner Brechtheater and o.
1994: he conducts the Yvaskyla Philharmonic (Finland) and the season in Bologna is joined by Ivo Pogorelich and Sir Yehudy Menuhin, Nelson Freire. He conducted the Budapest Opera in Budapest and in Bologna, making the first italian performance of Carmen Suite by Schedrin also recorded in CD. He begins his cooperation with one of the best orchestras of the Middle East, the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Ankara. In Ankara he has a triumphal debut conducting Picture of an exibition by Mussorgsky-Ravel.
1995: he creates the company Piccola Opera Italiana, to perform small rare italian operas and intermezzi of 18th. Century. He conduct two rare italian operas: Il Giocatore by Cherubini and La Zingara by Rinaldo da Capua in the most important concert season in Rome: I Concerti Telecom in Teatro Sistina. He continues his cooperation with the Bilkent Symphony, he conducts three Respighi Poems, Beethoven 5th, several turkish composer modern works, the press writes about him as the best interpreter of Sayguns (the greates turkish composer) music.
1996: he conducts the Cordoba Philharmonic Orchestra, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and always the Solisti di Bologna and the Bilkent Symphony. He conduct the Gyr Philharmonic (Hungary) with a Mozart program, with the same orchestra he conducts in Italy playng at the same time Mozarts Sinfonia Concertante and the Opera Schauspieldirektor by Mozart.
1997: he invites the Bilkent Orchestra for a tour in Italy: first modern performance of Mascagni Glory Mass, Tschajkowskij Pathetique, Rachmaninov 2nd. Concerto, Beethoven 9th. Symphony. This last work is conducted by Massimo Freccia, a famous 92 jears old conductor, Toscaninis proteg, who makes public acknowledgements about Bonuccis training with the orchestra for Beethovens 9th. He plays and conduct with I Solisti di Bologna in Cannes Festival. The reviews says Enthousiasmant: the Solisti Veneti and I Musici have now their natural substitute
1998 : amongst other concerts, hes invited by Bilkent Symphony to perform and record on CD the Piano and Cello Concertos by Saygun.He conductes the Genoa Philarmonic Orchestra in Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. He conducts the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali in Milano, invited by Marcello Panni and Aldo Ceccato.
1999: his friend Ruggiero Ricci invites him to conduct the Gala Concert for his 80th. Birthday in Salzburg with the CIS Orchester. Bonucci performs as violinist Bach Double Concerto with Ricci as partner, and conducts the Orchestra in Paganini and Beethoven Concertos.Hes again invited in Cannes Festival by Gabriel Tacchino, again with enormous success.
2000: he becomes chief conductor of the new created Orchestra G. Gavazzeni in Brescia (Italy). Makes his debut in Milan with Mozart Requiem, then in Parma Teatro Regio with Beethoven 2 Romances for violin and orchestra with himself soloist/cond. and Mozart Requiem. He conducts the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra (Palermo) with Gyorgy Sandor soloist ( Schnittke Piano Concerto and Mendelssohn Italian Symphony). Hes appointed by Franco Mannino principal soloists and second principal conductor of the Orchestra I Solisti Aquilani. For his merits in Art, he was appointed "Cavalier Officer" by Mr. the President of the Italian Republic.
2001: he wins 3rd. prize in Kharkov International Jordania Competition (Ukraine), after a selection of 120 conductors. Hes invited to perform there again in 2002. He conducts in Rome the Mozart Requiem with Gavazzeni Orchestra, in front of an audience of 2000 people. He conducts in Teatro Marrucino in Chieti (Italy) Il Giocatore by Cherubini and Anno Domini 3000 by Franco Mannino, and hes re-invited for 2003 to conduct Don Giovanni by Mozart.
2002: debut in Prague conducting the 1st. Czech performance of Mascagni Messa di Gloria with Gavazzeni Orchestra. In October 2 concerts with Kiev Symphonic (Dvorak program: Cello Concerto and New World Symph.) and Kharkov Philharmonic (Beethoven, Mendelssohn Italian, Respighi and Dukas) (Ukraine) Several other performances of Mascagni Mass and the work will be recorded on CD.
2003: besides several engagements, hes appointed Musical Director and Principal Conductor of I Filarmonici del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and he invited as member of the jury of the International Sarasate Violin Competition in Pamplona (Spain)
2004 :
March: performs in Rome the 3 Sonatas for violin and piano by Brahms; conducts the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra.
May : conducts the 1st. world premiere of the Opera Die Freunde von Salamanka by Schubert in the new critical edition in Bologna (Teatro Comunale).
June : appointed Life Member by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
August : tour in Japan as conductor of I Filamonici del Teatro Comunale di Bologna.
October : concert as conductor in the Symphonic Season of the Teatro Comunale in Bologna - Tschajkowskij programme, with Igor Oistrack as soloist.