Conte, born 1966 in Taranto, Italy, he studied in Bari. From 2002 to 2004, he was a student with Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum in Basel and has lived there ever since. He participates in various orchestras and ensembles that are specialized in playing period instruments, and plays regularly at various festivals of early music. Conte says of this recording: "This is a tribute to the great Italian guitarist Francesco Corbetta and Robert de Visée, which is often regarded as his disciple. With the help of transparent and delicate sounds of the baroque guitar’s feelings are explored on the transience of beauty -. The triumph of time over the same "
"Baroque guitar performers seem to come in two varieties: exciting and improvisational or elegant and refined. Conte is an excellent example of the second type, though his playing does not lack energy when it is called for. The music is subtle and evocative, beautifully played and well programmed." Kenneth Keaton - American Record Guide - January 2011
"...Rosario Conte is a young Italian guitarist and lutenist who makes his debut with this recording. The music is decidedly small-scale and intimate, not the sort of material most performers would choose for a splashy debut. But then, Conte is obviously a musician of sensitivity and restraint, exactly what the music demands. His playing, often nothing more than a whisper, is filled with considerable nuance. This is music, then, for reflection and rejuvenation. When the distractions of modern life start to drag you down, I suggest spinning this CD. It will transport you back to a time when musical sensibilities were not polluted by the ugly sounds of traffic, television commercials, or rap music. Recommended." Christopher Brodersen - Fanfare - May 2011
