Michele Marelli, who holds a Master degree in clarinet from the Conservatory of Alessandria with highest honors “summa cum laude”, a Master degree in Electronic music from the Conservatory of Latina, a degree in Modern Literature from the University of Turin, PhD researcher at the Universität der Künste in Berlin, furthered his studies in England with Alan Hacker, in Germany with Suzanne Stephens and in France with Alain Damiens.

Internationally acclaimed as a virtuoso of the basset horn and as one of the leading contemporary music soloists of his generation, he is also active as composer and painter.

He regularly collaborates as first clarinettist with Ensemble Klangforum Wien and musikFabrik.

In october 2014 he has been awarded the Rubinstein Prize “una vita nella musica giovani” at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice. He was a six-time winner of the Prize of the Stockhausen Stiftung für Musik, other international prizes he has been awarded include the First Prize at the International Contemporary Chamber Music Competition in Krakow, the Valentino Bucchi clarinet Competition in Rome, the Honorary Logos Award in Belgium, the “Master dei Talenti Musicali” award from the Fondazione CRT.

As an 18-year-old he met Karlheinz Stockhausen, establishing a profound artistic relationship that lasted for more than a decade during which, chosen by the Maestro himself as soloist of his Ensemble, Marelli played World Premières under his instruction and guidance and recorded 3 CDs for the Stockhausen Complete Edition.

He performed as soloist with such orchestras as Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, SWR Symphonieorchester, Orchestra Sinfonica del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra della Toscana, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Orchestra Verdi, Hilversum Filharmonik, Slovenian Philharmonic, New Music Orchestra in renowned Festivals and concert halls such as: Biennale di Venezia, Festival of Tanglewood, Berliner Philharmonie, Wiener Konzerthaus, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Auditorium de Radio France, Milano Musica, Ruhrtriennale, Warsaw Autumn, Festival d’automne Paris, Mozarteum Salzburg, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Musica Nova Helsinki and many others.

Marelli works closely with the most important composers of our time, such as: Karlheinz Stockhausen, Helmut Lachenmann, György Kurtàg, Marco Stroppa, Ivan Fedele, Vinko Globokar, Franco Donatoni, Sylvano Bussotti, Salvatore Sciarrino.

His Cds, released by Decca Classics, Wergo, Neos, Stradivarius, Kairos, Col legno, has become reference recordings and have been awarded many prizes by international press and critics such as the ICMA Nomination (International classical music awards), 5 Diapason in France, 5 stelle di Musica, 5 di Amadeus.

He is Professor of clarinet and bass clarinet at the Conservatory of Alessandria.