Aes Duo is composed of Emanuele Mammarella and Marco Mantovani, two
young Italian musicians formed at “Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel” (KCB).
The name comes from the Latin “aes”; which means copper, conductive material
par excellence, but also bronze, an alloy that mixes different metals to obtain a
stronger element. Our way of making music works much in the same way: it
combines two instruments, clarinet and piano, and two very different personalities
to create a new harmonious unit. This name expresses the connection we feel
when we make music together and the ability to adapt to the musical idea of the
other without renouncing our own identity.
The Duo was born in 2019 to represent the KCB in the “International chamber
music festival HARMOS” in Portugal. Since then, they have been regularly
performing in venues such as BOZAR, Grande salle du Conservatoire, MIM
(Brussel’s Musical Instrument Museum), 30CC/Schouwburg in Leuven, Casa da
Música in Porto, and many others. Their repertoire focuses on German and French
Romanticism in connection with 20th Century and Contemporary composers.
In 2025, Aes Duo won 4th prize and public prize at “International Chamber
Music competition in Pinerolo and Torino”. Lukas Hagen, member of the jury,
said about them “Since I heard the Aes Duo in a competition for the first time, I
have been a big fan of Emanuele and Marco. Their musicality, their podium
presence, the focus on the essentials took me immediately and I would like the
opportunity to experience the duo live in concert as often as possible.”
Emanuele Mammarella
Emanuele (clarinet) performs regularly with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the Belgian National Orchestra, the Royal band of the Belgian Guides and the Rotterdam Philharmonic. He has been invited three times at the chamber music festival “Encuentro” in Santander (Spain), where in 2019 he collaborated with composer and conductor Peter Eötvös and performed the première of his new creation “Joyce” for solo clarinet. In 2024 he was awarded the George Octors Prize, a prize established at the initiative of the City of Brussels to pay tribute to George Octors. In 2024 he was awarded the George Octors Prize,
a prize established at the initiative of the City of Brussels to pay tribute to George
Octors. In 2025 he was awarded with a grant from the Horlait-Dapsens foundation for his academic merits.
Marco Mantovani
Marco (piano) has studied with renowned musicians Andrea Lucchesini, Aleksandar Madzar and Maria João Pires, and he has performed as soloist and chamber musician in venues such as Bozar and Flagey in Brussels, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Regio in Parma and Forbidden City Concert hall in Beijing just to name a few.
His recording debut, published with Etcetera records, is entirely dedicated to Robert Schumann’s piano music and is composed by three CDs. The last one (2024) has been nominated for the ICMA awards.