Antonio Rugolo ha al suo attivo quattordici CD pubblicati da Stradivarius, Brilliant Classic, PVR, Suonare News, DIGmusic, dotGuitar; sette da solista con l’opera completa di Villa-Lobos, Pedrell, monografie di Gilardino, Giuliani, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Santorsola, cinque in duo con Angelo Gillo (l’opera completa di Antoine de Lhoyer) e due in quartetto di chitarre.

Sono tutti dedicati al repertorio originale per e con chitarra, con molte prime esecuzioni assolute, accolti con unanime favore dalla critica internazionale, premiati con cinque stelle, due CD Amadeus d’ORO recensiti in Italia, Europa, negli USA, in Giappone, in Canada e mandati in onda da RAI Radio 3, RAI Radio 4, Radio Vaticana ed emittenti internazionali come BBC Canadese e Radio Diffusion Uruguayana.

È vincitore per ben due volte (nel 2014 e nel 2018) della “Chitarra d’Oro”, per il miglior CD dell’anno.

Angelo Gilardino nel suo libro “La Chitarra” (Edizioni Curci 2010) scrive: «Santórsola ha trovato in Europa, nel chitarrista Antonio Rugolo, un campione a lungo atteso...».

Del compositore italo-uruguaiano, Rugolo ha anche curato tre pubblicazioni per le Edizioni Bèrben di Ancona; come revisore ha pubblicato anche per le Edizioni Doberman-Yppan, Sinfonica, Da Vinci, Eschig.

Vincitore di numerosi Concorsi Chitarristici Internazionali; dal 2018 è titolare della cattedra di chitarra al Conservatorio “E. R. Duni” di Matera e tiene regolarmente masterclass e concerti in Italia e all’estero.

Amante della musica da camera, si esibisce spesso anche in duo con Angelo Gillo con un repertorio principalmente dedicato alla musica dell’800 su strumenti storici, in duo con la flautista Nicoletta Di Sabato, e in Quartetto con il Quartetto Santorsola.

Italian guitarist Antonio Rugolo, since 2004, has recorded seven solo albums published by Stradivarius Record Label, Brilliant Classics, PVR, DigressioneMusic, dotGuitar, Seicorde, dedicated to the original repertoire for classical guitar: the complete works by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Carlos Pedrell, monographs of Guido Santórsola, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Angelo Gilardino, Mauro Giuliani, with many world premieres. He has also recorded the complete works for two guitars of Lhoyer on 5 CDs with Angelo Gillo and two cd’s with the Quartetto Santórsola.

This body of work has received critical acclaim from the specialized musical press, such as Classical Guitar Magazine, Il Fronimo, Classical Voisce, Allegro, Amadeus, Ghendi Guitar Magazine, and GuitArt Magazine; all of them featured the discs and were awarded five stars, twice “Amadeus d’ORO” in Amadeus, Musica and Seicorde which awarded the Santorsola Vol. 2 'best CD of the month'.

Antonio Rugolo’s beautifully luminescent playing brings out the fabulous linear discipline of Santorsola’s music…

(Tim Painting “CLASSICAL GUITAR”)

...seldom has it sounded so poetic, and I liked it very much.

(Coolin Cooper “CLASSICAL GUITAR”)

...the repertoire of the guitar needs minds and hands like his.

(Angelo Gilardino-“SUONARE NEWS”)

… i caratteri ci sembrano assolutamente scolpiti nel diamante. (Francesco Biraghi-“IL FRONIMO”)

“La cifra virtuosistica è decisamente spettacolare ed è difficile non rimanere impressionati da tale sfoggio di velocità, fantasia, pulizia ed elasticità di fraseggio, ma sempre con profondità, eleganza ed espressività nell’eloquio. Chapeau!”

(Marco Riboni “AMADEUS”)

Antonio Rugolo was also winner twice (in 2014 and 2018) of the Golden Guitar, for the best CD of the year at the 19th and 23rd International Classical Guitar Conference in Alessandria for his two albums “Guido Santórsola vol. 2” and Mauro Giuliani Masterpieces.

Angelo Gilardino in his book La Chitarra Edizioni Curci 2010, (a title entirely dedicated to the guitar repertoire) said: “Santórsola has found in Europe with the guitarist Antonio Rugolo - a long awaited advocate of his music". Rugolo confirmed his commitment to the popularisation of the repertoire for guitar by Santórsola through publishing a new edition of the Sonata no.5 (Brasileira), Concertino no.1 for three guitars, Concertino no.2 for three guitars and piano for Musical Edition Bérben.

His essays and reviews were also published by Il Fronimo, Ricordi-Hall Leonard, Edizioni Sinfonica, Da Vinci Edition, Doberman-Yappan ed Esarmonia.

Antonio Rugolo’s recordings have been broadcast on numerous occasions on Italian, European Uruguayan and Canadian networks (RAI Radio3, RAI Filodiffusione, Sveriges, BBC Canadian, Radio Diffusion Uruguayana, etc.).

Antonio teaches guitar in Conservatorio “E. R. Duni” in Matera and performs as a concert soloist at venues throughout Italy, Europe China and USA. He also performs in duo with his wife flautist Nicoletta Di Sabato. Together in 2006 they performed the World Premier of the Sonatina Lied n°3 by Angelo Gilardino. He performed with the Quartetto Santorsola to whom, in 2008, Gilardino dedicates his new work for 4 guitars, the Sonetti Giuliani; in the same year they played and recorded it in world premier.

At just 12 years old Antonio won his first competition in Livorno. That was the first in a long series of successes and victories in major music and international guitar competitions (he won second prize in the 25th Gargnano International Guitar Competition, first prize at the Isernia International Guitar Competition, Savona International Guitar Competition,“Omaggio a Joaquin Rodrigo”, Nicola Fago, Viareggio Mondovì and more).

Since 1996 he followed advanced studies under Fédéric Zigante at the “Fondation CIEM Mozart” in Lausanne and at the Tartini Conservatory of Trieste, graduating with 110 cum laude. Each year from 1997-2001 he was awarded the diploma of merit and scholarships under Oscar Ghiglia at the Accademia Chigiana di Siena.