Sergio Vartolo studied music, organ and harpsichord, at the Conservatorio of Bologna and graduated at the university of the same city.

He has performed throughout Europe as harpsichordist, organist, conductor, stage director and singer. His recordings have been awarded the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Frescobaldi Toccatas), the Choc award by Le Monde de la Musique (Frescobaldi Capriccios) and the Diapason d’Or (Luzzaschi Madrigals).

For fourteen years, until 1998, he held the post of Maestro di Cappella at the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna. He is an academician of the famous Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna, where, among many other great musicians, in 1770 Mozart was received as a member.

The Early Music Review described Sergio Vartolo’s Naxos recording of Monteverdi’s Ballo Delle Ingrate and Tancredi e Clorinda as being “among the most convincing performance of these works I have heard” whilst a warm and intimate version of L’Orfeo was assessed by Fanfare thus: “The singers are excellent and integrated into a carefully prepared ensemble…You will not do much better at triple the price”.

In addition, Sergio Vartolo has recorded Monteverdi’s smaller-scale works: the Canzonette (with Patricia Vaccari) and the same composer’s delightful Scherzi Musicali A Tre Voci.