Biography - Alessio Elia

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About Alessio Elia

«Alessio Elia makes truly interesting music, one that is complex in the writing and in its conception, and at the same time works very well for listening. And this is what matters».

Péter Eötvös, Hungarian composer and conductor (la Repubblica, Italian newspaper)

«An unicum in the compositional landscape of our times».

Stefano Cascioli, Italian composer, violinist and pianist (Il Corriere Musicale)

«A rising star composer».

Elena Abbado, Italian musicologist (in NIGHT ITALIA February 2017)

«By using different intonations Alessio Elia creates a sound image of the different theories of superstrings».

Jean-Claude Risset, French composer

«An excellent composer whose music projects the micro-world up of gigantic sound screens in such a way that the particulars, enlarged, not only from afar but also from very close are preciously elaborated down to the smallest detail».

Szabolcs Molnár, Hungarian critic (in Magayar Narancs May 2019)

«Mr. Elia is a very fine composer. He has a very broad knowledge in many aspects of the arts and philosophy. It was an immense pleasure to exchange ideas on the huge field of music with him».

Manfred Stahnke, German composer (Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg)

«It is not easy to place Elia somewhere, but I think that Alessio Elia doesn’t want to be ‘placed’ in a school or tendency. His music seems to invite us to an aesthetic, even sensual, abandonment. But this abandonment is the result of a careful activity, of an idea of structure in which the writing never loses control. The abandonment becomes architecture, the liquidity solidifies in the act of punctilious, even insidious writing».

Claudio Morandini, Italian writer

«Those infinitesimal vibrating strings that make up the smallest particles of matter and that create the energy of the universe

seem really the dense and primordial nuclei from which the "sound of Elia" radiates».

Guido Barbieri, Italian critic and musicologist (RAI - RADIO 3)

«Alessio Elia’s unique approach to composition can be directly attributed to his natural curios personality, which makes him one of

the most interesting composers of the Italian contemporary scene».

Luciano Pelosi, Italian composer and conductor (S. Cecilia Academy of Music)

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Biography

Described as an unicum in the compositional landscape of our times (Il Corriere Musicale) Alessio Elia is today considered among the most original composers of the new generation (la Repubblica, Universal Music Publishing, Muzsika, Radio Vaticana, Die Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung).

Trained internationally he studied composition in Italy, Hungary and Germany, graduating at the S. Cecilia Academy of Music in Rome under the guidance of Giovanni Piazza. He completed postgraduate courses in Italy at the National Academy of Music S. Cecilia in Rome and at the Chigiana Academy of Music in Siena, and abroad at the Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt with Brian Ferneyhough, Toshio Hosokawa, and Georg Friedrich Haas, as well as at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Zoltán Jeney.

Consultations with Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen also had a significant role in the process of his professional development.

He obtained the post-master’s degree in Composition at the Hochschule für Musik Mannheim, studying with Sidney Corbett, a former student of György Ligeti.

Elia earned his PhD cum laude at the University of Rome Tor Vergata with a dissertation about the Hamburgisches Konzert by

Ligeti (first comprehensive monograph on this topic).

Guest composer and researcher at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, the State University of Debrecen, the Zoltán Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, the Sacher Foundation in Basel, and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, he was also lecturer in composition in

2010 at the latter.

His music has been performed in significant concert halls and festivals worldwide (Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome; Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy in Budapest; Menuhin Festival in Oslo; Festival Erkel-Mahler in Budapest; Accademia Filarmonica

Romana; BMC - Budapest Music Center; Bartók Hall of Palace of Arts – The National Auditorium in Budapest; Levinsalen and Lindemansalen in Oslo; Arnold Schoenberg Center in Vienna; Kongresshaus Stadthalle Heidelberg; Mannheimer Kunstverein;

LAC - Lugano Arte e Cultura Auditorium; National Hungarian Radio Studios; Forum Neue Musik - Palais Prinz Carl in Heidelberg; Auditorium del Parco by Renzo Piano in L'Aquila; Oggimusica Festival in Lugano; Contemporary Arts Festival Budapest; Yamaha Concert Hall Wien, etc.).

Elia’s works were broadcast by state radios and TV channels, such as: Radio Bartók (Hungary); Saarländischer Rundfunk (Germany);

RAI Radio 3 (Italy); Hungarian Catholic Radio; Magyar Televízió and Duna TV (Hungarian State TV); Radio Vaticana.

He has released interviews about his music for: Cité de la musique in Paris, Magyar Televízió and Duna TV, Bartók Radio, Radio Vaticana, Dal+Szerző - Magazine of the Hungarian Bureau for the Protection of Authors’ Rights, Muzsika - the most important Hungarian journal for classical music, Musica +, Budapest Music Centre, and the Peter Eötvös Foundation.

His activity as a composer and researcher has taken him on a tour of conferences around Europe (Norway, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Italy etc.), among them the most important were at:

Cité de la musique in Paris; Internationales Musikinstitute Darmstadt; Accademia Filarmonica Romana; Chigiana Academy in Siena; Canal C2 - Université de Strasbourg; The Hungarian Academy of Arts;  Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst Mannheim;

Eötvös József University, Baja (Hungary); Norwegian Academy of Music; Kampnagel Internationale Kulturfabrik in Hamburg during

the Symposium "Ligeti und die Mikrotonalität", presented by Louise Duchesneau, secretary of Ligeti, with the extraordinary contribution of Paul Griffiths, first biographer of Ligeti.

In 2008 he was invited by the Hungarian State TV, for an interview about The Magician's Death his opera based on the life and artistic activity of the Hungarian writer Géza Csáth.

Ten portrait concerts of his music have been organized in Budapest, Oslo and Rome since 2006 (most significant venues: two

times at Sala Verdi of the Italian Institute of Culture in Budapest, the first time within the Festival "Contemporanea", dedicated to Alessio Elia, Ivan Fedele and Luciano Berio, organized by the Italian Embassy in Budapest, the second concert for celebrating his ten years of musical activity in Hungary; Lindemansalen, Levinsalen in Oslo; Accademia Filarmonica Romana, for the Festival "She Lives" dedicated to Alessio Elia, Péter Eötvös and Zoltán Jeney).

His recent pieces take inspiration from scientific subjects, such as String Theory, M-Theory, and quantum physics.

Some works of his compositional output are addressed to the integration of different kinds of tuning systems in a process of developing the sonic material he named "Polysystemism", discussed in many conferences and lectures, among them the one at "Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine" of the Cité de la Musique in Paris.

The most significant works in this direction are Beyond Perturbative States, Conifold transitions, Traces from Nowhere and the

orchestral pieces Dimensioni nascoste (Hidden Dimensions) and Trasparenze.

Articles and essays on Polysystemism have been published by the German publisher von Bockel Verlag, l'Université de Strasbourg and the Hungarian Academy of Arts, as well as the subject of a master thesis degree at the Academy of Music of the Italian Switzerland in Lugano.

Elia is the recipient of several prizes, among them the Chigiana Merit Award 2005 for the piece Luminescences and the 1st prize for the piece Rejtett dimenziók (Hidden Dimensions) in the orchestral category of UMZF 2013 (Hungarian Forum for New Music) Competition, in the year dedicated to Ligeti, with Péter Eötvös presiding over the jury.  

In 2016 his orchestral piece Labirynthum continui was awarded a "Leibniz's Harmonies Prize" in Hannover.

Supported by NKA (Hungarian National Cultural Fund) he wrote the Clarinet Concerto Implicate Inklings for Csaba Klenyán as solo clarinet and Concerto Budapest Orchestra conducted by Zoltán Rácz, performed on 4 May 2019 at the Grand Hall of the Liszt

Academy in Budapest.

Born in Rome in 1979, Elia has lived in different cities in Europe (Rome, Budapest, Odense, Oslo, Debrecen and Berlin).

Right now he is based in Budapest and Rome.

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Chronology

1979

Born in Roma on 24th April.

1991

He starts to study piano under the guidance of Lidia Giuseppone.

1997

Starts to study at S. Cecilia Academy of Music in Roma.

In the Academy he studies Composition under the guidance of Giovanni Piazza.

2000

MUSICAL WORKS

Commission for the Music Festival of Sermoneta:

Les Fantômes du future luxe nocturne (The Phantoms of the Nocturnal Future Luxury) for double-bass and piano.

(Première: Sermoneta Festival – July 2000)

Trio for violin, cello and piano.

2001

MUSICAL WORKS

Ulisse for mezzo-soprano and orchestra on a poem by Umberto Saba.

Noia (Boredom) for mezzo-soprano and ensemble on a poem by Giuseppe Ungaretti.

Quartetto Nucleo-deferente (Nucleus-Deferent String Quartet)

Itinerari (Itineraries) for piano solo (Première: Sala Baldini, Roma – May 2001)

2002

MUSICAL WORKS

Première of Trio for violin, cello and piano (S. Cecilia Academy of Music Concert Hall, Roma – 24th April 2002).

13 Variazioni in assenza di tema (13 Variations in absence of theme) for string orchestra.

Piano Sonata "a Guillaume Apollinaire" (1st version).

Park Güell - Homage to Gaudì for orchestra, based on the techniques of the Catalan artist.

THEORETICAL WORKS

Analysis of the Piano Sonata op. 64 "White Mass" by Scriabin.

2003

ACTIVITIES

Works as musical assistant to the direction of the Tv director Enrico Castiglione, during the concerts of the Euro Mediterraneo Festival conducted by Lorin Maazel with the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra of Parma.

MUSICAL WORKS

In February starts to write the Libretto of Géza (named later La Morte del Mago – The Magician’s Death), Opera based on the life and the artistic activity of the Hungarian writer Géza Csáth.

From September starts to write the score.

On December breaks off the writing for elaborating the Opera as a trilogy.

The last version becomes:

THE DOUBLE BORDER OF CSÁTH

Opera Trilogy based on the life and the artistic activity of the Hungarian writer Géza Csáth.

The Trilogy consists of the following operas:

11 Accuse per Olga (11 Accusations for Olga)

First Opera of the Trilogy

Opera in 2 acts

for: soloists, chorus and orchestra

Opium - Sinestesia onirica per un epilogo –

(Oneiric synesthesia for an epilogue)

Second Opera of the Trilogy

Multimedia Opera in 9 parts

for: soloists, ballet, ensemble, electronic files and video-projections

La Morte del Mago (The Magician’s Death)

Third Opera of the Trilogy

Opera in 7 parts

for: a soloist, his double, two top model-actresses, a mime, secondary singers, mute actors, dancers, invisible chorus and large orchestra.

He works at the librettos and music of the Trilogy from 2003 till 2006.

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L’Éternitè for mezzo-soprano and orchestra on a French text by Arthur Rimbaud.

5 Frammenti da "La volontà di Potenza"  (5 Fragments from "The Will to Power") for soli, five choruses and large orchestra, on aphorisms by Friederich  Nietzsche.

Sonata for violin and piano "Chagall".

Laudamus for mezzo-soprano and piano.

2004

ACTIVITIES

Takes part to the 42. Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, where he attends the perfecting course in composition under the guidance of Brian Ferneyhough, Toshio Hosokawa and Georg Friedrich Haas.

Commission from Mehrklangorchester Berlin for the German Festival "Italianità".

Writes for this circumstance joujoux séduisants (2004/2005), part of Opium, second opera of the trilogy Il Doppio Confine di Csáth

(The Double Border of Csáth) .

He graduates in Composition (first level degree - Bachelor) in October with full marks and laude.

The degree’s thesis is Géza, opera based on the life and the artistic activity of the Hungarian writer Géza Csáth [first version of the  opera La Morte del Mago – (The Magician’s Death)].

Since October starts researches at the Liszt Academy of Music.

Perfecting Course in Composition (Postgraduate Course)

Perfecting Course in Musical Analysis (Postgraduate Course) - Perfecting Course in Ethnomusicology [research field: works of the modern and contemporary Hungarian composers from Bartók to Ligeti (Postgraduate Course)].

He gets a Scholarship for three years, awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture.

MUSICAL WORKS

He works out the opera La Morte del Mago (The Magician’s Death) [cf. Trilogy].

Starts to write the opera 11 Accuse per Olga (11 Accusations for Olga) [cf. Trilogy].

...illuminavano appena (...illuminated scarcely) for ensemble

Sonata for piano "a Guillaume Apollinaire" (2nd  version).

Reminiscences, electronic piece.

THEORETICAL WORKS

Semiografia della musica contemporanea – Ragioni di un’esigenza espressiva (Semiography of the contemporary music – Reasons for

an expressive need)

The book is about the reasons that led the composers to introduce new symbols in their scores. The work is divided in specific sections according to the musical languages.

Sylvano Bussotti e il Teatro della Crudeltà di Artaud  (Sylvano Bussotti and the Artaud’s Theatre of the Cruelty).

2005

ACTIVITIES

He gets a scholarship awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture for attending the Perfecting Course in Composition at the Ferenc Liszt Academy in Budapest under the guidance of the composer Zoltán Jeney.

Perfecting Course in Composition (Postgraduate Course) at the Chigiana Academy of Music in Siena where he gets the Merit Diploma and the Chigiana Academy of Music Scholarship.

Merit Award for the piece Luminescences.

MUSICAL WORKS

Première of joujoux séduisants, commissioned by Mehrklangorchester Berlin for the Festival Italianità [Première: International Festival for Contemporary Music. Mauritius Studio Auditorium, Saarbrücken (Germany) – 16 April 2005. Mehrklangorchester Berlin.

Conductor: Tammin Lee.

Broadcasted by the Radio State of Saar].

Starts to write the Opera Opium (cf. Trilogy).

Luminescences for ensemble [Première: Palazzo Chigi Saracini (Chigi Saracini Palace) - Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Chigiana Academy of Music), Siena – 6th August 2005. Chigiana Academy of Music Ens emble. Conductor: Mauro Bonifacio] - video

Première of Laudamus for mezzo-soprano and piano (Cesano City Auditorium – 20th March 2005. Mezzo-soprano: Ilaria Piccin. Piano: Alessio Elia)

Eszti la rossa (Eszti the red hair), opera scene for soprano, bass and orchestra.

Storie di solitudine. Il Bosco (Tales of the Solitude, The wood) [shortfilm], original title "A magány történetei. Az Erdő" – (rövidfilm) – from a Géza Csáth’s tale.

Direction and Storyboard by the composer.

2006

ACTIVITIES

Kecskemét (Hungary). Kodály Zoltán Institute (branch of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest).

Perfecting Courses in Musicology and Ethnomusicology about the vocal and instrumental repertoire of the modern and

contemporary Hungarian composers (Bartók, Kodály, Farkas, Kadosa, Durkó, Jeney, Orban, Eötvös, Kurtág, Ligeti).

Scholarship awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture.

In October he graduates in Composition (Master Degree) at the S. Cecilia Conservatory of Music in Rome, with full marks, laude, honour and merit mention.

Conference by the Prof. Károly Ákos Windhager at the ELTE University – Department of Theory of Art, in Budapest on the Elia’s Opera Trilogy "La Morte del Mago" (The Magician’s Death).

MUSICAL WORKS

Carries out the operas Opium and 11 Accuse per Olga (11 Accusations for Olga), completing the opera trilogy Il Doppio Confine  

di Csáth (The Double Border of Csáth), which becomes a kind of study on the borderline syndrome.

Première of the Prelude of the opera 11 Accuse per Olga (11 Accusations for Olga) [S. Cecilia Academy of Music Concert Hall,

Rome  – 19th January 2006. S. Cecilia  Academy of Music Orchestra. Conductor: Chia – Hong Drapal Liao]

Première of the Opera La Morte del Mago (The Magician’s Death) – chamber  version – [Nyitott Műhely, Budapest (Hungary) –

14th June 2006. Con Spirito Zeneművészeti Egyesület (Con Spirito Ensemble).].

Première of the art shortfilm Storie di solitudine. Il Bosco (Tales of the Solitude. The wood). [Nyitott Műhely, Budapest (Hungary) –

17th June 2006].

Première of Reminiscences, electronic piece [Nyitott Műhely, Budapest  (Hungary) – 17 June].

Première of Sonata per violino e pianorte "Chagall" (Sonata for violin and piano "Chagall". [Nyitott Műhely, Budapest  (Hungary) –

17 June. Violin: Katalin  Bartha; Piano: Alessio Elia].

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First Portrait Concert dedicated to the compositions of Alessio Elia.

Concert - Interview organized by Art’s Harmony, Hungarian Society of Music about Elia’s works (First portrait Concert).

Interviewer: Prof. Károly Ákos Windhager, Professor of Art Theory at the ELTE University in Budapest (Nyitott Műhely, Budapest.

16th December 2006, afternoon)

Within the First Portrait Concert:

Première of Concerto per Pianoforte, suoni elettronici ed immagini (Concert for Piano, electronic sounds and images).

Piano: Alessio Elia.

Première of Budapest 1956 – 2006, for Clarinet and piano (Commissioned for the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the

1956 Hungarian Revolution. Clarinet: Péter Székely. Piano: Alessio Elia).

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Second Portrait Concert dedicated to the composition of Alessio Elia.

Concert - Interview organized by "Con Spirito" Association of Music about Elia’s works (Second Portrait Concert).

Interviewer: Magda Györi, President of "Con Spirito" Zeneművészeti Egyesület. [Rátkai Klub Hall, Budapest. 16th December 2006, evening. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the foundation  of the Rátkai Klub Hall].

Within the Second Portrait Concert:

Première of Certezze di un Caro Ignoto (Certainties of a Dear Unknown), for piano solo (Piano: Alessio Elia).

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On 23rd July 2006 Magyar Katolikus Radio (Hungarian Catholic Radio) broadcasts Luminescences.

2007

ACTIVITIES

Composer and Researcher at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest.

Fellowship awarded by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture.

Graduates at the S. Cecilia National Academy of Music in Rome.

MUSICAL WORKS

Incertezze visibili della Memoria (Visible Uncertainties of the Memory) for piano and chamber orchestra, on the technique of the

strings scordatura.

Perdendo il Mare (Loosing the Sea), artistic short film.

Director: Alessio Elia

Apparizioni della Perdita del Mare (Apparitions of the Sea Lost) artistic short film.

Graphic elaboration: Alessio Elia

L’ultima Notte di Csáth (Csáth’s Last Night), artistic short film.

Graphic elaboration: Alessio Elia

La Séduction for ensemble (Première: Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Petrassi, Rome – 23rd November 2007. Freon Ensemble. Conductor:  Stefano Cardi).

Viewable on youtube

2008

ACTIVITIES

He is invited as Honorary Member of the jury in the International Composition Competition T.I.M – Trofeo Internazionale Musica.

He is invited for an interview about his opera La Morte del Mago (The Magician’s Death) by Magyar Televízió (M1), Hungarian State Television.

Viewable on the youtube channel of the opera  

He is enrolled in the Musical PhD Course at the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Topic of the Research: The Hamburgisches Konzert by György Ligeti.

MUSICAL WORKS

Illusions for soprano and soprano saxophone, on no text.

Commissioned by Duo Saxopran (Copenhagen).

Preludio al Disinganno d’Abele (Prelude to the Disenchantment of Abel), for orchestra.

L’Altrove for solo piano - video

THEORETICAL WORKS

L’altro volto della scuola di Darmstadt : Messiaen, Ligeti (The other face of the Darmstadt School: Messiaen, Ligeti).

The book is about those aspects that are very far from the serialism, integral serialism and structuralism, features usually

connected to the Darmstadt School and offers another point of view of the very famous Ferienkurse. The choice of Messiaen and Ligeti, as prominent figures, comes from the necessity to focalize on those languages that can explain better the proposed subject.

2009

ACTIVITIES

Researcher at the Debrecen University of Music (Hungary). Erasmus Scholarship for Doctoral Researchers.

The State Library of Eger (Hungary) publishes an overview of his opera La morte del Mago (The Magician’s Death)

Researcher and Composer at the Norges Musikkhøgskole in Oslo.

Topic of the Reseach: Aural Sonology Project for Ligeti's music. Aural perception, spectra, heterogeneous temperaments, harmonics.

Annual Fellowship of The Research Council of Norway (Yggdrasil  Programme for Doctoral Researchers).

The Italian writer Claudio Morandini interviews Elia.

1st Part

1st Part "a"  

2nd Part

3rd Part

MUSICAL WORKS

Concerto per Tuba, per solo tuba and piano. Commissioned by the Hungarian Brass Society.

Sonata for Horn and Piano no. 1, for horn and piano.

L’ora azzurra (The azure hour), for flute, clarinet and basset horn.

Commissioned by Trio Böhm (Rome).

Oblio della Volontà (Oblivion of the Will), for solo piano.

Tre Studi per pianoforte :

a) La memoria dimenticata (The forgotten memory)

b) Incertezze (Uncertainties)

c) Inner Outside (Outrage) première

Out of Aut, for three cellos con scordatura.

Première of Outrage (Inner Outside), etude for piano.

Alessio Elia, piano.

2010

ACTIVITIES

Lecturer in Composition at the Norges Musikkhøgskole (Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo. Department of Composition.

Researcher at the University of Debrecen (Hungary). Erasmus Scholarship for Researchers.

Topic of the research: The Hamburgisches Konzert (Horn Concerto) by György Ligeti.

Composer and Researcher at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest.

Fellowship of the Hungarian Ministry of Culture.

MUSICAL WORKS

L’ultimo Canto di Saffo (from a poem by Giacomo Leopardi with the same title), for piano [Première: Lindemansalen, Norges Musikkhøgskole (Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo (Norway) – 25th May.

Outrage, etude for piano

Video of Elia's performance

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Third Portrait Concert dedicated to the compositions of Alessio Elia.

("From Silence to the Invisible Sound")

Place: Levinsalen, Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo (Norway).

Date: 24th  February

Promoter: Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo.

Within the concert:

Première of L’ora azzurra (The azure hour) for flute, clarinet and basset horn.

[Commissioned by Trio Böhm for the commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the foundation.Trio Böhm  (Flute: Michela Berti. Clarinet: Claudio Cavallaro. Bassett-horn: Daniele Veroli). Conductor: Alessio Elia]

Première of Oblio della Volontà (Oblivion of the Will) for solo piano. (Piano: Alessio Elia).

Première of Tre Studi per pianoforte, for solo piano:

I) La memoria dimenticata (The forgotten memory)

II) Incertezze (Uncertainties)  

III) Inner Outside

(Piano: Alessio Elia).

Première of Sonata per Corno e Pianoforte n° 1

(Horn: Debora Maffeis. Piano: Olivera Marinkovic)

Première of L’Altrove (Elsewhere) for solo piano

(Piano: Alessio Elia)

Viewable on

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An Unexpected Indifference, for mixed chorus [for the research Concrescence created by the composer Lasse Thoresen at the Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music). Première: Levinsalen, Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo – 21th May. Chorus of Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music). Conductor: Alessio Elia].

Listen to it on youtube

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Fourth Portrait Concert dedicated to the compositions of Alessio Elia

(A Seductive Forgetfulness)

Place: Lindemansalen, Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo (Norway).

Date: 25th May 2010

Promoter: Norges Musikkhøgskole (The Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo.

Within the concert:

Première of L’ultimo Canto di Saffo (after a poem by Giacomo Leopardi with the same title), for piano.

[Lindemansalen, Norges Musikkhøgskole (Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo (Norway) – 25th May 2010. Fourth Monographic Concert dedicated to the compositions of  Alessio Elia. Promoter: Norges Musikkhøgskole (Norwegian Academy of Music), Oslo.

Piano: Alessio Elia]

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Introduction to the virtuosity of Liszt; Postlude to the virtuosity of Liszt.

Re-writing from Liszt: Morceau de Salon; Transcendental Etude no. 2; Mazeppa; Wilde Jagd; Chasse-Neige.

[Première of all the works: Andrássy út, stage of the Operaház (Opera House), Budapest – 5th September. Piano: Alessio Elia. Zenés korzó az Andrássy úton (Musical  Promenade in Andrássy út).

Promoter: HungaroFest, Klassz – Musical Department of the State Society for Cultural Events, Hungarian Ministry of Education and Culture]

2011

ACTIVITIES

Researcher at the Sacher Foundation in Basel (Switzerland) - Ligeti Archives.

MUSICAL WORKS

Perfezione Sintetica dell’Incanto – Concerto per Corno solista ed ensemble. (Synthetic Perfection of the Enchantment – Concerto

for Horn and ensemble). Commissioned by Debora Maffeis [Aalborg Symphonic Orchestra (Denmark) and dedicated to her].

Outrage, etude for piano (Sala dos Espelhos do Palácio Foz, Lisboa – 30th June 2011).

German première of Piano etudes nos. 1 and 2: "Outrage" and "The Temptress" – after a Jack Vettriano’s painting with the same title).

(16 October - Mannheimer Kunstverein. Piano: Alessio Elia)

Outrage performed in Rome

(17 October – Teatro Valle in Rome).

Fifth Portrait Concert.

Piano recital of Elia’s music at the Piano Festival "Eufonia" (Rome)

(27 November – Piano: Alessio Elia)

Promoter: "Eufonia" Music Association.

 

2012

ACTIVITIES

Conference about his opera The Magician’s Death (based on the life and artistic activity of the Hungarian writer Géza Csáth).

17 April. Eötvös József University, Baja (Hungary). In the frame of the conference for celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Csáth’s birth. Additionally excerpts of the opera were projected during the three-day Symposium.

Programme

Earns the PhD degree in Story, Science and Techniques of Music with laude at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" with a

dissertation about the "Hamburgisches Konzert" by György Ligeti [Title: «The "Hamburgisches Konzert" by György Ligeti. From sketches and drafts to the final (?) version.  Musical structures, techniques of composition and their perception as aural phenomena»]

Gives a conference entitled  «The roles of microtonality in the "Hamburgisches Konzert" by Ligeti» in the «"Internationales

Symposium Ligeti und die Mikrotonalität" (im Rahmen des Hamburg Klangwertage Festivals)» at the Kampnagel Internationale Kulturfabrik GmbH in Hamburg.

Programme at Kampnagel website

MUSICAL WORKS

German première of Piano etude no. 3 "Incertezze" and "L’Altrove"  (for piano).

Forum Neue Musik – Palais Prinz Carl, Heidelberg

(11 January – Piano: Alessio Elia)

"Goog" le Suite - Romances without music (for electronics).

Première: 24 May, Forum Neue Musik – Palais Prinz Carl, Heidelberg

Review

Srilankan Première of "Budapest 1956/2006" – Sonata per la Rivoluzione.

(1 June. Taj Samudra. Colombo – Sri Lanka. Clarinet: Claudio Cavallaro; Piano: Massimo Spada. Official celebration of the Italian Republic. Organizer: Italian Embassy in Colombo)

Review (Cidim website)

Three pieces of Elia are selected for the Preview of the Project "She Lives – Contemporary music is music", organized by Fabiana Piersanti.

[Selected pieces : "Budapest 1956"; "Outrage"; "Luminescences"].

Takes part to the event also as a pianist performing an improvvisation with the composer and violin player Cristiano Serino.

"Budapest 1956" (a new version of "Budapest 1956/2006" ) is performed at the Festival Clarinet Days in Rome, event organized

by the cultural association Eufonia.

[23 December 2012. Eufonia. Rome. Clarinet: Claudio Cavallaro; Piano: Massimo Spada]

2013

ACTIVITIES

The Italian musicologist and researcher Carla Di Lena interviews Elia for Radio Vaticana.

In September Radio Bartók interviews Elia about his orchestral piece "Dimensioni nascoste" (Rejtett dimenziók).

MUSICAL WORKS

Beyond Perturbative States for piano and strings.

Première: 9 August 2013. Festival "Ambient'Azioni Musicali"

Ensemble of the Festival.

Sandro Savagnone, conductor

Rejtett dimenziók for orchestra.

Première: 26 September, Bartók Hall - Művészetek Palotája (Palace of Arts) - Budapest.

Hungarian State Radio Orchestra. Gergely Vajda, conductor.

Final round of the UMZF 2013 Competition (Forum of the New Hungarian Music).

Chief of the jury: Péter Eötvös.

Note: First prize of the orchestral music category at the UMZF 2013 Competition.

Inquantumland for ensemble

Première: 25 September, BMC (Budapest Music Centre) - Budapest.

Ensemble of the Hungarian State Radio Orchestra. Gergely Vajda, conductor.

Final round of the UMZF 2013 Competition (Forum of the New Hungarian Music).

Chief of the jury: Péter Eötvös.

Note: Third prize of the chamber music category at the UMZF 2013 Competition.

Outrage performed at Auditorium del Parco in L'Aquila.

2014

ACTIVITIES

In February he completes with full marks the postgraduate studies in composition at the Hochschule für Musik Mannheim, studying with Sidney Corbett.

Researcher at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest.

Subject: Microtonality, physical and logical models in the music of the Hungarian composers.

Fellowships of the Balassi Intézet for post-doctoral studies and researches.

In the number of July, "Muzsika" publishes a very positive critic by Szabolcs Molnár of Elia's orchestral piece "Trasparenze".

In the number MMXIV/I (March) "Dal Szerző" (the official magazine of the Hungarian Bureau for the Protection of Authors' Rights) publishes a long interview with Elia, realized by Marcell Németh.

In the concert programme of the Eighth Portrait Concert dedicated to Elia, the Italian critic Guido Barbieri writes a very positive

and original interpretation of the sound and music of Elia.

On 2nd June the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica" realised an interview with Péter Eötvös talking about Elia's music.

On 10 February the German newspaper "Die Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung" publishes the announcement of the second German

performance of "Dimensioni nascoste" (Versteckte Dimensionen).

On 13 February the German newspaper "Die Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung" publishes an enthusiastic review of the second German performance of "Dimensioni nascoste" (Versteckte Dimensionen).

On 13 February the German newspaper "Mannheimer Morgen" publishes an enthusiastic review of the first German performance

of "Dimensioni nascoste" (Versteckte Dimensionen).

On 14 April he is interviewed by Szabolcs Molnár in a programme of the Hungarian "Klub Rádió".

On 28 April appears in "9 Colonne" (the official National Italian Newspaper of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) an enthusiastic review of Elia's music.

On 10 May appears in "PlayLiszt" a very positive critic and review by Szabolcs Molnár of the 7th Portrait Concert dedicated to

Alessio Elia's music. The concert was held at Sala Verdi of the Italian Institute of Culture in Budapest within the concert series "Contemporanea", a three-concert festival dedicated to Ivan Fedele, Luciano Berio and Alessio Elia.

In Novemeber gives a lecture at Cité de la Musique, Paris. Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine.

Title of the conference: "Polysystemism: A simultaneous employment of different tuning systems emerging from String Theory,

M- Theory and Supersymmetry"

MUSICAL WORKS

Two Movements for Viola and Percussion

Première: 17 January 2014. Kammermusiksaal - Musik Hochschule Mannheim.

Marie Takahashi, Viola

Robert Oetomo, Percussion

______________

Sixth Portrait concert

Date and place: 5 February. Kammermusiksaal - Musik Hochschule Mannheim.

Promoter: Musik Hochschule Mannheim.

Pieces performed:

Beyond perturbative states (2013)

für Klavier (kontrollierte Obertöne), Violine con scordatura, Bratsche con scordatura,     

Violoncello con scordatura, Kontrabass con scordatura.

German Première

Heisenberg Suite (2013)

für Klarinette, Horn, Schlagzeug (2 Spielern), Violine, Violoncello, Klavier.

Outrage – Piano etude no. 1(2011)

für Klavier

The Temptress – Piano etude no. 2 (2012)

für Klavier

Luminescences (2005 – rev. 2013)

für Klarinette, Schlagzeug (2 Spielern), Violine con scordatura, Bratsche con scordatura, Violoncello con scordatura.

German Première

Movimento primo (2012) [7’20’’]

für Klavier und Kammerorchester

Première

Impronta ensemble

Andreas Luca Beraldo, Conductor

______________

German Première of Dimensioni nascoste (Versteckte Dimensionen) for orchestra

9 February. Aula der Universität Schloss Mannheim

TonArt Heidelberg Simphonic Orchestra

Knud Jansen, conductor

______________

Performance of Dimensioni nascoste (Versteckte Dimensionen) for orchestra at the Kongresshaus Stadthalle Heidelberg.

10 February.

TonArt Heidelberg Simphonic Orchestra

Knud Jansen, conductor.

______________

Performance of Two Movements for Viola and Percussion at the Kammermusiksaal - Musik Hochschule Mannheim

17 January 2014.

Marie Takahashi, Viola

Robert Oetomo, Percussion

______________

Seventh Portrait Concert dedicated to the music of Alessio Elia

Ritratto d'autore: ALESSIO ELIA

(within the concert series "CONTEMPORANEA" dedicated to Alessio Elia, Ivan Fedele and Luciano Berio)

Sala Verdi - Italian Institute of Culture, Budapest

8 May 2014.

Promoter: Italian Ambassy in Hungary and Italian Institute of Culture in Budapest.

Concert in the presence of Her Excellency Ambassador of Italy in Hungary, Dr. Maria Assunta Accili.

Pieces performed:

Beyond Perturbative States (2013)

for violin, viola, cello, double-bass, piano

The Temptress (2014)

for solo piano

Trio (1999)

for violin, cello and piano

Outrage (2010)

for solo piano

Conifold transitions (2014)

for clarinet, 2 violins, cello and piano

Première

Francesco Mario Possenti, piano

Gábor Varga, clarinet

Krulik Quartet

Lukácsházi István, double-bass

László Tihanyi, conductor

______________

Première of Trasparenze, for large orchestra.

Commission of Bartók Rádió.

21 May 2014.

Studio no. 6 of the National Hungarian Radio.

Live broadcast.

The National Hungarian Radio Orchestra

László Tihanyi, conductor

______________

Eighth Portrait Concert dedicated to the music of Alessio Elia

Name of the event: Trasparenze

Within the concert series "SHE LIVES meets Hungary", three portrait concerts dedicated to Péter Eötvös, Zoltán Jeney and Alessio Elia.

Organizers: SHE LIVES, Balassi Intézet and Accademia Filarmonica Romana.

Sala Casella, Accademia Filarmonica Romana (Roma)

2 July 2014

Pieces performed:

György Ligeti (1923-2006)

Sonata for cello solo (1948-53)

Alfredo Mola, cello

Alessio Elia

Luminescences (2005)

for clarinet, violin con scordatura, viola con scordatura, cello con scordatura, percussion

The Temptress – Piano etude no. 2 (2012)

for piano*

László Tihanyi (*1956)

Preludium, Invocation, Postludium op. 54

for violin, viola, cello**

First Italian performance

Alessio Elia

Beyond Perturbative States (2013)

for prepared piano preparato (controlled harmonics), violin con scordatura, viola con scordatura, cello con scordatura, double-bass

con scordatura

Outrage – Piano etude no. 1 (2011)

for piano*

Conifold transitions (2014)

for clarinet, two violins con scordatura, cello con scordatura and piano

First Italian performance

Ensemble Shelives

Sandro Savagnone, conductor

* Francesco Mario Possenti, piano

** Francesco Peverini, violin; Diana Bonatesta, viola; Paolo Andriotti, cello

______________

Merging Spaces (piano etude no.3)

Première: Festival "Piano surrounding 2014". Düsseldorf. 14 September. Jan Gerdes, piano

______________

Sayings of the seers, violin etude no. 1. Dedicated to Jeanne Lefèvre.

2015

MUSICAL WORKS

Performance of Merging Spaces (piano etude no. 3) at BKA-Theater. Berlin. 20 January 2015. Jan Gerdes, piano.

Credo, for two choruses and string orchestra.

Première: 29 March. Heilig-Geist-Kirche. Mannheim. Within Konzert zur Nacht. Motettenchor Mannheim. Impronta Ensemble. Alexander Niehues, conductor

Voynich Emblemata, for choir and ensemble.

Text from folio 99v of the Voynich Manuscript, transliterated according to the study of Prof. Stephen Bax.

First employment of the Voynich text.

Invocazione e Responso, duo for flute and clarinet.

Commission of Duo Aphelion.

Première of Sayings of the Seers.

Festival Chor.com. 2 October 2015. Dortmund.

Jeanne Lefèvre, violin.

Disappearing rainbows for large ensemble [2 flutes (2nd also piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinets (2nd also bass-clarinet), horn, bassoon, 3 percussionists, piano, 4 violins, 2 cellos, double-bass]

Première: 7 October 2015. Budapest Music Centre. The National Hungarian Radio Orchestra. Gergely Vajda, conductor

Extended Moment for solo guitar.

Commission of Angelo Colone.

2016

ACTIVITIES

In the number 43 of Musica + it is realised an interview to Alessio Elia realized by Carla Di Lena - click here to read it.

Conference "Per un Teatro delle ombre" with Stefano Jacoviello, László Tihanyi, Alessio Elia. Santa Maria della Scala - Chigiana Lounge. Siena (9 July).

Lecture-meeting: "The role of the composer today - the music of Kurtág and Tihanyi"

Chigiana Academy of Music. Siena, 9 July.

Seminar: Music as a physical phenomenon.

Accademia Italiana del Flauto. Rome, 17-18 July.

Seminar: Polysystemism (integration of different types of tuning systems) –

based on a lecture at a conference held at La Cité de la Musique, Paris.

Accademia Italiana del Flauto. Rome, 19-20 July.

Laboratory: "Extended techniques in flute, cello and piano".

Accademia Italiana del Flauto. Rome, 22 July.

Composition masterclass at Accademia Italiana del Flauto, Rome.

Professors: Alessio Elia - Sidney Corbett

16-23 July 2016.

Lecture at Pesti Vigado, The Hungarian Academy of Arts. Budapest, 11 October

"Polysystemism and extra dimensions: my approach to composition and to a multidimensional way to shape sound in relationship

with the music of Bartók, Ligeti and quantum physics".

Within the Symposium "Bartók and Járdányi: two compared arts"

His orchestral piece Labyrinthum continui is awarded the "Leibniz's Harmonies Prize" in Hannover, Germany.

MUSICAL WORKS

Voynich Lied - Ai Prigionieri, for soprano, trumpet and piano.

Text from folio 99v of the Voynich Manuscript, transliterated according to the study of Prof. Stephen Bax.

Première: 1 June 2016. Hungarian Radio Studios - Márványterem.

Live broadcasted by Bartók Radio.

Adrienn Miksch, soprano

Tamás Pálfalvi, trumpet

Krisztina Fejes, piano

Octet, for wind octet.

Commissioned by and dedicated to I Solisti della Scala di Milano.

Recorded at Bartók Studio in Milano by I Solisti della Scala, conducted by Andrea Vitello.

Heisenberg Suite, new version, for clarinet, horn, percussion (2 players), string quartet and piano.

Conifold transitions, new version.

Tenth Portrait Concert.

The Italian Institute of Culture in Budapest organizes a portrait concert for celebrating the ten years of musical activity of Elia in Hungary.

Within the concert:

Première of Heisenberg Suite (vers. 2016)

Première of the new version of Conifold transitions.

Hungarian Première of Sayings of the Seers (Aaron Berofsky, violin)

Hungarian Première of Merging Spaces (Krisztina Fejes, piano)

2017

ACTIVITIES

It is released by CAFe - Contemporary Arts Festival a Playlist of Alessio's favourite pieces with comments of the composer.

"Listen to the iPod of the award-winning composer!" ("Hallgass bele a díjnyertes zeneszerző iPodjába!").

September 2017.

Click here to read (Hungarian) and listen to it.

Click here to read the English translation.

It is released by NIGHT Italia the article "Alessio Elia - A certain glance" by Elena Abbado.

Article-Interview with Alessio Elia realized by Elena Abbado.

February 2017, Rome.

Click here to read it.

MUSICAL WORKS

Traces from Nowhere, for disklavier and ensemble [disklavier, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, violin con scord. and cello con scord.]

The piece employs the Polysystemism (12-ET, Werckmeister I,II, IV, JI, Pythagorean, Meantone) and it is written for the project

"Human machine", elaborated together with the conductor Andreas Luca Beraldo.

The project is sponsored by Yamaha, with the contribution of Pro Helvetia.

Première: 16 February 2017. Festival "Oggimusica". LAC - New Auditorium - Lugano (Switzerland)

Impronta Ensemble

Andreas Luca Beraldo, conductor

Other performances:

19 October 2017

BMC - Budapest Music Center.

CAFe - Contemporary Arts Festival Budapest.

Impronta Ensemble

Andreas Luca Beraldo, conductor

20 October

Yamaha Concert Hall Wien

Impronta Ensemble

Andreas Luca Beraldo, conductor

________________________________________

Studio Recording of Octet.

I Solisti della Scala

Andrea Vitello, conductor

Bartók Studio - Milano

Disappearing rainbows opens "The Day of Listening" (A hallgatás napja), the one-day Festival of Concerto Budapest Orchestra.

Concerto Budapest Orchestra, conducted by Zoltán Rácz.

2018

ACTIVITIES

Octet is published by Universal Music Publishing - Editio Musica Budapest, and released in Cd by Warner Classics, recorded by

I Solisti della Scala di Milano conducted by Andrea Vitello.

Interview for RAI Radio 3 (Radio 3 Suite program) about Octet with the composer speaking about his work.  Interview lead by Guido Barbieri with the contribution of Fabrizio Meloni, first clarinet of La Scala and Andrea Vitello, conductor of I Solisti della

Scala.

MUSICAL WORKS

Italian Première of Merging Spaces - Piano etude no.3

Within the recital "Italians without borders", including the other two piano etudes by Elia (Outrage and The Temptress) and works by Scarlatti, Galuppi and Clementi.

Accademia d'Ungheria in Roma, 23 February 2018.

Krisztina Fejes, piano.

Distimement, for large orchestra. Compulsory piece for the Antal Doráti International Conducting Competition.

Première: 12 November 2018, Vigadó Concert Hall - Budapest.

MÁV Symphony Orchestra.

2019

MUSICAL WORKS

Fading into colors, for orchestra. Written for Andrea Barizza and Filarmonica Bacau Mihail Jora.

Première: 21 March 2019, Bacau Concert Hall.

Mihail Jora Philarmonic Orchestra Bacau

Andrea Barizza, conductor

Ekpyrotic Suicide, for ensemble.

Commission of UMZE Ensemble.

Première: 31 March 2019, BMC - Budapest Music Center.

UMZE Ensemble.

László Tihanyi, conductor

Implicate Inklings - Clarinet Concerto, for clarinet soloist and large orchestra.

Written for Csaba Klenyán as solo clarinet and Concerto Budapest Orchestra conducted by Zoltán Rácz.

In memoriam of the Italian poet and writer Adriana Feoli Keseru.

Première: 4 May 2019, Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy - Budapest.

Concerto Budapest Orchestra

Csaba Klenyán, clarinet soloist

Zoltán Rácz, conductor

Incantesimi di Merseburg, for 16-part soloist mixed chorus

Commission of Kammerchor Stuttgart

Première: 21 February 2020. Gesellschaft für Neue Musik Mannheim.

Kammerchor Stuttgart. Frieder Bernius, conductor

Sonata for flute and piano

Commission of Szabolcs Szilágyi for the Budapest Flute Academy 2020.

Première: 14 March 2020. BMC - Budapest Music Center, Grand Hall.

Szabolcs Szilágyi, flute

László Borbély, piano

Duo for flute and clarinet

Commission of Duo Salvi-Cavallaro

Altered memories, for flute, cello and piano

Commission of Alter Ego ensemble

Nocturnal Awakened, for wind quintet

Commission of Quintetto Anemos

Première: 25 September 2019. Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Parigi.

Quintetto Anemos.

2020

MUSICAL WORKS

Première of Incantesimi di Merseburg, for 16-part soloist mixed chorus. Commission of Kammerchor Stuttgart.

21 February 2020. Gesellschaft für Neue Musik Mannheim.

Kammerchor Stuttgart. Frieder Bernius, conductor

Outskirts of matter, for countertenor/baritone and ensemble.

Commission of Wiener Collage, soloists and members of the Wiener Philarmoniker.

Première: Arnold Schoenberg Center, Vienna. 15 December 2020.

Wiener Collage. René Staar, conductor

Caducae resonantiae for solo guitar.

Written for Katalin Koltai.

Première: Budapest Music Center. 16 June 2021. Katalin Koltai, guitar.

For the next performances click here

[updated on August 8, 2020]