Girolamo Deraco

Girolamo Deraco, compositore, regista di opera contemporanea, cultural manager.

Le sue opere liriche sono state eseguite alla Carnegie Hall (USA), Bartok­plusz Miskolci Operafesztivál (Ungheria), Tiroler Festspiele Erl (Austria), Gran Teatro Josè asuncion Flores (Paraguay) e in Italia al Festival Pucciniano di Torre del Lago Puccini, all’Auditorium Parco della Musica di Roma, al Festival Play.it di Firenze, al Teatro del Giglio di Lucca e molti altri.

È stato vincitore e finalista in più trenta concorsi internazionali di composizione. Ha ricevuto il “Riconoscimento del merito” al Premio Abbado Award 2015 dal Presidente della Repubblica Italiana.

La sua opera ‘Dr. Streben’, una commissione del Festival Internazionale della robotica di Pisa, è la prima opera scritta con un robot umanoide sulla scena. Il suo brano ‘Phonè – installazione sinfonica per 100 grammofoni e coro’ (in collaborazione con il collezionista di grammofoni Giuseppe Nicolò) è stato presentato al Bartokplusz Miskolci Operafesztivál in Ungheria. Nel 2018 la squadra italiana di nuoto sincronizzato vince la medaglia d’argento esibendosi con la sua musica ai campionati europei del 2018 a Glasgow in Scozia.

Ha collaborato con artisti dichiara fama tra cui: Kuhn, Kesselyák, Alessandrini, Parisi, Kovatchev, Ozoliņš, Festa,Cadario, Fabbri, Sánchez Haase, Carlini, Meloni, Neubauer, Capula, Krams, Brand, Alberti, Cabassi, Sicoli, Whitwell, Ostuni, Caiello, Paul, Romanazzi, Cannatà, Herlitzca.

La sua musica è stata eseguitada: Orchestra Haydn, Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Orchestra Sinfonica Sanremo, Orchestra Città di Grosseto, Orquesta Sinfónica del Congreso Nacional del Paraguay, Miskolci Szimfonikus, MÁV Szimfonikus Zenekar Budapest, Orchestra Francesco Cilea, Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, Riga Professional Symphonic Band, Orchestra di Fiati di Delianuova, Dedalo Ensemble, Amarida Ensemble, Quartetto Ascanio, Nigun Clarinet Quartet, Underground Brass Trio – New York.

Ha ricevuto, sotto la guida del Maestro Rigacci, il suo Master in Composizione Musicale, con il massimo dei voti, lode, menzione speciale e borsa di studio, presso l’Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali “L. Boccherini” di Lucca (unico compositore dal 1842, anno di fondazione dell’istituto, ad aver ottenuto questo riconoscimento). Nel 2020 ha ricevuto il Master in Direzione Artistica e Management Musicale con il massimo dei voti, presso l’Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali “L. Boccherini”, Lucca. La sua musica viene eseguita in tutto il mondo ed è pubblicata da Edizioni Sconfinarte e EMA Vinci.

Attualmente:

– Direttore Aristico di  ‘Cluster – Compositori interpreti del presente, Lucca’, dal 2015

– Direttore Artistico (e fondatore) del  ‘Puccini Chamber Opera Festival, Lucca’, 2018

– Direttore Artistico (e fondatore) del ‘Puccini International Opera Composition Course’ in collaborazione con: Cluster – Compositori interpreti del presente, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Teatro del Giglio di Lucca, Edizioni EMA Vinci, dal 2017.

– Direttore artistico (e fondatore) dell’Etymos Ensemble, dal 2004

more information …

Girolamo Deraco, Composer, Visual Media Artist and Producer. Current positions:
• Composer in Residence and Composition Assistant of Maestro Kuhn at the ‘Angelo di Montegral’ music-lab, Montegral Academy, Italy, 2009-present
• Artistic Director of ‘Cluster – Association of Composers, Lucca’, (Vice President from 2013-2014) 2015-present
• Artistic Director (and Founder) of the Etymos Ensemble, 2004-present
• Artistic Director (and Founder) of the International Opera Composition Course ‘Giacomo Puccini’, held in Lucca (Italy), Monterrey (Mexico), Asunción (Paraguay), Tirana (Albania), Miskolc (Hungary). 2017-

EDUCATION
• Master in Music Composition, highest possible grade (10/10), cum laude, special mention, and scholarship, from the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali “L. Boccherini” Lucca (the only composer since 1842, when the institute was founded, to have achieved this accolade). Studies with Maestro Rigacci
• International Exchange Student, Truman State University, Missouri, USA, 2009 (scholarship). Studies with Maestro Gooch

COURSES AND SEMINARS
• Composition Courses, Chigiana Academy of Siena, Italy, 2008-2010 (2008-2009 with scholarships, and 2010 with scholarship and “Certificate of Merit”). Studies with Maestro Corghi
• TIMUR Course (theater in music), selected as one of only 10 participants in the European creative opera-lab, ‘Scuola di Musica’, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, 2010. Studies with Maestroes Corghi, Bonifacio, and Vacca (opera composition), Malosti (contemporary direction), Batisti (aesthetics and dramaturgy), Caiello (contemporary vocal)
• Composition Seminar at the Chigiana Academy of Siena, Italy, 2009. Studies with Maestro Andriessen
• Music Film Course at the Swedish Academy of Rome, Italy, 2007. Studies with Maestro Bacalov
• ‘Operiamo oggi’ (Opera Today) Course in Milan, Italy, 2007. Studies with Maestroes Fedele, Solbiati, De Pablo

AWARDS
Awards from the Italian Republic:
– ‘Award of Merit’ from the President of Italian Republic at the Premio Abbado Award – Music and Civilization (theme of the prize: Music for World Youth) with the installation project 4midable4 for 100 flutes (in collaboration with the schools of Tuscany, and Cluster – Association of composers, Lucca), Lucca, Italy, 2015
– ‘Medal of Merit’ from the President of Italian Republic, for the Calogero Project (in collaboration with Villanuccia Experimental Art Association, and the director Cannatà), Rome, Italy, 2011
First prize and Joint prize in composition competitions:
– ‘Bartok plusz’ Miskolci Operafesztivál, Miskolc, Hungary, 2013 (Joint prize and records for the shortest opera in history, Taci (8 seconds long), and for the most played opera in one night – 17 times). Artistic Director: Kesselyák
– ‘Organizzazzione Cori Calabria’, Reggio Calabria, Italy, 2011
– ‘Anima Mundi’, Pisa, Italy, 2010. President of the Jury: Sir Gardiner
Second prize in composition competitions:
– ‘Windstream’ second prize and orchestra prize, Riga, Latvia, 2014 (the competition was an integral part of the European Capital of Culture Programme, dedicated to J. S. Bach). President of the Jury: Van Der Roost
– ‘Corciano in Banda’, Corciano, Italy, 2011. President of the Jury: Laserra Ingrosso
– ‘Organizzazzione Cori Calabria’ Reggio Calabria, Italy, 2008
Third prize in composition competitions:
– ‘Premio G.E.R.M.I.’ Roma, Italy, 2011. President of the Jury: Bo
– ‘Rosolino Toscano’ Pescara, Italy, 2010.
Winner of the Call For Scores:
– ‘Playground Ensemble – Graphic Scores Concert’, Denver, Colorado, USA, 2017
– ‘USF New-Music Festival’ University of South Florida School of Music, Tampa, Florida, USA, 2016
– ‘Versipel New Music’, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2015
– ‘Sakellarides Leonidas’, Rhodes, Greece, 2015
– ‘Project: in 4’, Sydney, Australia, 2015
– ‘Boston Microtonal Society’, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 2015
– ‘APNM – Association for the Promotion of New Music’, New York City, New York, USA, 2014
Special Mention in composition competitions:
– ‘Concorso di Composizione Euritmia’, Udine, Italy, 2005
Finalist in composition competitions:
– ‘Musica e Arte’, Rome, Italy, 2011. President of the Jury: Corsi
– ‘Giovambattista Martini, Bologna, Italy, 2010
– ‘Musica e Arte’, Rome, Italy, 2009. President of the Jury: Corsi
Residences:
– Composer in Residence, Sanremo Symphony Orchestra, Sanremo, Italy, 2017
– Composer in Residence, awarded in ‘Musictheater and Opera Composition Residency’ for the Moto Perpetuo Ensemble, New York, USA, for the biennium 2016-17
– ‘Cross Award / Villaggio d’artista’ as a composer for the DEHORS/AUDELA company to produce the work Plica Ex Plica, Verbania, Italy, July 2015
– ‘Project of Music residence’ at the Teatro del Giglio for production of a new opera for children Peppe Pezzi, Lucca, Italy, February 2011
Special awards:
– ‘Topo Grigio’ is Selected Film at the Roma Cinema DOC, Roma, Italy, 2016
– ‘Diploma of Merit’ for the piece Anima Mea – for acting Clarinet and Tablet by Buffet Crampon Paris, Paris, France, 2016
– ‘XMV, Experimental Music Video competition’ winner of the competition and voted the audience favorite (in collaboration with the video artist Insana) New York City, New York, USA, 2015
– ‘International Composition Competition – Maurice Ravel’ greatly appreciated composer of Italy, Bergamo, Italy, 2015
– ‘Premio San Girolamo’, award of the Mayor of Cittanova as important artist for his native city, Cittanova (RC), Italy, 2012
– ‘Uscita di Sicurezza’, first price in writing competition, Lucca, Italy, 1998

PERFORMANCES (selected listing)
• Dolphins – Music scene for aquatic dance
– The Italian Synchronized Swimming Team performed the music at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships (composed in collaboration with the Sound Designer Contini), Budapest, Hungary, July 2017
• Phonè – Symphonic installation for choir and 100 gramophones
– ‘Bartók Plusz Opera Fesztival’ Miskolc, Hungary, 23/6/2017
• Eight Songs for a Drag Queen – Minimumdrama for solo Counter-Tenor-Trombone con ogni sorte di Stromenti
– Carnagie Hall, New York City, USA, 03/6/2017
• Facebooking – minimumdrama for acting soprano, tablet, and piano
– ‘Miskolci Operafesztivál’ Miskolc, Hungary, June 2015
– ‘Multikulturelle Sommerkonsert’ Berlin, Germany, October 2015
– ‘Istituto Italino di Cultura’ Tirana, Albany, October 2015
– ‘Festival URTIcanti’ Bari, Italy, November 2015
• Il ragazzo invisibile music orchestration of the movie directed by Gabriele Salvatores (Academy Award winner with Mediterraneo), music by Federico De Robertis. Italy – 18/12/2014
– Nomination at the ‘Premio David di Donatello 2015’
– Nomination at the ‘Palma d’Argento 2015’
• Taci – minimumdrama for voice, and orchestra
– Selected piece for the Festival ‘Dillo in sintesi’ (Tell it in summary) as unique event to play in one night. Teatro del Giglio of Lucca – Italy, 23/02/2018
– video installation (video + score) at the ‘NET EXHIBITION Calabria Contemporanea’, Cittanova – Italy, from 18/5 to 3/6/2014
– Italian premiere at the ‘Festival Play.it’, Florence – Italy, 18/2/2014
– world premiere at the ‘Miskolci Operafesztivál’, Miskolc – Hungary, 23/6/2013
• Indaco – for flute, clarinet and vibraphone (CD) live performances
– ‘Festival Rebus’, Teatro dal Verme, Milan, Italy, 15/10/2014
– ‘Victoria International Art Festival’, Gozo, Malta, 5/7/2014
– ‘Miskolci Operafesztivál’, Misckolc, Hungary, 16/6/2014
– ‘Weltklänge: Von Berlin Nach Italien’, Berlin, Germany, 3/5/2014
• Transition – for acting vibraphone and timpano, CNMAT University of Berkely, San Francisco, California, USA, 10/5/2014
• Un distico si sfalda appena – for soprano, piano and percussion
– APNM – Tenri Cultural Institute of New York City, USA, 23/5/2014
– Teatro Colosseo and Teatro Belli, Rome, Italy, 25/10/2010
• Stabat Mater – sacred minimundrama for soprano and video, St. Catherine’s Church, Lucca, Italy, 9/7/2014
• Liber monstrorum de mirabilia generibus – for orchestra, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Erl, Austria, 14/7/2014
• Astrolabio – for wind orchestra, Great Guild Concert Hall, Riga, Latvia, 19/4/2014
• Tutto nel mondo è burla – minimundrama without singers, Teatro del Giglio, Lucca, Italy, 8/6/2013
• Castanea – for soprano, flute, and piano, Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy, 27/04/2013
• Amor che nullo – minimundrama for acting soprano, bariton and four hands prepearing piano, Festival Col Legno, Lucca, Italy, 20/5/2012
• Abbecedario – for orchestra, Festival Haydn School – Educating at the orchestra, Trento, Italy, 8/2/2011
• Ave Maris Stella – for choir, organ, and string quartet, Festival Sacro Anima Mundi, Pisa, Italy, 14/9/2010
• Parole Alate – for soprano, tenor, and orchestra, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, Italy, 26/10/2009

COMMISSIONS FROM (selected listing)
• Italian Ministry of Culture, Lucca, Italy
• Fondazione Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento, Italy
• Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Erl, Austria
• Bartók Plusz Operafesztivál, Miskolc, Hungary
• Festival URTIcanti, Bari, Italy
• Associazione Musicale Lucchese, Lucca, Italy
• Teatro del Giglio, Lucca, Italy
• Festival Col Legno, Wien/Lucca, Austria/Italy
• Suoni Riflessi, Florence, Italy
• Aldes, Lucca, Italy
• Diapason Clarinet Choir, Trento, Italy
• Kammerorchester Wolfenbüttel, Wolfenbüttel, Germany
• Ensemble Eutopia, Genova, Italy
• Moto Perpetuo Ensemble, New York, USA
• Bildungsausschuss Algund, Bolzano, Italy

TEACHING
• Composer in Residence and Assistant in Composition of Maestro Kuhn at the music-lab ‘Angelo di Montegral’, at the Montegral Academy, Lucca, Italy, 2009-present
• Private lessons in Music Composition, Orchestration, and Music Theory, 2008-present

Masterclasses, Seminars, and Lectures
• Masterclass ‘The International Opera Composition Course – Giacomo Puccini’ as a Professor, in collaboration with CONARTE, Cluster – Associazione di compositori – Lucca, International Chamber Opera Festival – WEC, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini, Teatro del Giglio of Lucca, Sconfinarte Edizioni, Monterrey, Mexico, October 2017
• Masterclass ‘The International Opera Composition Course – Giacomo Puccini’ as a Professor, in collaboration with Cluster – Associazione di compositori – Lucca, International Chamber Opera Festival – WEC, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini, Teatro del Giglio of Lucca, Sconfinarte Edizioni, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Bartok plusz Miskolci Operafesztivál, Lucca, Italy, July 2017
• Masterclass in ‘Contemporary Composition For Trombone’, as a Professor, in collaboration with the trombonist David Whitwell, Scuola di Musica “Sinfonia” Lucca, Italy, May 2016
• Lecture in ‘Composer Girolamo Deraco – perspectives of Musictheater’, as a Professor for the Columbus Univeristy, Columbus, Georgia, April 2016
• Lectures in “Musictheater and Creativity”” Saint John’s University, Queens, New York, USA, March 2016
• Masterclass in “Girolamo Deraco, music for wind orchestra” as a Professor for the classroom of the Maestro Angelo De Paola, Conservatory of Music “Stanislao Giacomantonio”, Cosenza, Italy, January 2016
• Lecture in ‘Composer Girolamo Deraco – perspectives of Musictheater’, as a Professor for the Chopin Univeristy, Warsaw, Poland, November 2015
• Seminar of ‘Contemporary Opera’, as a Professor at the Fondazione IDEA, Tirana, Albany, October 2015
• Masterclass in ‘Musictheater and clarinet composition’, as a Professor for the Francigena International Arts Festival, Lucca, Italy, July 2015
• ‘Luogo Comune’, Tutor of Music Composition in the dance workshop, SPAM – Center for the Contemporary Arts, Porcari, Italy, July 2015
• Seminar of contemporary music ‘Meet the composer Girolamo Deraco’, as a Professor at the Eastern University, Philadelphia, USA, March 2015
• Masterclass in ‘Composer today – perspectives of Musictheater’, as a Professor for the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, March 2015
• Masterclass in ‘Musictheater and Percussion Composition’, as a Professor for the Academy of Montegral, Lucca, Italy, July 2014
• Masterclass in ‘Musictheater’, ‘John Adams Young Composers’, as a Professor for the Crowden Music Center, Berkeley, San Francisco, USA, May 2014
• Masterclass in ‘Musictheater’, as a Professor for the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Italy, April 2014

JURY MEMBER
• ‘First International Symphonic Composition Competition of Paraguay’, as President of the Jury, Asunción, Paraguay, August 2017
• International Composing Competition “2 Agosto”, Bologna, Italy, June 2016
• International Prize for Non-Conventional Music Score “Musica con vista” Lucca, Italy, May 2016
• International Composition Competition “A. Rendano” Cosenza, Italy, February 2015
• “Key to the Future” Opera Composition Competition, ‘Miskolci Operafesztivál’ Miskolc, Hungary, June 2014
• International Composition Competition ‘3° Concorso Internazionale di composizione musicale Parco San Rossore’ Pisa, Italy, 2011

INSTALLATIONS
Music installation:
– ‘Phonè – Symphonic installation for choir and 100 gramophones’, ‘Bartók Plusz Opera Fesztival’ Miskolc, Hungary, 23/6/2017
– 123 Bartok for wind trio at the ‘Miskolci Operafesztivál’ Miskolc, Hungary, June 2016
– Dipingere l’incantesimo – Pittori nelle terre di Lucchesia di inizio ‘900 Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Lucca, Italy, December 2015
– 4midable4 for 100 flutes, Lucca – Italy, May 2015
– In-realtà showroom of the sculptor Tomassi, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Lucca, Italy, May 2013
– Mostra Pittori a Lucca al tempo di Paolo Guinigi. Battista di Gerio in San Quirico all’olivo, Villa Guinigi National Museum, Lucca, Italy, June 2012
– Cecè, flash-move for 200 clarinets, Cittanova, Italy, August 2012

Video installation (in collaboration with the video artist Insana):
– ‘The international short film festival 2015’, Bueu, Argentina, November 2015
– ‘XMV, Experimental Music Video competition’, New York City, New York, October 2015
– ‘flEXiff’, Sidney, Australia, September 2015
– ‘Festival Proyector’ Madrid, Spain, September 2015
– ‘Alice nel Paese della Marranella’, Cinema Impero Rome, Italy, May 2015
– ‘Fonlad Festival’ Coimbra, Portugal, April 2015
– ‘Cine(Y)Digital’ 14° Festival Internacional de la Imagen’, Caldas Manizales, Colombia, April 2015
– ‘Proceso de Error – Festival Internacional de Video Experimental’, Valparaíso, Chile, April 2015
– ‘Nite Art Festival’, Melbourne, Australia, July 2014
– ‘NET EXHIBITION Calabria Contemporanea’, Cittanova, Italy, June 2014
RECORDINGS
• Nell’ombra del ritardo – for two guitars, and Fugitive – for guitar, Guitars Duo Atzori-Brunini, Retropalco Edition
• Indaco – for flute, clarinet and vibraphone, Etymos Ensemble, Retropalco Edition (CD)
• CPU Clarinet Processing Unit (C base) – for 11 clarinets, Diapason Clarinet Choir, conducting Marco Milelli, Il Diapason Edizioni
• Mr Haydn – affabulazione sinfonica su frammenti di Haydn, I Pomeriggi Musicali, conducting Pietro Mianiti, Sconfinarte Edition
• Abbecedario – for orchestra, Orchestra Haydn, conducting Azzolini, own production (CD)
• In primis, Etymos Ensemble, conducting Fabbri – Luti, own production (CD)

RADIO and TV APPEARANCES
• Blue Lake Public Radio (Michigan, USA), August 2017
• Rai Sport (Italy) 2017 World Aquatics Championships, July 2017
• Rai Südtirol (Italy), Seelenessen, July 2014
• Latvian Radio (Latvia), Astrolabio, June 2014
• WKCR-FM (New York, USA), interview as a winner at the ‘APNM – Association for the Promotion of New Music’, May 2014
• Controradio (Italy), live concert, April 2014
• Radio Eco Sud (Italy), live concert, August 2012
• Radio 3 Suite (Italy), interview for the Col Legno Festival, May 2011

PUBLICATIONS
• All works are published by Edizioni Sconfinarte

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• Ambassador for the ‘Fondazione Arpa’, 2013-present (Tenor Bocelli – Honorary President)
• His music has been performed in festivals in Italy, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Albany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, England, Hungary, Latvia, USA (New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Missouri, Michigan, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Georgia, California), Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong
• Collaborations with renowned international artists, including: Kuhn, Kesselyák, Alessandrini, Parisi, Kovatchev, Ozoliņš, Festa, Cadario, Fabbri, Sánchez Haase, Carlini, Meloni, Neubauer, Capula, Krams, Brand, Alberti, Cabassi, Sicoli, Whitwell, Ostuni, Caiello, Paul, Romanazzi, Cannatà, Herlitzca
• Collaborations with international orchestras, and ensembles including: Orchestra Haydn, Pomeriggi Musicali, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Orchestra Sinfonica Sanremo, Orquesta Sinfónica del Congreso Nacional del Paraguay, Miskolci Szimfonikus, MÁV Szimfonikus Zenekar Budapest, Orchestra Francesco Cilea, Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, Riga Professional Symphonic Band, Orchestra di Fiati di Delianuova, Dedalo Ensemble, Amarida Ensemble, Quartetto Ascanio, Nigun Clarinet Quartet, Underground Brass Trio – New York

Official Web Site