Roberto Cacciapaglia

Roberto Cacciapaglia (born 1953 in Milan) is an Italian pianist and composer. His compositions blend electronic experimental music with the classical tradition.

Early career and education

Roberto Cacciapaglia was born in Milan. He graduated in composition from the city's Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory under the direction of Bruno Bettinelli, where he also studied conducting and electronic music. Over the years he worked at the studio of Phonology of RAI and collaborated with the National Research Council in Pisa where he studied computer applications in the field of music.

The German Period

Around 1974 he came into contact with Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, head of the German label Ohr. Kaiser produced Sonanze, Roberto Cacciapaglia's first recording and the first quadraphonic LP released in Italy. Through this work, he became familiar with German groups like Popol Vuh, with whom he performed in concert, Tangerine Dream, and Wallenstein. Four years later he produced Sei Note In Logica (1978), a music score for voices, orchestra and computer, a turning point and an exploration of the minimalist sphere.

1980s

In 1986 the prestigious Ricordi Edition published his opera in two acts Generazioni del cielo, first performed in the Metastasio Theatre in Prato and subsequently at the Lingotto Theatre in Turin. The same year he composed Lamentazione di Geremia, commissioned by the International Festival of Tel Aviv. Then in 1988 at the Ateforum Festival in Ferrara he performed In C, the manifesto composition of minimalist music, with Terry Riley. The piece was recently published and distributed in Russia together with the first release of Transarmonica (1988). Other pieces from those years are Aurea Carmina (1988), commissioned by the Santa Cecilia Academy of Rome, Il Segreto dell’Alba (1989), a ballet-pantomime commissioned by the City Theatre of Bologna, Un Giorno X (1990), a video opera performed at the Milan Conservatory with the popular Italian singer Gianna Nannini and the Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali, and the musical fable Le Mille e Una Notte (1991), performed at the Berlin Festival “Berliner Festspiele” and subsequently at the Spoleto Festival.

Fruit of his all-round experimentation are the albums Angelus Rock (1992), Arcana (2001), Tempus Fugit (2003), and Incontri con l’anima (2005).

Recent works

Three CDs are the fruit of his long artistic collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Quarto Tempo (Universal Music – 2007); Canone degli spazi (Universal Music – 2009); and Ten Directions (Sony Music – 2010).

Alphabet, recorded in the Sala Verdi of the Milan Conservatory, was released on 28 January 2014 by Decca Records – Universal Music, and was performed in concert in the Hall of the Eight Columns in the Royal Palace of Milan.

Tree of Life contains the “Tree of Life Suite”, the music specially composed for the Milan Expo night show of the Tree of Life – EXPO 2015. Released on 26 May 2015 by Believe Digital, it was performed in concert with the Milan La Scala Theatre Academy Orchestra at the Open Air Theatre to celebrate EXPO 2015.

Atlas – his latest album released on 25 November 2016 by Believe Digital – is a collection of 28 tracks: a greatest hits compilation with two previously unreleased tracks – “Reverse” and “Mirabilis” – and a tribute to David Bowie: an instrumental version of “Starman”.

Quarto Tempo – 10th Anniversary Edition – in addition to the 12 original tracks, this double CD will also include solo piano interpretation of each piece and a previously unreleased version of “Il Ragazzo che Sognava Aeroplani”. Mastered by Andrew Walter at Abbey Road Studios.

"Celebration Tour 2018" is Cacciapaglia's latest worldwide tour, which started in Moscow, Russia, followed by six dates through Siberia, and then Italy, the U.S. and China.

Diapason is the new album of unreleased tracks that came out on 18 January 2019. It was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the legendary Abbey Road Studio 2, London. On the same day, the “DIAPASON Worldwide Tour” had started: 15 dates in Italy before the international tour which will be In Russia, China and once again in the USA.

General overview

Roberto Cacciapaglia has performed his own compositions at many venues around the world, including the following: Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Milan Conservatory, Accademia di Santa Cecilia of Rome, Berliner Festspiele in Berlin, Tel Aviv Festival, Campinas Festival in Brazil, Passatge de la Pau in Barcelona, Spoleto Festival, Lingotto in Turin, Milan Cathedral, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, World Event Abu Dhabi, Teatro Carignano in Turin, Maiden Tower in Baku in Azerbaijan, Teatro Bibiena in Mantua, Ravello Festival, Teatro Morlacchi in Perugia, International House of Music in Moscow, Belozerskih Palace in St. Petersburg, Turkish Music State Conservatory in Istanbul, Palazzo Reale in Milan, Slovak National Radio Auditorium in Bratislava, Ankara Piano Festival, Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Open Air theatre – Expo Milano 2015, Jaani Kirki's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Child Philharmonia in Ekaterinburg, Philharmonia Triumph in Perm, State Institute of Arts in Krasnoyarsk, Energy Cultural Space in Novosibirsk, Teatro Cristallo in Bozen, Teatro Colosseo in Turin, Teatro Duse in Bologna and Teatro Verdi in Florence.

In 2013 he founded the Educational Music Academy with the aim of giving a voice to young musical talents, composers and performers, pianists and musicians in order to give shape to their projects and to achieve professional mastery in their works.

He has been a frequent performer at “La Milanesiana” festival directed by Elisabetta Sgarbi, where he has given several concerts, including one with Nobel Prize for literature winner Derek Walcott, and “Mente Radiosa”, composed for an evening with Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Prize for Medicine laureate.

On 22 April 2017, Maestro Roberto Cacciapaglia opened the event for environmental protection, Earth Day 2017, with a concert in Piazza del Popolo in Rome.

• Sonanze – OHR (1975) – Cd Remastering Ducale (2000)
• Sei note in logica – Philips (1979) – Cd Remastering Ducale (2000)
• The Ann Steel Album – (1979) – Cd Remastering – Recording Arts (2003)
• Generazioni del cielo – Ed. Ricordi Dischi Fonit Cetra (1986) – Remastering Ducale (2000)
• Angelus Rock – Polygram Italic (1992)
• Tra cielo e terra – CGD (1996)
• Arcana – BMG Ricordi (2001)
• Tempus Fugit – BMG Ricordi (2003)
• Incontri con l'anima – Deltadischi (2005)
• Quarto tempo – Universal Music (2007)
• Canone degli spazi – Universal Music (2009)
• Ten Directions – Glance, Distribution by Sony Music (2010)
• Live From Milan – Glance, Distribution by Sony Music (2011)
• Alphabet – Decca Records (2014)
• Tree of Life – Believe Digital (2015)
• Atlas – Believe Digital (2016)

• Generazioni del cielo (1986)
• Le lamentazioni di Geremia (1986)
• Transarmonica (1988)
• Aurea carmina (1988)
• Il segreto dell'alba (1989)
• Un giorno X (1990)
• Le mille e una notte (1991)