Davide Zannoni (born 1958 in Spoleto, Italy) is a composer of contemporary Classical music.
Biography Zannoni began his career playing drums in jazz clubs and later symphonic percussion with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, and the Orchestra Regionale della Toscana (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra_della_Toscana) in Florence, Italy. He played under conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel inter alia. He also pursued academic studies and earned a doctoral degree in Humanities from the University of Bologna, writing a dissertation on the technical features of the music of Edgard Varese. He studied composition at the Fiesole School of Music in Florence with Antonino Riccardo Luciani and took private lessons in orchestration with Gaetano Giani Luporini in Lucca. After moving to New York in 1988, he received a master's degree in Music from Queens College, where he studied with Thea Musgrave, Leo Kraft and Carl Schachter.http://davidezannoni.com
Zannoni's music has been choreographed in the US and Italy by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has written the soundtrack for the award-winning documentary "Where did Forever Go".https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181901 Zannoni has received grants and awards from The American Music Center, Meet_The_Composer, and New York State Council on the Arts.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1017%26context%3Dmusic_faculty_recitalshttps://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Sylvan-Winds-Announce-Final-Concert-of-2016-17-Season-20170405 His catalog includes works for orchestra, choir, and chamber ensembles. A significant portion of his output is devoted to music for percussion. His works have been recorded on several CD’s.
Zannoni's style has been described by Roman Turovsky as "idiosyncratic and hard to categorize compositional language that includes elements from different musical traditions, in an alternation and at times superimposition of harsh dissonance and moving lyricism. Strong rhythmic pulses and jazz harmonies coexist with late Romantic and lyrical episodes, often weaving in and out of tonality. Here and there distorted and barely recognizable quotes from pop songs from his childhood emerge, something that Mr. Zannoni in his program notes has called "ghosts, floating relics from his musical memory".https://www.ilsaxofonoitaliano.it/artisti/zannoni-davide/https://www.davidezannoni.com/comments
Zannoni has received commissions and grants from many organizations and performers both in Italy and the U.S., such as from pianist Steven Blier and the New York Festival of Song,https://nyfos.org/program-history/ Mimi Stern Wolfe and Downtown Music Productions, violinist Stefan Milenkovich, percussionists James Preiss (one of the founding members of Steve Reich and Musicians), Greg Giannascoli, et al. Zannoni has received grants and awards from The American Music Center, Meet the Composer, and New York State Council on the Arts.https://www.wka-clarinet.org/Clarinet1World_Premieres.htm His music is published by Edipan, Mnemes and Ut Orpheus.https://www.utorpheus.com/author-1239
Discography The Color Duo "Hemisphaeria" ("Simmetrie di Paradiso") 2018 The Emerald Trio ("Passions of the Present"), NAXOS 2017 Piano Duo Five O'Clock "Italian Connection", Amroc label Tetraktis Percussione "Drama" 2008 Nicola Mazzanti "The Crazy Acrobat"Not On Label – CDNM002 Greg Giannascoli "Hammer" 2005, WMM3 Guido Arbonelli "Namaste Suite" 2003 Mnemes label Ivano Ascari "Nuove Musiche per Tromba, vol. 8" Sonica studios AZ3697 Ivano Ascari "Nuove Musiche per Tromba, vol. 5" Sonica studios Ivano Ascari "Nuove Musiche per Tromba, vol. 3" Sonica studios AZ2112 "Christmas with The Manhattan Choral Ensemble" "Links" (Partita per un Percussionista) - Federico Poli--Attilio Lolini, Il Giornale della Musica, luglio-agosto 2001- "Il Disco comprende cinque lavori di compositori particolarmente dediti alla musica per percussioni. Protagonista Federico Poli, giovane percussionista emerso dalla scuola di Farulli. Di rilievo la "Partita per un Percussionista" di Zannoni (classe 1958), che idealmente rimanda a Bach dove Poli, alle prese con tom tom, fruste, piatti, tamburo, gran cassa, triangolo, vibrafono, marimba e quant’altro, dimostra una capacità davvero notevole nel tener desta l’attenzione dell’ascoltatore con veri e propri “colpi di scena”. Jikkai"One of the more notable compositions of the evening was Jikkai (The Ten Buddhist Worlds), for violin and cello, a brilliantly scored,through-composed and stylistically eclectic work.""Una delle composizioni più notevoli della serata è stata "Jikkai" (I Dieci Mondi Buddisti), per violino e violoncello, un lavoro dalla scrittura vividissima, organicamente strutturato in un unico movimento, e dallo stile eclettico."--John de Clef Pineiro, The New Music Connoisseur-
References
the composer's website
External links Official site Intervista Assoc. Culturale Colli Ionci DAVIDE ZANNONI A CLASSIC SHOCK – Wednesday 4th december at 22:30 | Colle Ionci Scores - Davide Zannoni Review of the Pressioni del Passato - Emerald Trio, "Le Pressioni del Passato" Jade String Trio "Glimmers of Acceptance" Renaissance Saxophone Ensemble "Making the Frozen Serpent Dance" Duo Moderne "Tre Canti di Vita"