ROBERTO CACCIAPAGLIA

Roberto Cacciapaglia is an Italian composer and pianist, based in Milan and London. He received his diploma in composition under the guidance of Bruno Bettinelli at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan. His studies focused also on electronic music and conducting. He worked at the RAI’s Studio of Musical Phonology and collaborated with the National Research Council (CNR) of Pisa, studying computer applications in the field of music. He is a leading protagonist in the field of innovative music and his style integrates classical tradition with electronic experimentalism. His exploration has touched all genres and fields to discover their essence, the principle that goes beyond divisions.

In 1975 he recorded “Sonanze” for the German label Ohr. It was the first quadraphonic LP ever released in Italy and brought Roberto into contact with German music groups such as Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream. In the following years, he published and performed several oeuvres, concerts, and ballet music: “Sei note in Logica” (‘Six Notes in Logic’ released by Philips – 1978) for voice, orchestra and, computer. “Generazioni del Cielo” (‘Generations of the Sky’, Ricordi Edition – 1986) opera in two acts presented at Teatro Metastasio of Prato. “Lamentazioni di Geremia” (‘Lamentations of Jeremiah’ – 1988) five elegies, performed at the International Festival of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem. That same year at the Aterforum of Ferrara he performed with Terry Riley “In C”, an anthem of minimalist music, and published along with “Transarmonica”. “Aurea Carmina”, for soloist, choir, and orchestra based on a text by Pythagoras, commissioned by the National Academy Santa Cecilia in Rome. “Il Segreto dell’Alba” (‘The Secret of the Dawn’ – 1989) ballet-pantomime, presented at Teatro Comunale of Bologna. “Un Giorno X” (‘X-Day’ – 1990) his second opera, was staged at the Milan Conservatory. “Le Mille e una Notte” (‘Thousand and One Nights’ – 1991) a fable in music was featured at Berliner Festspiele, Mariinsky Theatre and Spoleto Festival.

He gave concerts for the Milanesiana, including “La Dissoluzione dell’Aria” (‘Dissolution of Air’ – 2003) with Derek Walcott, Nobel Prize in Literature and “Mente Radiosa” (‘Radiant mind’ – 2005) with Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Prize in Medicine.

His long artistic collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra followed to the creation of the albums “Quarto Tempo” (‘Fourth Time’ – 2007), “Canone degli Spazi” (‘Canon of Spaces’ – 2009), and “Ten Directions” (2010).

In 2013 he composed “Antartica” to accompany the European Concordia Expedition in Antarctica by the European Space Agency. This was followed by “Alphabet” (Decca Records – 2014), recorded in the Milan Conservatory and first performed at the Royal Palace of the city. “Tree of Life” (Believe Digital – 2015) is the soundtrack to the Tree of Life, EXPO 2015 Milano and was performed in concert with Teatro alla Scala Academy Orchestra at the Open Air Theatre, for the closing ceremony of the event.

Ever conscious of the theme of ecology, Roberto collaborated with Earth Day – world day for the safeguarding of the planet – playing in Rome, Piazza del Popolo and in Bologna, Piazza Maggiore, G7 Environment (2017).

His “Celebration Tour 2018”, launched in Moscow, traveled through Russia into Siberia, then Europe, America, China, and ending in Istanbul. The concert held at Carnegie Hall in New York during the tour was rated “Best Live Act 2019” by the Bluebird Reviews journal.

The same year he recorded “Diapason” with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. That album was subsequently performed in concerts worldwide in the “Diapason Worldwide Tour”.
Stylist Stella McCartney chooses the song “Sparkling World” to launch the advertising campaign of the spring/summer 2018 collection.

During the pandemic and dedicated to those extraordinary times, Roberto composed “Days of Experience” (Believe Digital – 2020) premiered in a special event concert at the marvelous Bibiena Theater in Mantua. Follows the piece “Angel Falls” (Believe Digital – 2021) launched on Scala Radio in the UK. The same year, he performed at the Cadogan Hall in London, right after his concert at Verdi Hall of the Milan Conservatory.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and at the Kitakyushu Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in 2021, the Farfalle Azzurre, the Italian rhythmic gymnastics team, won the gold medal to the tune of his “Tree of Life Suite”.

After receiving the Montale Award in 2023, he was a guest on BBC Four in England, returning for his second performance at Cadogan Hall, London. In April 2024, he performed at The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, where he premiered his new single, “Incipit / Moz-Art K.488 ReComposed”. On September 18, 2024, his third single, “Borderlands”, was released as a prelude to his upcoming album Time to Be, scheduled for release on November 22.

The piece was premiered live on August 19 at the invitation of the Festival of Politics in Edinburgh, held at the Scottish Parliament, and in Italy at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Sale Apollinee, on September 25, 2024.