Alessio Elia is considered among the most original composers of the new generation. His music focuses on the physical dimension of sound, tracing the inner forces which rule the music material. In this sense scientific subjects, such as String Theory, M-Theory, and quantum physics, play a significant role in the elaboration of his compositional style, addressing his musical research towards the integration of different kinds of tuning systems, a process of developing the sonic material he named “polysystemism” that has been has been presented in several scientific articles and essays. The most significant works in this direction are Beyond Perturbative States, Conifold transitions, Traces from Nowhere and the orchestral pieces Dimensioni nascoste (Rejtett dimenziók) and Trasparenze.
Biography
Born in Rome in 1979, Elia earned master degrees and post-graduated specializations in composition in an international environment, (S. Cecilia Academy, Chigiana Academy, Liszt Academy Budapest, Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt), furthermore two PhDs, one in Composition at the Hochschule für Musik Mannheim, under the guidance of Sidney Corbett, a former student of György Ligeti, and the other in Science, History and Techniques of Music at the University of Rome Tor Vergata with a dissertation about the Hamburgisches Konzert by Ligeti (first comprehensive monograph on this topic). Consultations with Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen also had a significant role in his professional development. He has been 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, where he was also lecturer in composition in 2010.
Elia's music has been performed in significant concert halls and festivals like Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Menuhin Festival in Oslo, Accademia Filarmonica Romana, BMC - Budapest Music Center, Bartók Hall of Palace of Arts in Budapest, Levinsalen and Lindemansalen in Oslo, Kongresshaus Stadthalle Heidelberg, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Lugano Arte e Cultura Auditorium, Forum Neue Musik in Heidelberg, Oggimusica Festival in Lugano, CAFe Budapest, Yamaha Concert Hall Wien, etc. Elia’s works have been broadcast by state radios and TV channels, such as: Radio Bartók (Hungary), Saarländischer Rundfunk (Germany), Hungarian Catholic Radio, Hungarian State Television, Radio Vaticana. Ten portrait concerts of his music have been organized in Budapest, Oslo and Rome since 2006. 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. He received commissions most importantly from Radio Bartók (orchestral piece Trasparenze), Alter Ego ensemble (Altered memories), Impronta ensemble (Traces from Nowhere) for the Oggimusica Festival in Lugano, and I Solisti della Scala di Milano (Octet), this last released in CD by Warner Classics in 2018, conducted by Andrea Vitello and published by UMP Editio Musica Budapest.
Further information: www.alessioelia.com