Giovanni Allevi: Undefined & Unfettered. One Night….One Place
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news release Italian Cultural Institute 686 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10012 Tel. 212.879.4242 Fax 212.861.4018 email: [email protected] New York, April 21, 2006 Giovanni Allevi: Undefined & Unfettered. One Night….One Place The Blue Note—Monday, May 15, 2006, 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm In his first New York performance since two sold out shows at The Blue Note in March 2005, Italian composer/pianist Giovanni Allevi returns to the city that was the inspiration for his latest CD, No Concept (Sony BMG). Written over the course of a steamy New York summer, No Concept is as much the embodiment of a musical journey and philosophy as it is a visceral ode to the melting pot of culture, style and sound that we call New York. In the thirteen original compositions which make up No Concept, Allevi challenges himself and the listener to embrace tradition but not to be encumbered by it. The past is a base coat in the quest for a contemporary interpretation of our common human experience. As an artist, Allevi’s palette is rich and audible in the sounds and rhythms of classical, avant-garde, jazz, pop and rock traditions, but the canvas is set on end with every touch of the key. Claudia Di Meo of ANSA wrote, “his music strikes your heart, a witchcraft which leads the listener to a borderline, over a precipice made of accents….complicated metrics without ever being presumptuous….sometimes it is only a sweet caress which touches your body like the red velvet of a theatre.” Allevi’s musical journey began by stealing time, literally, at the piano. His parents sought a diver- sified education for their son; however, having found a key to a room in his home that held a pi- ano, it was only a matter of time before he became enraptured by it and the classical masters. Secret dates at the piano matured into a formal course of study which took him to Perugia’s “F. Morlacchi” Conservatory (piano), the “G. Verdi” Conservatory of Milan (composition), and a PhD in Philosophy. Coming full circle, diversity in art was fueled by diversity in thought. Buoyed by that foundation, the soon to be lauded “piano philosopher” (Il Corriere della Sera) be- gan to make his mark. In 1995 he composed the music for Euripides’ The Trojan Women which won the award for Best Theatrical Score at Siracusa’s International Festival of Ancient Drama. 1997 saw the first recording of his original compositions, 13 Dita (Soleluna/Universal) and he opened on tour for Italian pop singer/rapper Jovanotti. Having finished his “musical” opera “La favola che vuoi,” Allevi completed his second CD, Composizioni (Soleluna/Edel). Riding the crest of a burgeoning international reputation, he was commissioned by The Baltimore Opera to com- pose a re-interpretation of the recitatives of Bizet’s Carmen and embarked on a tour which took him to Asia and the US. He was commissioned again, this time by the Symphonic Orchestra of Sicily, for his piece “Foglie di Beslan” which was performed at Palermo’s Teatro Politeama in 2005. Shortly after the international release of No Concept in 2005, director Spike Lee selected the track “Come sei veramente” to feature in his BMW commercial. Capping off a triumphant decade-long journey with portents of more to come, Allevi captured Italy’s music prize Recanati Forever as well as the coveted Bösendorfer Artist 2005 award for artistic excellence and was a featured guest at this year’s San Remo Fesitval at the behest of the Festival’s 2005 winner, jazz vocalist Nicky Nicolai. Violeta Urmana, Italian Soprano and a fan of Allevi’s work, predicted this ascendancy, but for Allevi it is all about the music. He is truly part philosopher, part musician but every inch an artist desirous of unleashing, through his medium and unique vision, that which lives in the commonality of our deepest desires. Tickets: $10 table/ $5 bar with a $5 minimum. For Reservations call (212) 475-8592 or visit www.bluenotejazz.com .