(b. 17 November 1951, Turin).
Italian composer of stage, orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed throughout Europe and in North America.
Mr. Ferrero began composing as a child and studied composition with Massimo Bruni and Enore Zaffiri at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Turin from 1969–72. He earned a degree in aesthetics at the Università degli Studi in Turin in 1974 with a thesis on John Cage.
Among his honours are the Prix Italia (1986, for La Fuga di Foscolo) and selection to write the music for the opening ceremony of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Sestriere (1997). He has received commissions from the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the Berliner Philharmoniker, DR, HR, ORF, Radio France, RAI, and the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, among other orchestras and organisations.
He is also active in other positions. He worked at the studio for electronic music in Bourges in 1972–73 and collaborated with Josef Anton Riedl and the Musik/Film/Dia/Licht-Galerie in Munich in 1974. He later served as artistic director of the Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago from 1980–84, the Unione Musicale in Turin from 1983–87, the Arena di Verona from 1991–94, and the fair Musica 2000 in 2000. He has served as artistic director of the Festa della Musica in Milan since 1999. He wrote the textbook Manuale di scrittura musicale (2007, EDT).
He has taught composition as a professor at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan since 1980.
In addition to the works listed below, Mr. Ferrero completed the orchestration of the third version of La Rondine by Giacomo Puccini in 1994 and has written incidental music.
His publisher is Casa Ricordi.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS (note that for stage works, the date refers to the year of première)
STAGE:
Rimbaud, ou le fils du soleil (melodrama in 3 acts, text by Louis-François Caude), 4 soloists, 6 actors, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, French horn, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, piano, 3 percussion, 1978
Invito a nozze (ballet, choreography by Claire Jahier, scenario by Floriana Bossi), fixed media, 1978
Marilyn (opera in 2 acts, libretto by Floriana Bossi, the composer), 4 soloists, 8 actors, extras, walk-ons, mixed chorus, orchestra, fixed media, 1981 (a concert suite was arranged; one section may be performed separately as a concert work: Night of the Nite)
La Figlia del Mago (opera for children in 2 acts, libretto by Marco Ravasini), 4 soloists, mimes, dance troupe, youth orchestra, 1981 (also version for 4 soloists, dancers, mimes, youth orchestra, 1992)
Mare nostro (opera buffa in 2 acts, libretto by Marco Ravasini), 6 soloists, mixed chorus, orchestra, 1985 (one section may be performed separately as a concert work: Intermezzo notturno)
Night (opera in 1 act, libretto by the composer, Peter Wehrahn, after Novalis), 8 soloists, small orchestra (22 players), fixed media, 1985
Salvatore Giuliano (opera in 1 act, libretto by Giuseppe Di Leva), 8 soloists, extras, mixed chorus, large orchestra, 1986 (two sections may be performed separately as concert works: Portella della Ginestra; Poi andrò in America)
La Fuga di Foscolo (racconto musicale, texts by Giuseppe Di Leva, Pietro Metastasio), 4 soloists, speaker, flute, 2 oboes, bass clarinet, 2 French horns, string orchestra, 1986
Charlotte Corday (opera in 3 acts, libretto by Giuseppe Di Leva), 8 soloists, children's chorus, mixed chorus, on-stage portative organ, on-stage percussion, orchestra, 1989
Le Bleu-blanc-rouge et le noir (marionette opera, libretto by Anthony Burgess, after Jean-Pierre Carasso), soprano, baritone, speaker, orchestra, fixed media, 1989 (a concert suite was arranged)
La Nascita di Orfeo (musical action in 1 act, text by the composer, after Euripides, Simonides of Ceos), child's voice, 2 or more mimes, orchestra, 1996
Storie di neve, mixed chorus, large orchestra, 1997
La Conquista (opera in 2 acts, libretto by the composer, Frances Karttunen, after Alessandro Baricco), female folk voice, tenor altino, tenor, baritone, bass, mimes, mixed chorus, orchestra, 2005
Risorgimento! (opera in 1 act, libretto by Dario Oliveri), 2011
ORCHESTRAL:
Ellipse IV (Waldmusik), folk ensemble ad libitum, small orchestra (11 winds, 10 brass), 1974
Siglied, small orchestra (19 players), 1975
Adagio cantabile, small orchestra (12 players), 1977
My blues, string orchestra, 1982 (version of chamber work)
Thema 44 (ad honorem J. Haydn), 1982
Intermezzo notturno, 1985 (section of Mare nostro; may be performed separately as a concert work)
My rock, 1985 (version of work for piano; also version for big band, 1985)
Portella della Ginestra, large orchestra, 1986 (section of Salvatore Giuliano; may be performed separately as a concert work)
Le Bleu-blanc-rouge et le noir, 1989 (concert suite from opera)
Four Modern Dances, 1990
Zaubermarsch, 1990
Parodia, small orchestra (14 players), 1990 (also version for orchestra, 1991)
Concerto, piano, orchestra, 1991
Ostinato, 2 cellos, string orchestra, 1993 (version of chamber work)
Paesaggio con figura, 1994
Concerto, violin, cello, piano, orchestra, 1994–95
Palm Beach Overture, 1995
Capriccio, piano, string orchestra, 1996
Three Baroque Buildings, bassoon, trumpet, orchestra, 1997
Championship Suite, 1997
La Nueva España, large orchestra, 1992–99 (its six sections may be performed separately: La Noche Triste, 1996; La Ruta de Cortés, 1992; La Memoria del fuego, 1998; Presagios, 1999; El Encuentro, 1999; La Matanza del templo mayor, 1999)
Rastrelli in Saint Petersburg, oboe, string orchestra, 2000
Two Cathedrals in the South, trumpet, string orchestra, 2001
Five Easy Pieces, 2002 (version of work for piano)
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Ellipse III, any 4 players/ensembles, 1974 (version of choral work)
Romanza senza parole, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, trombone, celesta, glockenspiel (+ crotales, vibraphone), 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 1976
Variazioni sulla notte, guitar, 1980
My blues, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 1982 (also versions for string orchestra; piano; violin, cello, piano, 1982–83; alto flute, clarinet, bassoon, B-flat trumpet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, 1983; flute/clarinet/violin, piano, 1983; clarinet, viola, piano, 1983)
Respiri, flute, piano, 1982
Ellipse I, flute/bass flute, 1983
Passacaglia, flute, clarinet, string quartet, 1986
Ostinato, 6 cellos, 1987 (also versions for 2 flutes, 3 clarinets, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 1989; 2 cellos, string orchestra)
Discanto sulla musica sull'acqua di Haendel, flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, French horn, percussion, 1990
Onde, guitar, 1990
Movimento americano, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, string quartet, 1992
Five Easy Pieces, flute, piano, 1994 (version of work for piano)
Portrait, string quartet, 1994
Tempo di quartetto, string quartet, 1996–98
Glamorama Spies, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2000
Sonata, viola, piano, 2000
Moonlight Sonata, 5 percussion, 2001
CHORAL:
Ellipse III, any 4 voices/choruses, 1974 (also version for any 4 players/ensembles)
Le Néant où l'on ne peut arriver (text by Blaise Pascal), 6 soloists, children's chorus, 2 mixed choruses, 7 brass, organ, 7 percussion, 1976
Non parto, non resto (text by Pietro Metastasio), mixed chorus, 1987
Introito (text by Vincenzo Consolo), mixed chorus, orchestra, 1993 (section of Requiem per le vittime della mafia, a collaboration with numerous composers; may be performed separately)
VOCAL:
Night of the Nite, soprano, piano, 1981 (section of Marilyn; may be performed separately as a concert work)
Marilyn, soprano, tenor, orchestra, 1981 (concert suite from opera)
Canzoni d'amore (texts by Marco Ravasini, the composer, Pietro Metastasio), female voice, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, trumpet, double bass, piano, percussion, 1985
Poi andrò in America, voice, orchestra, 1986 (section of Salvatore Giuliano; may be performed separately as a concert work)
PIANO:
Aivlys, 1977
My rag, 1983
My rock, 1983
My blues, 1984 (version of work for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns)
Rock My Tango, 1990
Five Easy Pieces, 1994 (also versions for flute, piano; orchestra)
Seven Portraits of the Same Person, 1996
ORGAN:
A Red Wedding Dress, 1998
HARPSICHORD:
Ellipse II, 1975 (also version for clavichord)
CLAVICHORD:
Ellipse II, 1975 (version of work for harpsichord)
TV PRODUCTION (DIRECTOR):
Anemia, 1986 (Alberto Abruzzese, Achille Pisanti)
DISCOGRAPHY
Championship Suite; Palm Beach Overture; La Ruta de Cortés; La Noche Triste. Anton Nanut/Simfonični orkester RTV Slovenija (BMG Agorà: CMRCD 1049)
Concerto (violin, cello, piano); Concerto (piano); Capriccio. Anton Nanut/orchestras (BMG Agorà: CMRCD 1054)
La Figlia del Mago. (Dischi Ricordi)
Mare nostro. Amelia Felle, soprano; Alfonso Antoniozzi, baritone; Danilo Rigosa, bass; other soloists; Gianfranco Masini/chorus and orchestra of the Conservatorio Francesco Venezze in Rovigo (Dischi Ricordi: RFCD 2016)
Onde. Flavio Cucchi, guitar (EUCD: 1265)
My rag. Marco Fumo, piano (Fonit Cetra: FDM 0004)
La Nueva España. Takuo Yuasa/Natsionalny Simfonichny Orkestr Ukraini (Naxos Records: 8.555044)
Concerto (piano); Parodia (original version); Ostinato (original version); Canzoni d'amore. (Nuova Era: 7120)
Le Néant où l'on ne peut arriver. Simone Rist, soprano; Marjana Lipovšek, mezzo-soprano; other soloists; Wolfgang Bozic/Pro Arte Ensemble (ORF: 120184)
Ostinato (original version). Heinrich Schiff Ensemble (ORF: 150057)
Ellipse I. Roberto Fabbriciani, flute (Philips Records: 411 066-2)