(b. 26 July 1947, Avezzano).

Italian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and vocal works that have been performed throughout the world.

Ms. Gentile studied at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, where she obtained a degree in piano in 1972 and a degree in composition in 1974. She had postgraduate studies in composition with Goffredo Petrassi at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome in 1975–76.

Among her honours are a prize in the competition of the Internationale Gaudeamus Muziekweek in Amsterdam (1982, for In un silenzio ordinato), the Award for Cultural Merit from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland (1988, for her advocacy in Italy of music from Poland) and honorary membership in the organisation Amici dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia (1997). She has received commissions from the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication of France, the Münchener Biennale, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, and the government of Vatican City, among other institutions and orchestras.

Ms. Gentile is also active in other positions. She has served as artistic director of the annual festival for contemporary music Nuovi Spazi Musicali in Rome since 1978 and served as artistic director of the Orchestra da Camera Goffredo Petrassi from 1986–88. She then served as a member of the board of directors of the Biennale di Venezia from 1993–97, as artistic director of the Teatro Ventidio Basso in Ascoli Piceno from 1996–99 and as organiser of the Festival of New Italian Music in Beijing from 2001–03.

She served as vice-director of the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia from 1999–2005. She has given lectures throughout Europe, as well as in China and the USA.

Her primary publishers are Casa Ricordi, for most music written from 1978–2000, and Rai Trade, for most music written after 2000.

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

STAGE:

La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola di Alcina (chamber opera, reconstruction of work by Francesca Caccini), boy soprano/high soprano, high soprano, low soprano, alto, 2 high tenors, bass, female chorus (6 sopranos), 24 or more mixed voices, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute), oboe (+ oboe d'amore), 3 clarinets (2nd + bass clarinet, 3rd + E-flat clarinet), tenor saxophone, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, amplified guitar, harp, piano (+ celesta), violin, viola, viola d'amore, cello, double bass, 2 percussion, 1992

Il Flauto di Vertebre (piccola azione teatrale, text by Vladimir Mayakovsky [translated by Ignazio Ambrogio]), speaker, flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, percussion, 1994

ORCHESTRAL:

Veränderungen, orchestra (7 winds, 7 brass, harp, timpani, vibraphone, xylorimba, tubular bells, percussion, strings), 1976

Flighty, orchestra (flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, French horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, harpsichord, 2 percussion, strings), 1982

Criptografia, viola, orchestra (8 winds, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, piano, 2 percussion, strings), 1985

Why not?, orchestra (8 winds, 6 brass, 2 percussion, strings), 1985

Shading, guitar, orchestra (5 winds, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, harp, piano, celesta, 4 percussion, strings), 1988

Concertante, flute, guitar, large orchestra (2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 3 bassoons [3rd + contrabassoon], 11 brass, harp, piano, celesta, 5 percussion, 52 strings), 1989

Concerto (Veni Lumen Cordis), clarinet, orchestra (2 flutes [2nd + piccolo], oboe, clarinet, 6 brass, harp, piano ad libitum, timpani/percussion ad libitum, strings), 1993 (version of vocal work)

Adagi, string orchestra, 1993–94 (its three sections may be performed separately: Adagio; Adagio Primo; Adagio Secondo)

Concerto, clarinet, orchestra (4/6 winds, 7 brass, harp, piano, timpani, 4 percussion, strings), 1995

Piccolo concerto, small orchestra (flute, clarinet, percussion, strings), 1995

Musica per scena, orchestra (5 winds, French horn, trumpet, harp ad libitum, piano ad libitum, timpani, percussion ad libitum, strings), 1996

Adagio per un'estate, flute, string orchestra, 1998

Improvviso, string orchestra, 2000

Monodia, small orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, timpani, bass drum, strings), 2005

Il Tema della Memoria, small orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, timpani, bass drum, strings), 2007

Ho scritto una canzone, string orchestra, 2008 (also versions for piano; clarinet, piano, bayan)

D'Improvviso un giorno, small orchestra, 2009

Un'Ombra si scioglie, small orchestra, 2010

Un Suono nell'ombra, string orchestra, 2011

Torre del Guado, small orchestra, 2011

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Similarity, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, 1978

Misty, flute, French horn, 1979

Quartetto I, string quartet, 1980

Bagamoyo, flute, oboe, clarinet, timpani, vibraphone, 2 violins, viola, cello, 1982

In un silenzio ordinato, flute, clarinet, violin, piano, 2 percussion, 1982

Solo, in Trio, clarinet, violin, viola, 1982

Ab imis, French horn, 1983

Come dal nulla, clarinet, 1983 (also longer version for bass clarinet, 1991)

Quartetto II, string quartet, 1983

Quintettino, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1983

Trio, flute, clarinet, French horn, 1983

Around, flute, clarinet, viola, 1984

Flash back, flute, cello, 1984

Insight, 2 violins, viola, 1984

Small points, flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1984

Perviolasola, viola, 1987

Pour Pierre-Yves, flute, 1987

Rarefatte aggregazioni, 4 guitars, 1987 (tablature by Luigi Sini)

Perelision, flute, clarinet, violin, percussion, 1989

Quartetto, flute, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, 1989

Canzon prima, E-flat clarinet, 3 clarinets, 1990 (version of vocal work)

Quick moments, flute, guitar, 1990

Ricordando un suono, flute, clarinet, 5-string double bass, piano, 2 percussion, 1990

Landscapes of the mind, clarinet, string quartet, 1991 (also longer version as Paesaggi della mente, female voice, string quartet)

Dal profondo, baritone saxophone, 1992

Momenti veloci, flute, harp, 1992

Petit piece, guitar, 1994

Sax quartet, 4 saxophones, 1995

Zapping, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, 1995

Pervioloncellosolo, cello, 1996

Scaglie di mare, harp, 1996

A gift for you, clarinet, 1998

Quartetto III, string quartet, 2000

Il Vasaio e l'argilla, flute, organ, 2000

Crazy duck, bass clarinet, 2001

Atiso, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, 2002

Staccato dal mondo, clarinet, piano, bayan, vibraphone, 2003

Perviolinosolo, violin, 2005

Ho scritto una canzone, clarinet, piano, bayan, 2008 (version of work for string orchestra)

Duo a battente, flute, harpsichord, 2009

Perchitarrasola, guitar, 2009

Perflautoepianoforte, flute, piano, 2009

Perflautoechitarra, flute, guitar, 2009

Assoloperviola, viola, 2010

Assolopervioloncello, cello, 2010

Serene Ombre, violin, cello, piano, 2011

Una Memoria nell'ombra, flute, clarinet, vibraphone, string quartet, 2011

Blue andante, accordion, 2011

Dal nulla, clarinet, viola, piano, 2013

Come un sogno, flute, viola, cello, piano, 2013

CHORAL:

Cantata per la pace (texts by Salvatore Quasimodo, Lionello Cammarota, Giuseppe Mannino), male speaker, mixed chorus, large orchestra, 2000

Nobilissimo ballo (vocalise), mixed chorus, 8 saxophones, timpani, 2008 (also version for female speaker, 4 saxophones, percussion)

Un'Ansia di Pace (texts by Salvatore Quasimodo, Ivana Manni), male speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, 2008

VOCAL:

Due Episodi (vocalise), female voice in echo, organ, large orchestra (2 flutes [2nd + piccolo], oboe, clarinet, 6 brass, 4 percussion, 52 strings), 1988

Canzon prima (vocalise), high female voice, 3 clarinets, 1990 (also version for E-flat clarinet, 3 clarinets)

Paesaggi della mente (vocalise), female voice, string quartet, 1991 (longer version of Landscapes of the mind)

Concerto (Veni Lumen Cordis) (vocalise), female voice, orchestra (2 flutes [2nd + piccolo], oboe, clarinet, 6 brass, harp, piano ad libitum, timpani/percussion ad libitum, strings), 1993 (also version for clarinet, orchestra)

Animali di Stranalandia (text by Stefano Benni), any speaker, baritone saxophone, 1995

Come fiumana, any speaker, string quartet, 2000

Supplica a mia madre, any speaker, orchestra, 2000

La Giornata di Betty Boop (text by Sandro Cappelletto), female speaker, piano, 2006

Madre ragazza (text by Dacia Maraini), female speaker, timpani, string orchestra, 2007

Notti di gatto (text by Franzina Ancona), soprano, bayan, 2008

Nobilissimo ballo (vocalise), female speaker, 4 saxophones, percussion, 2011 (version of choral work)

Barcarola un briciolo ortopedica (text by Alessandro Bottelli), female speaker, harp, 2013

Eco e Narciso nel bosco di Eros (text by Ivana Manni), any speaker, accordion, 2013

La Giornata di soprano isterico (text by Sandro Cappelletto), female voice–speaker, piano, 2013

PIANO:

Trying, 1980

Appena accennato, 1981

Gli Studietti di Betty Boop (album pianistico per principianti), 1992

Piccolo studio da concerto, 2004

Ho scritto una canzone, 2008 (version of work for string orchestra)

Preludio, 2010

HARPSICHORD:

Nonsense, 1994

DISCOGRAPHY

Small points; Trio. Flavio Emilio Scogna/Gruppo di Roma (BMG/Ariola)

Come dal nulla (second version). Rocco Parisi, bass clarinet (DDT: 19203)

Momenti veloci; Bagamoyo; Perviolasola; Canzon prima (second version); Dal profondo; Quartetto; Landscapes of the mind. Manuel Zurria, flute; Massimo Mazzoni, baritone saxophone; Claudia Antonelli, harp; Augusto Vismara, viola; Quartetto Claravoce; Quintetto Scarponi; Ensemble Musicanovecento (Dischi Ricordi Oggi: CRMCD 1028)

Adagio; Adagio Primo. Flavio Emilio Scogna/Orchestra Pro Arte Marche (DME Master/Marciano di Romagna)

Quartetto I; Quartetto II; Similarity; Trying. Bruno Canino, piano; Quartetto Nuova Cameristica; Gruppo Musica d'Oggi (Edizioni Edi.Pan: PAN-PRC S20-60)

Canzon prima (original version). Donatella Debolini, high voice; Gruppo Musica Aperta (Gruppo Editoriale Tirreno: IEM 20001)

In un silenzio ordinato. Barrie Webb/Firebird (Metier Records: MSV CD 92018)

Gli Studietti di Betty Boop. Thomas Hlawatsch, piano (MIDI Music Actaeon)

Quartetto III. Paul Klee Quartet (NIC: 1047)

Misty. Mario Ancillotti, flute; Domenico Ceccarossi, French horn (Penta-Phon: MCF 15013)

Concerto (Veni Lumen Cordis) (second version). Paolo Lepore/Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia di Bari (Psicoanalisi Contro)

Quartetto II. Éder Quartet (Tirreno: TIR 023)

In un silenzio ordinato. Lorraine Vaillancourt/Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (UMMUS: UMM102)

Criptografia; Shading. Luigi Sini, guitar; Augusto Vismara, viola; Isaac Karabtchevsky/Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI di Milano; Lev Markiz/Orchestra A. Scarlatti della RAI di Napoli (UNIQUM/UNI: 173)