Giovanni Allevi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giovanni Allevi
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Giovanni Allevi |
| Born | 9 April 1969 Ascoli Piceno, Italy |
| Origin | Ascoli Piceno, Italy |
| Genres | Contemporary classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Soloist Composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1997–present |
Giovanni Allevi is an Italian pianist and composer. He was born on April 9, 1969. His music is known for being a mix of classical and modern styles. One of his famous songs, "O Generosa," is the theme song for Italy's top football league, Serie A.
Contents
About Giovanni Allevi
His Early Life and Learning
Giovanni Allevi studied music from a young age. He earned high honors in piano at the "F. Morlacchi" conservatory in Perugia. He also studied composition at the Milan Conservatory. Later, he earned a degree in philosophy. His thesis was about "The Void in Contemporary Physics." He also continued his advanced music studies in Arezzo.
In 1991, Giovanni served in the Italian Army Music Band. The band's leader noticed his amazing piano skills. Giovanni became the piano soloist for the band. He played famous pieces like Rhapsody in Blue during their tours. After his military service, Allevi started performing his own piano compositions. He also learned about "Bio-music and music therapy." This helped him understand how music can make people feel free. It also showed him how music can bring back memories and emotions.
In 1996, he wrote music for the play The Trojan Women. This play was performed at a big festival in Siracusa. His music won a special award for being the "best scene music." In 1997, he won an international competition for young musicians. This competition was held at the San Filippo Theatre in Turin. He also received the America Award from the Italy-USA Foundation in 2017.
Meeting Other Musicians
Giovanni Allevi met a musician named Saturnino. Saturnino helped him decide to move to Milan. There, Giovanni wanted to put his piano music on a CD. This idea caught the attention of Lorenzo Cherubini, also known as Jovanotti. In 1997, Jovanotti's music label, Soleluna, worked with Universal Italia. They released Allevi's first album, called 13 Dita (13 Fingers). Saturnino produced this album.
Giovanni Allevi also created music for the opening ceremony of the 2009 World Aquatics Championships. This big event took place in Rome. Thanks to Saturnino and Jovanotti, Allevi started playing for large audiences. He opened Jovanotti's concerts during the L'Albero tour. He played songs from his album 13 Dita on his piano. In 1998, Allevi worked with Saturnino again. He created the soundtrack for a short film called Venceremos. This film won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. This is a famous film festival in Utah, United States.
Other Musical Works
Giovanni Allevi has written music for more than just the piano. Here are some of his important non-piano works:
- Inno delle Marche (Hymn of the Marche region): This was an orchestral piece. He wrote it for a youth meeting in Loreto in 2007.
- Angelo Ribelle (Rebel Angel): This is a suite for string orchestra. It has five parts. The Virtuosi Italiani orchestra first performed it in 2007. Allevi himself conducted the orchestra. It was included in his 2008 album Evolution.
- 300 Anelli (300 Rings): This piece is for piano and orchestra. It has two parts. The Virtuosi Italiani orchestra first performed it in 2007. Allevi played the piano and conducted. It was also published in Evolution.
- Foglie di Beslan (Beslan's leaves): This work is for piano and symphony orchestra. He wrote it to remember the Beslan massacre. Allevi played the piano for its first performance in 2005.
- Sparpagghiò: This was a musical comedy for orchestra and choir. It was first performed in 2001. Allevi directed the orchestra himself.
Famous Concerts
On December 21, 2008, Giovanni Allevi conducted the "I virtuosi Italiani" symphony orchestra. This was for a Christmas concert at the Senate House in Italy. Important people like Giorgio Napolitano, the President of the Republic, were in the audience. The concert featured two pieces by Giacomo Puccini and five of Allevi's own compositions. The concert was shown live on RAI1, a major national TV channel. This helped make him even more famous in Italy.
Public Discussions About His Music
After the Senate concert, there was a lot of talk about Allevi's talent. Some famous musicians, like violinist Uto Ughi, criticized him. Ughi said Allevi's success was "the triumph of relativism." This meant he thought Allevi's music was popular just because people liked new things, not because it was truly great.
Allevi responded to these criticisms. He said his music "speaks to people's hearts." He also noted that it's always been hard for new ideas in music to be accepted. However, he believed his ideas would become the norm later. Some people also said Allevi was just popular because of marketing. But other musicians defended him. They said his success made the piano popular again. They also said he encouraged many young people to take piano lessons.
Books by Giovanni Allevi
Giovanni Allevi wrote his first book, La Musica in Testa (Music in My Head), in 2008. It's like a diary where he shares his thoughts and experiences. He also tells stories about his journey to success.
His Health Journey
Giovanni Allevi has shared that he has faced some health challenges. He has experienced panic attacks, depression, and anxiety disorder. He also has Asperger syndrome. Giovanni Allevi is married and has two sons. In 2017, he had a retinal detachment while performing in Japan. In 2022, he announced that he was diagnosed with cancer, specifically multiple myeloma.
Music Albums
Studio Albums
- 13 Dita (1997)
- Composizioni (2003)
- No Concept (2005)
- Joy (2006)
- Evolution (2008)
- Alien (2010)
- Sunrise (2012)
- Christmas for You (2013)
- Love (2015)
- Equilibrium (2017)
Live Albums
- Allevilive (2007)
Concert DVDs
- Joy tour 2007 (2007)
- Allevi & All Star Orchestra Arena di Verona (2009)
Music Collections
- Allevi All (2008)
- Giovanni Allevi 2005–2008
- Il nuotatore (2009)
- Secret Love (2012)
- The Very Best Of (2018)
Published Music Scores
Giovanni Allevi's music has also been published as scores. This means other musicians can buy the sheet music and play his compositions. Here are some examples:
- No Concept, piano score, Carisch, Milano 2006, ISBN: 978-88-507-0959-5
- Joy, piano score, Carisch, Milano 2007, ISBN: 978-88-507-1143-7
- Giovanni Allevi for Guitar, score for up to four guitars, Carisch, Milano 2007, ISBN: 978-88-507-1461-2
- Alien, piano score, Carisch, Milano 2011, ISBN: 978-88-507-2094-1
- Secret Love (The Best of), piano score, Carisch, Milano 2012, ISBN: 978-88-507-2512-0
- La Danza Della Strega, orchestral score for piano and violin, Carisch, Milano 2012, ISBN: 978-88-507-2618-9
- Pianoforte a quattro mani, four-hands piano score, Carisch, Milano 2008, ISBN: 978-88-507-1276-2
See also
In Spanish: Giovanni Allevi para niños
