Mario Bertoncini facts for kids
Mario Bertoncini (born in Rome on September 27, 1932 – died in Siena on January 19, 2019) was a talented Italian musician. He was a composer, which means he wrote music. He was also a skilled pianist, playing the piano for many audiences. Besides that, he was a music educator, teaching others about music.
Mario Bertoncini won important awards for his music. In 1962, he received the Nicola d'Atri Prize. Later, in 1965, he won two more awards: the Gaudeamus International Composers Award and the Fondation européenne de la Culture prize. He traveled a lot, playing the piano with big symphony orchestras in places like Europe, North America, Israel, and Korea.
Early Life and Musical Journey
Mario Bertoncini was born in Rome, Italy. He loved music from a young age. He studied different parts of music, like how to write songs (music composition) and how to play the piano. He even learned about electronic music, which uses technology to create sounds.
He started his career as a concert pianist in 1956. This meant he played the piano for large audiences. For many years, he performed all over the world. He played as a solo artist and also with big orchestras. Famous conductors, who lead the orchestra, like Bruno Maderna and Mario Rossi, worked with him.
From 1965 to 1973, Mario was part of a special music group in Rome. It was called Gruppo di Improvvisazione di Nuova Consonanza. This group was known for making up music on the spot, without a written score. Mario even led the group as its president for a few years.
Teaching and Later Years
In 1967, Mario Bertoncini became a music teacher at the Pesaro Conservatory. He taught there until 1973. Later, in 1974, he became an Artist-in-Residence in Berlin, Germany. Here, he created unique art projects. These were "kinetic sound-sculptures" that made sounds and moved in the open air.
He also taught music at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, from 1975 to 1976. Then, from 1980 until he retired in 2004, he taught at the Berlin University of the Arts. After his long career, Mario Bertoncini lived in Cetona, Italy. He passed away in 2019.
