Composer Bio

Italian Composer | b. February 1963

A pianist by training, Lucia Ronchetti studied composition and computer music at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. She continued her training in Paris, following the composition and computer music course at Ircam and obtained a doctorate at the École Pratique des Hautes études. At Columbia University she presented a thesis entitled Tone-colour texture as formal determinant of composition. In the course of her apprenticeship she met Sylvano Bussotti, Salvatore Sciarrino, Gérard Grisey and Tristan Murail and benefitted from their advice.

Often employing electronics, Ronchetti composes for all formations. She takes inspiration from the natural sciences, philosophy, poetry, literature, painting and pre-existent music, to which she has made many references. She explores the treatment of the voice and its sculptural dimension, notably thanks to a long collaboration with the ensemble Neue Vocalsolisten of Stuttgart. Music theatre and theatricality feature prominently in her production including in non-scenic vocal works.

Her music has been performed in prestigious European venues: Anatra al sal, Comedia harmonica, dramaturgy for six voices premiered by the Neue Vocalsolisten at the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik (1999); L’ape apatica, a concertante game for child’s voice, soprano, trombone, two percussionists, children’s chorus and electronics, first performed at La Fenice in Venice (2001); Il sonno di Atys for viola and live electronics, first performed by Barbara Maurer in Darmstadt (2003); Rumori da monumenti for recorded voices and ensemble, first performed at the Konzerthaus in Berlin by the Ensemble Modern (2009); Helicopters and Butterflies, solo for an operatic percussionist, first performed by Christian Dierstein at the Festival d’Automne in Paris (2012); Mise en Abîme, chamber opera for soloists, vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra, first performed at the Semperoper in Dresden (2014); Lacus timoris, dramaturgy for timpani premiered by Stefan Rupp at the Nationaltheater in Mannheim (2015); Abschlussball, music theatre for soprano, voices, actors and tape, first performed by the Berliner Ensemble (2016); Rivale, chamber opera, first performed at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin (2017); Les Aventures de Pinocchio, a musical comedy for soprano and ensemble premiered by Juliette Allen and the Ensemble Intercontemporain at Rouen Opera (2017); Inferno for actors, solo voices, vocal ensemble, mixed chorus, string quartet and ensemble of winds and percussion, programmed for the 2019 season at Frankfurt Opera.

Lucia Ronchetti teaches harmony, counterpoint, fugue and composition at the Conservatory of Salerno; she also gives seminars, notably in Europe and America.

Credit: CDMC