East/West: Europe and the Americas

Victor Rasgado
Beating (2021) for ensemble

Darija Andovska
DOrMIrNO (2004) for flute, clarinet and pianoforte

Paolo Perezzani
Es muss sein! (omaggio a Beethoven) (2021) for ensemble

Juan Trigos
Variazioni concertanti (2021) for soprano and ensemble

Giulia Zaniboni, soprano
Mimma Campanale, conductor

Icarus vs Muzak:

Benedetta Polimeni, flute
Orfeo Manfredi, oboe
Alberto Delasa, clarinet
Corrado Barbieri, bassoon
Gilda Gianolio, harp
Giorgio Genta, guitar
Francesco Pedrazzini, percussions
Yoko Morimyo, violin
Luca Colardo, cello
Diego Petrella, piano

Icarus vs Muzak is the continuation of the successful experience of Icarus Junior, the first youth ensemble founded and supported by Icarus Ensemble in 2007. The ensemble’s productions have been performed in the USA (San Francisco and Berkeley), Zagreb Biennale, Spain, France, Egypt and in the main Italian cities. Icarus vs Muzak collaborates with Icarus Ensemble, founded in 1994, active in four continents with important hosts such as Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Opera House in Cairo, Ars Musica in Bruxelles, Festival Manca, Theaterhaus Pragsattel in Stuttgart, Huddersfield Music Festival, Gaudeamus Week, Sonor Festival Baku, Tag fur der Neue Musik Zurich, ISMC Lugano, Biennale Venezia, Biennale Zagreb, MITO, Teatro alla Scala Milan, Teatro Regio Turin, Teatro Comunale Bologna, Teatro Regio Parma, Teatro Valli Reggio Emilia. In 2018 Icarus vs Muzak represented the Brera Academy within a Miur project promoted by the Ministry of Culture in Venice alongside the Biennale Arte. The ensemble won the project selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Vivere all’Italiana in Musica”, announcement called to spread the Italian music in the world. Upcoming commitments include several international tours.

Victor Rasgado

Coming from a family with musical roots in the state of Oaxaca, he began his piano studies at the age of six. Since 1984 he has studied in Europe at institutions such as the Royal School of Music in England and in Italy at the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan, the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and the Accademia Lorenzo Perosi. He won the first prize in four international composition competitions: IBEROAMERICANO (Spain 1992), OLYMPIA (Greece 1993), ALFREDO CASELLA (Italy 1993) and ORPHEUS (Italy 1994). In the latter, his work “Anacleto Morones” was awarded, published and premiered in Spoleto. His catalog includes compositions in different genres such as opera, concertos, symphonic music, ballet, electronic and for solo instruments. Many of them have been recorded in Mexico and Italy and are mainly published by Ediciones Mexicanas de Música (Mexico) and Ricordi (Italy). He organized in Mexico the five International Composition Courses “Franco Donatoni” (1993-98), of which he was assistant. His compositions are performed in forums and festivals in various parts of the world; particularly worth mentioning are the premieres at the International Cervantino Festival, Versailles and Paris in France, Spoleto in Italy, Smithsonian in Washington DC, Ilkhom Theatre in Uzbekistan, Accademia Chigiana in Italy, Concertgebow (Netherlands), Carnegie Hall in the USA. His opera for children “El Conejo y el Coyote” (The Rabbit and the Coyote), commissioned by the National Institute of Bellas Artes (INBA, Mexico) and the painter Francisco Toledo, has been performed in several languages.

Darija Andovska (1979) graduated in composition under Goce Kolarovski at the FMU Skopje, Macedonia; she received her master’s degree in the class of Isabel Mundry (contemporary music), Andre Belmont (film music) and Domenico Ferrari (production) at ZHdK Zurich, Switzerland; she enrolled in DA studies, under the guidance of Chaya Czernowin, Harvard Institut, USA. She is autor of chamber, solo, orchestral, symphonic and choral music and of musical, theatrical, dance and multimedia projects. Her works have been performed in Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, USA. Her music has been published on CD in Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Germany. She has won numerous competitions for film and theater music all over the world. She was chosen by MusMA (Music Masters on Air) as one of the best young composers in Europe for 2013/2014. She the Cultural Honor Award of the City of Zurich – Best Composer in 2014. She was the Macedonian Music Ambassador for the CEE 17+1 project between China and Central and Eastern European countries for 2016/2017 and 2018-2020. She won the “Panche Peshev” State Award 2018 for highest achievements in the art of music.

Paolo Perezzani was born in Suzzara (Mantua) in 1955. He graduated in philosophy at the University of Bologna and studied composition with Salvatore Sciarrino. In 1986 he attended the courses of the Centro di Sonologia Computazionale dell’Università di Padova and in 1994 the “Stage d’informatique musical de l’Ircam” 1994, in Paris. In 1982 the composition Diario for two flutes and piano was selected for participation in the Review “Opera Prima” in Venice. In 1984 In quella vibrazione for clarinet, viola and piano won the competition of the Festival delle Nazioni of Città di Castello. In 1986 he participates to the International Gaudamus Musicweek in Amsterdam with the composition L’ombra dell’Angelo, for flute.  In 1992 he won the International Composition Competition of Vienna with Primavera dell’anima (for orchestra); the work was performed by the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester during the Festival Wien Modern 1992, conducted by Claudio Abbado. His compositions have been performed in various festivals of contemporary music in Italy, Holland, France, Germany, U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Australia. He wrote music for many formations, from orchestra to productions for solo instrument. From 1986 to 1990 he has been assistant of Salvatore Sciarrino at the Composition Courses of Città di Castello. Since 1990 he has been teaching composition at the Conservatory of Music in Mantua.

Juan Trigos

Prolific composer, creator of the concept of “Abstract Folklore”. Among his most important compositions are worth mentioning operas, symphonies, cantatas, concerts as well as chamber music and solo music. His works has been performed in several countries on the American continent, Europe and Japan. He is currently the principal conductor of The Last Hundred Ensemble (Miami, USA) and the Sinfonietta MIQ (Guanajuato, Mexico). As titular conductor of the Sinfónica de Oxaca he has recorded music by Mabarak, Rasgado, Trigos and Villaseñor. As titular conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guanajuato he recorded music by Chávez, Gutiérrez Heras, Lavista, Quintanar, Someso, Vidaurri and his own. He was principal conductor of the Eastman BroadBand Ensemble (NY, USA), with which he toured the United States, Italy and Mexico. He has also been principal conductor of the Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), principal guest conductor of the Camerata de las Américas and founder and artistic director of the Sinfonietta de las Américas. He organized and produced the Festival International de Música Contemporánea Franco Donatoni in Mexico City (1993-96). He has been assistant to Franco Donatoni. The Eastman School of Music in Rochester (NY), invited him as a resident of the prestigious Howard Hanson Visiting Professor 2017. In 2020 he received the Fromm Commission award from the Fromm Foundation of Harvard University.