Composer, stage director,
conductor, musicologist and professor Dimitri Nicolau was born in Keratea (Greece) and naturalized Italian, he resides and
works in Rome. Besides his musical
studies in Greece and in France he has done researches in the vast field of
popular music with particular interest in the Mediterranean and Balkan area. In
1967 his opposition to the regime of the Greek colonels got him political
asylum from the Italian state. Graduated in cinematography in the Experimental
Center of Cinematography in Rome (C.S.C) he has practiced this profession for
some years without yet interrupting composition, collaborating with different
directors: S.Agosti, M Bellocchio, M.Brenta, V. Gassman, N. Koundouros, M. Meschke, M. Ponzi, C. Tuzii a. o. He has work either as director of the photography that co-director for "La cambiale di matrimonio", an opera by G. Rossini for the Experimental Programs of the Rai - TV (1971). He has frequented the
faculty of Modern Letters in Rome University. Fundamental for his artistic
formation is the relationship with the theory and the Collective Analysis of
Massimo Fagioli. He has dedicated several years to didactic activity as a
teacher of stage song, vocal theatrical technique and as a composer of original
music at the Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA) of Syracuse, the Theatrical
Academy of Calabria, the Theater Calabria a.o.
From 1959, the year in which he
begins to compose and to realize his compositions publicly, he reaches today
a catalog of
over 290 compositions including 3 Operas, 5 Symphonies for large Orchestra,
numerous Concerts for Soloist and Orchestra, many works for plucked string
orchestra, soloist and ensembles, works for chamber ensemble, many works
for Voice, two Cantatas for soloist, choir, actors and large orchestra, ballet
music. Besides that, he has composed sound tracks for cinema, television
and radio , music and songs for infancy and over a 100 scores for the prose
theater; from 1996 to 2001 he collaborated with the theatrical company "
La Bottega del Pane".
His music exploits masterly each
instrument's (or voice's) potential, often with most unusual tone and playing
techniques. Many of his works show an intense theatrical quality. His works
have been performed at many musical centers throughout Europe, North Africa,
U.S.A., Canada, Japan, at Italian festivals like: "Incontri
Musicali Romani", "Nuova Consonanza", "Danzaricerca", "Musica 900", "Nuova
Musica Italiana alla RAI - RadioUno", "Il Politecnico Musica", "Teatro del
Opera", "Rassegna Intern. di Musica Contemporanea", "EAST meet WEST",
"World Saxophones Congress at Pesaro" ,"Abruzzo Rossini Festival"
, "Emilia Romagna Festival" etc.,
Also at festivals in: Greece, England, Poland, Holland, Spain, Germany, France,
Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Norway, URSS,
Denmark, Belgium, Egypt, Ethiopia, Turkey, S. Arabian, U.S.A, Argentina, Chile,
Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Lithuany, Australia etc. .
Some of the Works commissioned by
ISTITUZIONE SINFONICA ABRUZZESE: "Canti
dalla Resistenza" op.31 per Soli, Voci recitanti e Orchestra
(-duration 90'), "Commedia
Armonica" cantata scenica with mixed Choir and Orch. op.99
(duration 60')
Festival INCONTRI
MUSICALI ROMANI : "Stringquartet
n.6 " op.28, "II ° Concerto" op.33 for Oboe soloist,
Soprano voice and Strings, "Lezione di Musica" Scherzo
musicale-chamber opera op.43, "Madrigale Scenico" op.93 for
Soprano voice and Ens. from Lady Chatterley's Lover of D.H.Lawrence.
Coop. LA MUSICA and TRIO DI COMO : "Canti dal Mare" op.55 for String
Trio.
HERAKLION
FESTIVAL '85 (Creta) and in collaboration of ALEA III of Boston : "Amanti
- Lovers" op.56 for Chamber Orchestra
Festival of Athens Capital of the European
Culture '85 and in concomitance with the
European Year of Music 1985, "La Melodia ritrovata"
ballet for large orch. op.41 (1975) with the NJO Orchestra conducted by
Adam Gatehouse and "Nel Sogno una Rosa" fantasia op.57 for
Duo Sax and Piano, played from the
Trio Mondelci-Mazzoni-Giuliodori.
The A.P. and
in collaboration with the Theater ROSSINI of Lugo di Romagna,
opera-fable in ten scenes "The hair in the wild boar or : the invention
of the Neapolitan pizza" ( Il cuoco progioniero) op.66. During the season 86/87 has reached
70 replicas on the whole national territory.
Greek National Radio - ERT for the program Authors of New Vocal Music of the year 1986/87, "Three
Songs op. 71" for Soloist and
small orchestra.
The
ENS. ITALIANO DI SASSOFONI
for his stable repertoire, "Fourth Symphony op. 70" with
Soprano's voice and Sax Orch, the "Concert op.77" for Piano
and Sax Orchestra with percussion and
different chamber works among which the "Saxquartet n.1 op.61" and "Saxquartet n. 4 op.128".
The Association
MUSIC '85 and on the occasion of the Festival dedicated to
Mozart's year of music 1991, "Die Alte" satire in
music in one act op.108 with comic
Soprano and Ensemble.
I SOLISTI
AQUILANI for the Music Festival for the centennial of the birthday
of G.Rossini (1992), the "Gran Partita op.113 " for Strings
and Winds (-duration 45 's) and the
elaboration-orchestration of "Seven Songs" for Soprano, Mezzosoprano and Orch. from
Rossini's notebooks.
The IALSAX
QUARTET on the occasion of its being
part of the WORLD SAX Congress ( Pesaro 1992), SAXQUARTET n.3 op.110, FOUR
SAX DANCES op.164 and IALSAXMUSIC op.177 for the XII° WORLD SAX
Congress in Montreal 2000.
ATHENS MUSIC
HALL ( Megaron) and OM.MA
in Athens, for the season of the concerts 93/94, "Nanoùrisma" with Voice
middle and Chamber Orch. op.119 realized by
Alea III of Boston.
Bookstore AMORE E PSICHE (Love and Psyche) in
Rome and in collaboration with the Center S.Luis de France, "CANTI
op.126" with Voice and Piano on texts of European poets, Monica
Carletti ms, C. Bonechi, pianist. (- duration 50 minutes).
SAX-CHORUS, "Rapsodie
en Grec op.127" pour Orch. des
Saxophones.
EUROPÄISCHE
Jugend Z.Orch. the composition "Simple Suite op.151" for plucked string orch.
"VOLTI
op.173" for voice and piano dedicated to Baritone D. Fischer-Dieskau
Sydney
MANDOLINS : "FIVE
op.174" for Ens. of Plectra
SKALKOTTAS
ENSEMBLE in Athens : "La Chanson d' Ophélie" op.183
for Voice and Chamber Orchestra
Ensemble COLLEGIUM
ARTIS the composition "Suite d'été" op. 204 per Violino, Viola,
Violoncello e Pianoforte.
TRIO AEDON the compositions : Trio
Serenade op.158, Trio
Concertante op.197 for Clar.,Cello, Piano soloists and large Orchestra, Greece,
Zuki's Dance.
Duo EGGEBRECHT
- KUPSA : "STRASSENMUSIK
n.16" op. 210 for Violin
& Cello.
Mezzosoprano Marilena Zlatànou the composition "OPERA
AUDITION" op.227 a lyric
Saxophonist Theofilos Sotiriadis
DISSIDENCE op. 240 for Sax Alto soloist
Saxophonist David Brutti "NOCTURNAL" op. 238 for Sax Bass soloist & CD
e "SIXTH SAX SONATA" ( Réponses à l'avant-garde schizophrène) op.
239 for Sax Bass and Piano
Arturo Tallini A
PETRASSI, IL GIOVANE op. 245 for Guitar soloist
Quartet AURANOVA
STRASSENMUSIK n. 21 op. 243 for
Sax, Guitar, Synthesizer & Percussion
Percussionist Federico Poli KERATEA op. 217
Concerto for Marimba soloist and Percussion Ensemble ( total
7 players)
Percussionist Markus Leoson "KOTANKO" op.241 e " TEMPO & TEMPO" op.242 for Marimba soloist and Marimba & Oboe soloists.
The Trumpetist Ivano ASCARI "MUSIC FROM RECEIVED LETTERS" op. 257 for Trumpet Solo, TWO DANCES IN GREEK MOOD op. 194 for Trumpet and Piano soloists, TRUMPET SONATA n.2 op. 196 for Trumpet in Bb and Piano, Kagliòpi , Zuki's dance, 11 September Day, a small tribute for Trumpet in Bb and Piano, SONATA MISTERIOSA op. 230 for Trumpet in C and Organ soloists, TRUMPET CONCERT op. 208 for Trumpet in C and String Orchestra
I SOLISTI DI ROMA "SUITE SU TEMI D'OGGI" op. 247 for Sax soloist &
String quartet
Ensemble "COLLEGIUM ARTIS" "A GEORGE SAND" op. 249 per Voce, Voce narrante,
Violino, Violoncello e Pianoforte
TRIO BERTRAND (
Spain) "ISC SUITA"
op. 250 for Bandurria, Guitar &
Harp soloists
Ensemble ACCADEMIE ARMONIA “E’ LUNGA ANCOR LA STRADA ” op. 261 for 2 Mandolins soloists & String Orchestra ( or Quintet)
ROMA
SINFONIETTA “VOLTI
MEDITERRANEI ” op. 266 for Viola concertante & Ensemble
and.o.
Thessaloniki "Dimitria" 1985 and 2004
Week of Greek Music in London (Purcell Room) 1989
Taormina Arte Festival 1991
Conferenza Musicale Mediterranea, Palermo 1992
Gaudeamus
Spoleto Festival 98
De Ijsbrecker Festival of Contemporary music
Salzburg Fest. Aspekte
Mondi Sonori Festival 2002 e 2003
Emilia Romagna Festival 2004
XX Verucchio Festival
Olympiad Cultural Greece 2004
He has
collaborated with different companies of Contemporary Ballet such as
Dance
Company Daniela Capaci and Daniela Bönsch
In February
1990 the Center of Research-Contemporary -Music (KSYME) of Athens held a cycle of meetings-seminars dedicated to him,
for several days, with in-depth discussions, and comparisons about his language
and musical style and with a public concert in the Town Theater of Athens where
the author directed the première of his
"Concert for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
op. 39" interpreted by the cellist Marcel
Spinei.
In November 1991 he has been assigned
the First Prize unanimously in
the II° Conc. Intern. S.Behrend for the composition "NYCTES op.97" that has been realized in
worldpremière at the Festival of Baden-Baden in May 1993.
In March 2001 the Center Mousikì Estìa in Athens has dedicated him a monographic meeting
in which Prof. Thomas Tamvakos illustrated and analyzed the work and personal style of the composer
from 1959 to 2000.
The VI
STAGE International Of the Saxophone that took place at the Conservatory
of Fermo in Dic.1999 and in collaboration with the A.S.I. a concert and monographic space
was dedicated to him. Title: "Voyage in the music of D. Nicolau". His personal and original style was
discussed so as his way of writing for Saxophones. On that occasion another
composition has been introduced in world première "Rhapsodie
en grec" op.127 from the SAX CHORUS.
Dimitri
Nicolau was invited to participate in the International Symposium of Composers organized by the Fondazione Toscana Musica e Arte which
took place at the Castello di Poppi
in Arezzo (Italy) in the first week of October 2002, about the topic: The
art of composition today.
In May 2002
in the Meistersingerhalle in Nürnberg ( Germany) and in
collaboration with the Bayerischen Rundfunk, his "La Melodia Ritrovata" op 41 (1975) a ballet for large orchestra.
The Nürnberger Symphoniker directed by Jac van Steen, was performed.
With his original compositions he has participated
in different WORLD SAX CONGRESS
consecutively among which: Tokyo 1988, Pesaro 1992, Montreal 2000,
Mineapolis 2003.
The XXXVI
Festival Internacional de Music en the Rioja has assigned him the PREMIO DE COMPOSICIÓN
"AYUNTAMIENTO DE LOGROÑO 2002" for the MANDOLIN Sonata op.198
for Soloist Mandolin ( Mus.Editions Mnemes) interpreted with great sucess by
Mathieu Sarthe-Moureau.
He has been a member of the international jury for
the IX edition 2003 of the International Contest
of Composition "2 Agosto".
The Commune of KERATEA in
collaboration with the Cultural Association
"Xrisì Tomì " has
dedicated him a monographic concert, an exhibition with his paintings and
designs, that took place in the great room of the Ceremonies (May 25 th 2003).
The greek musicologue Thomas Tamvakos has introduced the work and the
personality of the composer while the musical part was entrusted to the music
Ensemble KELADOS in Athens.
In the June 2004 he has been officially named member
of the Greek Composers Union (Enosi
Ellinon Mousourgon).
The
HAYDN ORCHESTER of
Bolzano and Trento for the Season of public concerts 2005-06 she has realized
in first world his TRUMPET
CONCERT op. 208 in different places under
the direction of M° Christoph
Eberle and Ivano Ascari as Trumpet soloist.
For
the XXVI Festival BBK 2006/7 "Musicas actuales" in
the center of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao - Spain and
subsequently in the Goethe Institut in Rome it is introduced
the comic chamber opera "Lesson Of Music" Lezione
di musica (Op. 43 - 1982) realized by the MU SICA -Theater -
ENSEMBLE
The European Guitar and Mandolin Association (EGMA) in cooperation with the Federazione Mandolinistica Italiana (FMI) will be holding the 7th meeting of the European Mandolin and Guitar Youth Orchestra in Italy, Ferrara 6 April 2007 / Vittorio Veneto 7 April 2007 / Pieve
di Cento - Bologna 8 April 2007 in which will be played in Italian first "LA BELLE ET LA BETE" op. 60 (1986)
AURELIA
SAX QUARTET of
Amsterdam,
ENSEMBLE ITAL. DI SASSOFONI, TRIO MONDELCI-MAZZONI-GIULIODORI,
ATHENS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, SYMMOLPA ENS. of Athens, PLUCKED
STRING ORCH. of Patras, the CIRCOLO MUSICALE of Athens, STRINGS IN STEIN (Holland ), NEDERLAND SAX QUARTET of Amsterdam, ARTURO
TALLINI guitar soloist, WORLD SAXOPHONES ORCH. of Brussels, ALEA III of Boston, KENNY-HARATSARIS-WITTING Ens. of Edimburg, LAWRENCE GWOZDZ sax soloist, SAX CHORUS ENS.., ELENA
PAPANDREOU Guitar soloist, WURTEMBERG Z.ORCHESTER, HESSISCHES ZUPFORCHESTER
of Frankfurt, TRIO UMBRO DI SAX, I SOLISTI DI ROMA, L. LANZILLOTTA, IALSAX
Quartet, Ensemble "OCTANDRE" di
Bologna,
l'orch. della CITTÀ' DI
BRESCIA, Ens.LA MUSICA di Roma, TRIO PETRASSI,
TRIO
CHIAROSCURO of
Amsterdam, Duo LOMBARDI-VITI, ACCOLAND Claudio Jacomucci, Duo MARCEL & SANDA SPINEI, TRANSCONTINENTAL
SAX Q., Duo ARBONELLI - De FILPO , HELIKON
SaxQuartet of Amsterdam, Quartetto "BERNINI" , GLI ARMONICI
of Palermo,
NEW
SAXOPHONE Q.,
Orchestra IL PLETTRO of Brescia, ANAKI DUO
(Spain), ATEF HALIM ( Japan), PIERP. IACOPINI (Rome), MAS. DONNINELLI
(Italia), ORCHESTRA OF COLOURS ( Athens), ENSEMBLE à PLECTRE ( Luxembourg), ITALIAN
MODERN ENSEMBLE, Duo M.CARLETTI&C.BONECHI,
The D'Amore DUO (U.S.A.), GEORGES DARAVELIS (Greece),
Das BADISCHE ZUPFORCHESTER (Germany), TRIO POLYCORDES (Francia),
Orchestra "F.BUSONI" of Trieste, Duo CARLETTI&MARINO, IVANO
ASCARI, DUO EGGEBRECHT-KUPSA (Germany), JON BURGESS
( Texas University USA), STATHIS MAVROMMATIS (Greece), DUO MARKUS LEOSON-HELEN
JAHREN (Norway), QUARTETTO AURANOVA, TRIO BERTRAND
(Spain), Duo M. CARLA NOTARSTEFANO & P. IACOPINI, MACEDONIAN
SAXQUARTET (Greece), ACCADEMIE ARMONIA di Ischia, RENAISSANCE SAXQUARTET, ROMA
SINFONIETTA, and many Others...
From the music composed for the prose theater we remember:
"Zoo di vetro", "Donne a
parlamento", "La Allodola", "Diario di un
pazzo" (several greek theaters), "Il Volpone" by
B. Johnson ( Olimpico di Vicenza),
"Matrimonio di Figaro" e "L'opera del mendicante"
for ATER Teatri (regia di A.
Pugliese), from 1975 he worked for many years with the Teatro "Il Politecnico" of Rome in different productions, among which "La morte del Dott. Faust"
by De Chelderode ( adaption and direction by Amedeo Fago), "Segreteria
telefonica" and "Risotto" by A. Fago (directed by the
author), "Leonzio e Lena" by G. Buechner directed by L. Durassi Festival di
Caserta 1978, "Tre sorelle" by A. Cechov. Teatro Argentina in Rome and " Lo Scamandro" by L.
Pirandello; Agrigento festival 78 directed by D. Polidoro, "La bottega del pane",
"L' eccezione e la regola", "Un uomo è un uomo"
(Brecht), "Questa sera grande spettacolo" (Plauto), " I
sogni di Clitennestra" by D. Maraini directed by G. Sammartano, "Intrighi
d'amore" by T. Tasso at the festival
di Taormina Arte '91 director A.Piccardi, " Ifigenia in Aulide"
with the company Pagliai-Gasman, "La
strana coppia" by N.Simon (director : A. Piccardi) " Coefore"
for the Teatro
Greco di Siracusa 1996 (direction G. Pressburger), "Femmina"
by F. Mancini (authors direction), "Il Demone meschino" by
Sologub - Moretti for the Teatro dell'Orologio (direction
A. Zucchi). Currently he primarily collaborates with the theatrical company " La
bottega del pane" with which he realized important musical scores in pieces like "Rimane
ancora, mettiamo, la luna" , "Yerma" by F.G.Lorca for
the Festival dei Due Mondi - Spoleto '98 , "I due fratelli gemelli" and "Amfitrione"by
Plautus (Teatro greco di Morgantina, Teatro di
Ostia antica '98), "Vengono, ombre lunghe del Novecento",
"Donne a Parlamento" ( greek theater of Segesta '99), "Un giorno, quando ne
avremo il tempo" ( Roma, Teatro Valle 2000),"Il Persiano" (Greek theater of Segesta 2000) all these directed by G. Sammartano.
We remember some original sound tracks for the films : "Panagulis
Zei" by G. Ferrara, "Le Ali della Colomba" by G.L. Calderone, "Nel
Cerchio" by G.Minello, "Il Segreto di Gustave Flaubert"
by U. Silva, "Il
Lungo Inverno" by Ivo
Barnabò Micheli, "Sogni e Bisogni"
by S. Citti, and with special
contribution in the music of the films "Enrico
IV" and "Il Sogno della
Farfalla" by Marco
Bellocchio.
Many
CD's are realized e distributed by : EDIPAN , Ponzo-Records, LYRA in
Athens, KSYME in Athens , PENTAPHON
, MATERIALI SONORI , FONIT-CETRA ( Italy), LA FOLLIA MADRIGAL ( France),
TROUBADISC ( Germany).
Over 190 compositions have appeared in many musical
editions such as:
EDIPAN ( Rome -Italy) , PENTAFLOWERS
(Rome - Italy ), NAKAS ( Athens - Greece ), J.TREKEL MusikVerlag
( Hambourg - Germany ), VOGT&
FRITZ MusikVerlag ( Schweinfurt - Germany ), MATERIALI SONORI ( Arezzo - Italy ), AGENDA Ed.Mus.
( Bologna - Italy ), MNEMES ( Palermo - Italy ), AURALIT
( Bologna - Italy & New York- USA), BÈRBEN
(Ancona -Italy), ANTES
EDITION (Baden-Germany)
email :
Homepage: