Today's Date: Oct 26, 2023 | Time: 18:18 | Location: New York, NY
Salvatore Di Vittorio has set the stage for a groundbreaking initiative merging classical and film music as both composer and conductor to help preserve and be a part of the renaissance of orchestral music from the concert hall to the silver screen during an age that is proving to show a significant demise of melody (and all things lyrical) across both genres and the orchestra world itself, thus away from the great long-standing tradition of orchestral masters from Ottorino Respighi to John Williams.
ABOUT Salvatore Di Vittorio
Salvatore Di Vittorio is an internationally respected, published composer and conductor, recognized for his uniquely lyrical, melodic orchestral music "following in the footsteps of Ottorino Respighi" (Giornale di Sicilia) – the revered 20th-century composer who inspired such legendary composers in both classical and film music – from disciple turned film composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco to his student John Williams. With his profound natural gift of melody throughout all his memorable music, Di Vittorio's forte of orchestration and arrangement is evidenced not only through his original works but numerous elaborations across the spectrum from Claude Debussy to John Barry. A multifaceted career, doubling as an orchestral conductor as Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, further distinguishes Salvatore Di Vittorio from most orchestral composers today.
Under the auspices (and as Music Director) of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, Maestro Di Vittorio has begun one part of his essential initiative titled Bringing Film To Classical and the ensemble's December 14, 2023, festive concert at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall warmly displays a beautiful merging of film music such as John Williams' E.T. Suite with classical music, including Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. By orchestra-world standards, film music is only performed in concerts either with the film itself or in pops programs, but never regularly merged during the standard seasons with the classical repertoire. Di Vittorio intends to break that culture to help demonstrate the refined history and significance of orchestral music between both genres of classical and film. A master of orchestration with experiences in the classical, film, and fashion worlds, Di Vittorio, will also present his free transcription Suite Verdiana during the same December evening, a work based on some of Giuseppe Verdi's most famous operas. The American pianist Simone Dinnerstein will be showcased performing Mozart's famous Piano Concerto No. 21, "Elvira Madigan."
Di Vittorio's exciting initiative was successfully demonstrated last season under a collaboration with Teatro Massimo Opera of Palermo, Italy, and Chamber Orchestra of New York, where John Williams' Star Wars Suite was coupled with Respighi's Fountains of Rome and Di Vittorio's Voyages of Aeneas - the opera house's commission honoring the 30th anniversary of their concertmaster Salvatore Greco. Both performances between Palermo and New York were sold out in advance. In 2024/2025, Maestro Di Vittorio will launch a set of concerts at the same Palermo opera house under the brand "Respighi in America" Festival along with the world premiere of his Fourth Symphony based on Ovid's Metamorphosis - to also help stimulate repeated performances with numerous international orchestras by featuring works collectively-inspired around the legacies of Respighi, Castelnuovo-Tedesco and John Williams. This universal programming will also feature Di Vittorio's restorations/completions of Respighi's works (under Casa Ricordi) - such as the compositional completion of the Bolognese master's first Violin Concerto - which Di Vittorio was honored to accomplish as the single recipient of the Respighi family commission project in 2008. Several of his autograph manuscripts of the publications are now preserved at The Morgan Library & Museum's prestigious music archive.
The Maestro continues to record for Naxos Records, and his albums with the Chamber Orchestra of New York are airing worldwide to much acclaim. Just this year, Di Vittorio began to expand his expertise in sustaining the always audience-appreciated tradition of melody and orchestration into his very first film score project. Di Vittorio received an Award of Excellence for Best Score at the IndieFest Film Festival for orchestration, arrangement, and conducting of the documentary Transformation, directed by Nancy Hamilton and featuring Steven Baldwin. Film and Naxos album releases are now forthcoming. More soon!
Salvatore Di Vittorio's contributions to the world of orchestral music are developing a unique crossover musical journey like no other before. Stay tuned for further updates on this groundbreaking initiative as Salvatore Di Vittorio continues redefining his musical composition and performance boundaries. He also captivates audiences with his extraordinary vision and lighthearted approaches to programming over the coming seasons, from classical to film and far more.
Learn more about the Carnegie Hall concert on December 14th:
Event: Festive Concert of Chamber Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall - Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Soloist: Simone Dinnerstein, piano
[Submitted by Sandra Richardson]
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https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2023/12/14/chamber-orchestra-of-new-york-0700pm
https://linktr.ee/salvatoredivittorio
