THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Sonia Bo

(b. 27 March 1960, Lecco).

Italian composer of mostly chamber, choral and vocal works that have been performed in Asia, Europe and North America.

Ms. Bo received her diploma in piano in 1981 and in choral music and conducting in 1983. She studied composition with Azio Corghi and Renato Dionisi at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, where she received her diploma in 1985. She completed her postgraduate studies in composition with Franco Donatoni at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome in 1988.

Among her honours are Primo Premio in the competition Guido d'Arezzo in Arezzo (1985, for Frammenti da Jacopone), Primo Premio in the competition of the European Cultural Foundation (1985, for Da una lettura di Husserl), Primo Premio in the competition Giuseppe Savagnone in Rome (1986, for Quartetto), Primo Premio in the competition Alpe Adria Giovani in Trieste (1988, for Due Bagatelle), and the Premio Musicale Città di Trieste (1995, for Synopsis).

She has taught composition at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi since 1997. She previously taught in Ferrara, Pesaro, Piacenza, and Verona.

She is married to the composer Giuseppe Colardo.

Her primary publisher is Casa Ricordi, but Edizioni Edi.Pan, Edizioni musicali Curci, Edizioni Sconfinarte, and Rugginenti Editore are the publishers of some works.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: http://www.soniabo.eu/

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Da una lettura di Husserl, 1984

Synopsis, 1987

Di agata e di zaffiro, 1997

Un Guardo ed una voce, small orchestra (28 players), 1997

'...Cerulee le fila', flute, string orchestra, 2003

Tre Miniature, string orchestra, 2010–11

Corvi (after Dreams by Akira Kurosawa and Champ de blé aux corbeaux by Vincent van Gogh), 2013

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Nugae, violin, viola, cello, 1982

Quintetto, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1982

Tre Studi, violin, piano, 1984

Piccolo studio, 2 clarinets, piano, 1985

Quartetto, string quartet, 1985

D'Iride, flute, clarinet, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 1988

Due Bagatelle, flute, guitar, 1988

Blankes Türkenschwert, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, piano, 1991

Tre Canti da Saffo, violin, 1994

Dal 'Libro dei prodigi', saxophone, 1995

Pronto, chi fischia? (clarinettist speaks text by Gianni Rodari), clarinet, 1995 (section of Filastrocche del cavallo parlante; may be performed separately)

Di scogli sommersi o nerocupi, violin, cello, percussion, 1998

Di pece e di stelle pungenti, flute, piano, 2000

Due Pezzi brevi, flute, harp, 2000

L'Arbitro, il Merlo, il Vaporetto che va a Ischia..., flute, 2000

Fisarmonica rossa (players speak text by Franco Matacotta), flute, oboe, clarinet, 2001

Il Dittatore (player speaks/players speak text by Gianni Rodari), guitar/2 guitars, 2001 (section of Filastrocche del cavallo parlante; may be performed separately; version of vocal work)

Dreams (omaggio a Kurosawa), 2001–02 (its three sections may be performed separately: Villaggio dei mulini, flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2001; La Tormenta, flute [+ piccolo, alto flute], bass clarinet [+ E-flat clarinet], French horn, violin, cello, piano, 2001; Il Tunnel, flute [+ piccolo], bass clarinet, French horn, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2002)

...Nivee le fila, flute, oboe, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2002

Come mani mosse dal vento, cello, piano, 2002

Di cristallo, violin, cello, piano, 2003 (also version for speaker, violin, cello, piano)

Pax (after Dreams by Akira Kurosawa), flute, 2005

...de la Méduse, oboe (+ oboe d'amore, English horn), ensemble (flute [+ piccolo], clarinet [+ bass clarinet], bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone [+ tuba], harp, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, 2 percussion), 2006

Through (after Dreams by Akira Kurosawa), flute, live electronics, 2007

Intermezzo (after Maria Pia Quintavalla), cello, 2007

Triplex, saxophone, accordion, 2007

Double rainbow (due studi d'arcobaleno), clarinet, 2009

Frame Toccata (omaggio a Claudio Merulo), flute (+ alto flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, 2009

Cantate (omaggio a J. S. Bach), youth ensemble (flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, guitar, violin, cello, accordion, vibraphone, marimba), 2009–10

Christmas wandering, French horn, 2 B-flat trumpets, trombone, tuba, 2012

E tu come una rupe, flute (+ piccolo), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, 2013

Dream Piece (after Dreams by Akira Kurosawa), guitar, 2014

Dreams n. 5 (after Dreams by Akira Kurosawa), flute (+ alto flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, 2014

Il Gentiluomo di Livorno, trombone, 2015 (version of section of Filastrocche del cavallo parlante; may be performed separately)

Tre Variazioni sul nome Mirella, 2 violins, 2016

Prologo e Intermezzo a Capriccio, cello, 2016

Come mani mosse dal vento II (due pezzi brevi), viola, piano, 2016

CHORAL:

Frammenti da Jacopone, female chorus, 1985

Lauda, soloists, speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, 1987

Isole di luce, children's chorus/female chorus, harp, celesta, percussion, 1998

Filastrocche del cavallo parlante (text by Gianni Rodari), children's chorus/female chorus, speaker, small orchestra (16 players), 1995–2001 (its seven sections may be performed separately: Il Dittatore; Il Bastimento, children's chorus/female chorus, harp, piano, 2 percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2000; Come si chiamano gli uccelli; Pronto, chi fischia?; La Minestra, children's chorus/female chorus [+ cooking pots], speaker, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, percussion, 1996; Il Gentiluomo di Livorno; Re Federico, children's chorus/female chorus [+ balloons], speaker, small orchestra [16 players], 2000)

Rossa poi viola infine bianca, soprano, mezzo-soprano, countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass, 3 accordions, 2008

VOCAL:

Come un'allegoria I (text by Giorgio Caproni), soprano, clarinet, cello, piano, 1986

Studi 'con testo a fronte' (text by Paolo Volponi), voice, 1989 (also versions for voice, live electronics, 2004; voice, piano, 2013–14)

Polittico, 1991–92 (its five sections may be performed separately: Quadro primo [text by Giambattista Marino], soprano, French horn, violin, piano, percussion, 1991; Quadro secondo [text by Ugo Foscolo], soprano, French horn, piano, 1992; Quadro terzo [players speak text by Teofilo Folengo], any 4 players, 1992; Quadro quarto [text by Ludovico Ariosto], soprano, violin, percussion, 1992; Quadro quinto [text by Torquato Tasso], soprano, French horn, violin, piano, percussion, 1991)

'...Rosee le fila' (text by Ugo Foscolo), soprano, flute, piano, 1994

'...Oro alle fila' (text by Ugo Foscolo), soprano, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute), clarinet (+ E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet), piano, percussion, live electronics, 1995

Con testo a fronte (text by Paolo Volponi), voice, live electronics, 1996

Come si chiamano gli uccelli (text by Gianni Rodari), speaker, whistle, piccolo (+ alto flute), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, percussion, birdcalls, 1996 (section of Filastrocche del cavallo parlante; may be performed separately)

D'Ametista (text by Eugenio Montale), speaker, bass clarinet, harp, cello, live electronics ad libitum, 1996

Come un'allegoria II (text by Giorgio Caproni), voice, percussion, 1997

Astri e abbagli (text by Paolo Volponi), voice, flute (+ piccolo), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), violin, viola, cello, piano, 1998

Sulla pedana d'autobus antica (text by Raymond Queneau [translated by Umberto Eco]), speaker, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute), clarinet (+ E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, percussion, 1998

Dentro un'antica neve (text by Paolo Volponi), female voice, small orchestra, 2000–01

Il Dittatore (text by Gianni Rodari), speaker, small orchestra (16 players), 2001 (section of Filastrocche del cavallo parlante; may be performed separately; also versions for guitar/2 guitars [guitarist speaks/guitarists speak text]; speaker, guitar, 2001)

Il Gentiluomo di Livorno (text by Gianni Rodari), speaker, whistle, small orchestra (16 players), 2001 (section of Filastrocche del cavallo parlante; may be performed separately; also versions for female speaker, 4 flutes, 8 guitars, 4 violins, piano 8 hands, 3 percussion, 2001; trombone)

Ingelheim (text from an anonymous source from the Middle Ages), 1 or more voices/speakers, piano, 2001

...E la corteccia soffoca le ultime parole (text by the composer, after Ovid), speaker, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2002

Di cristallo (text by Maria Pia Quintavalla), speaker, violin, cello, piano, 2005 (version of work for violin, cello, piano)

Leggenda aurea (texts by Lope de Vega, other sources), soprano, mezzo-soprano, flute (+ piccolo), clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2 percussion, 2005 (also version for soprano, mezzo-soprano, small orchestra, 2006–07)

Il Fruscio delle pagine nascoste (text by Donatella Bisutti), speaker, piano, 2006

E la corteccia soffoca le ultime parole (text by the composer, after Ovid), speaker, flute, cello, piano, 2008

Fight, soprano, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, 2011

PIANO:

Come nella memoria, 1996

Per umbram, 1999

Per Alda, 2000

Come nella memoria II, piano 4 hands, 2016

ORGAN:

In memoriam, 1997

Umbram, 2000

Chain (otto pezzi brevi, after the Book of Isaiah), 2007

Pascha rosarum, 2008

DISCOGRAPHY

D'Iride. (Edizioni Edi.Pan) (LP)

L'Arbitro, il Merlo, il Vaporetto che va a Ischia... Rose-Marie Soncini, flute (MAP: LR 082)

Quartetto. Éder Quartet (Tirreno: TIR 023)

Umbram. Simonetta Fraboni, organ (ARS: 141003)