BIO 🇬🇧 ENG
Alberto Caruso, born in Trento, lives in Rome.
He studied piano under Sergio Perticaroli and graduated summa cum laude from the Conservatory St Cecilia of Rome in 1989. In 1992 he graduated also from the National Academy of St Cecilia with a three-year master degree. At the Conservatory Giuseppe Verdi of Turin he graduated in composition and orchestra conducting under Giuseppe Elos and Mario Lamberto, studying also with the conductor Carlo Maria Giulini in Milan and the composer Daniele Zanettovich in Udine.
In 1993 he received from the Japanese Government a scholarship to study contemporary and traditional Japanese music at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo. He studied with Ryosuke and Koyo Hatanaka, Teizo Matsumura, Sukeyasu Shiba and Koichi Uzaki. He also studied Japanese language at the Osaka University and is fluent in both speaking and writing.
Back to Italy, Caruso started composing incidental music for the theatre and film scores, having as a mentor Franco Mannino, the composer, pianist and conductor of Luchino Visconti’s films and operas such as Death in Venice, Ludwig, Conversation Piece, The Innocent, and Mario e il Mago. Mannino composed a piano concerto for Alberto, who premiered it at the Fordham University in New York in 1998.
From 2000, for three years, Alberto Caruso became an assistant of the composer Henning Lohner at the Hans Zimmer studios in Los Angeles and composed the original score for several American and Italian films such as Madhouse, directed by William Butler, Sunday Lunch by Carlo Vanzina, Call it Democracy by Matthew Kohn, Cardiofitness by Fabio Tagliavia, Without Writers and other documentaries by Luca Archibugi.
In 2007 the Tokyo Chamber Opera commissioned Alberto Caruso to compose an opera based on Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: he wrote the libretto in Japanese, 星の王子さま and in Italian, Il Piccolo Principe; he conducted the Japanese version in the world premiere at the Kioi Hall in Tokyo in 2008 and the Italian version at the Teatro Carignano in Turin in 2015.
Alberto Caruso is the composer of the opera The Master, based on the novel of the same name by Colm Tóibín, who also wrote the libretto. After a workshop directed by Ron Daniels in 2014 at the University of Colorado Boulder, The Master has been premiered with great success at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland in 2022, directed by Conor Hanratty.
Following the success of Colm Tóibín and Alberto Caruso’s collaboration on The Master, they will reunite in October 2024 for a new WFO commission, Lady Gregory in America. Lady Gregory, along with W.B. Yeats, founded the Abbey Theatre.
As a pianist, composer and conductor, Caruso has performed also at Festival dei Due Mondi Spoleto, Festival Cervantino Guanajuato, Opera Puebla Mexico, Joondalup Festival Australia, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Eliseo Roma, Teatro Carignano Torino, Ishihara Hall Osaka, Palais de l'Athénée Genéve.
▽ MAIN COMPOSITIONS
OPERA
Lady Gregory in America by Colm Tóibín and Alberto Caruso (2024)
Following the success of Colm Tóibín and Alberto Caruso’s collaboration on the opera of Tóibín’s award-winning novel The Master (2022), they will reunite for this new WFO commission, Lady Gregory in America. Lady Gregory, along with W.B. Yeats, founded the Abbey Theatre.
The Master, premiered in 2022 at the Wexford Festival Opera (Ireland, National Opera House), director: Conor Hanratty, based on the novel of the same name by the awarded Irish writer Colm Tóibín, who wrote also the libretto, performed in workshop in New York in 2012 and at the Colorado University in Boulder in 2014 directed by Ron Daniels, Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. For this opera in 2015 Caruso obtained a Fellowship from the Bogliasco Foundation in New York.
Il Piccolo Principe, 星の王子さま The LittlePrince (Sugarmusic - Suvini Zerboni Editions - Schott Music), for which he is the author of both the music and the libretto, based on the book of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He conducted at the Tokyo Chamber Opera Theatre the world premiere in Japanese language (2008) and at the Teatro Carignano in Turin the premiere in Italian language (2015).
INCIDENTAL MUSIC FOR THEATRE
He worked with directors such as Maurizio Scaparro, Piero Maccarinelli, Marco Mattolini and others, also playing live the piano accompanying actors such as Margherita Buy, Massimo De Francovich, Pino Micol, Aisha Cerami, Lucrezia Lante della Rovere, Gaia Aprea, Massimo Popolizio.
FILM SCORE
He composed the original music for several films and documentaries, such as:
Sunday Lunch directed by Carlo Vanzina (Rai Cinema 2003 Warner Musical Editions),
Madhouse by William Butler (Lakeshore Entertainment, Los Angeles 2004),
Call it Democracy by Matthew Kohn (Seventh Art, New York 2005),
What the Hell Am I Doing Here! by Francesco Amato (Rai Cinema and Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia 2006 Edizioni Rai Com),
Cardiofitness by Fabio Tagliavia (RaiCinema 2007 PaoPub Editions),
Nypsy at 100 by Gabriel London (Found Object e Anthos Media for the New York Psychoanalytic Society 2011).
The director Luca Archibugi chose him as the composer of the original music of three of his documentaries produced by Rai Cinema with Warner Musical Editions:
Without Writers (2010), Abuna Michele (2011) and Roma-Gerusalemme (2012).
For the director Stefano Ribaldi he composed in 2017 the original music of the documentary Behind the Frames, produced by Imago Mundi – Collezione Luciano Benetton.
MUSIC FOR LITURGY
- 2019-2022 - The Church of the Name of Jesus in Rome, the mother church of the Society of Jesus, commissioned him to compose a Mass for mixed choir and orchestra, to be performed on January 3, for the solemnity of The Most Holy Name of Jesus and sung on other occasions in the same church.
- 2017 – Sanctus, sung several times in the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican.
- 2016 - Tre Canti on words by Saint Teresa of Calcutta: I Thirst; Come, Be My Light; You Did It To Me, for soprano, choir and piano, premiered in Rome for the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, also in Bibione (Venezia) and in Potenza.
- 2016 - Laudato Si' for mixed choir and piano, on words by Pope Francis from the Encyclical Laudato Si', on care for our common home: Prayer for our Earth and Christian Prayer in Union with Creation. Performed by the choirs of the Salesian and Urbaniana Pontifical Universities in Rome, conducted by don Santiago Gassín.
- 2015 - Tu, Centro della Storia, Hymn to the sacred Heart for mixed choir and organ, on words by Father Ottavio De Bertolis s.i., commissioned by AdP, Apostolato della Preghiera.
▽ PUBLICATIONS
- 2017 - The Master, an article written after the workshop of my opera in Boulder, Colorado and published in Litteraria Copernicana n.1(21)/2017 by Nicolaus University in Torun, Poland.
- 18/01/2017 - Il Silenzio Assenso. An unpublished of 2013 by Alberto Caruso on Silence by Teizo Matsumura, in il Ciotta-Silvestri 18/01/2017.
- 31/8/2015 - Alberto Caruso, compositeur sans frontières, by Christine Ducq, La Revue du Spectacle, Paris.
- 2012 - The Conversion Journey of Some Great Composers in Logos et Musica (Editions Peter Lang - Frankfurt, Berlin, London, New York).
- 2010 - Chopin’s Variations in Chopin - Sein und Werk (Editions Peter Lang - Frankfurt, Berlin, London, New York).
▽ TIMELINE
2022
October 22 - November 5: WEXFORD Festival Opera - World Premiere of The Master, libretto by Colm Tóibín, based on his novel of the same name. Director: Conor Hanratty. ▶︎ Creative Team and Cast
2019-2021
January 3: Church of the Name of Jesus, Rome - World Premiere and regular use in the liturgy of the Mass for The Name of Jesus commissioned by the Society of Jesus.
2018
Music Supervisor and composer of original music for the documentary BEHIND THE FRAMES, directed by Stefano Ribaldi, edited by Luca Gazzolo, Art Director: Marco Genone, produced by Imago Mundi - Collezione Luciano Benetton. ▶︎ Trailer
2017
May 28: Saint Peter's Basilica - Vatican, SANCTUS by Alberto Caruso performed by the Coro Polifonico Musica Creator conducted by Laura Gogiashvili. With Stefania Yermoshenko, violin; Alessandro Ortolani, clarinet; Gianluca LIbertucci, organist of the Vicariate of the Vatican City in St. Peter's Basilica. ▶︎ Video
May 18: Concert in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Palais de l'Athénée, Gala for the 20th Anniversary of the BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION. Excerpt from the opera THE MASTER, libretto by Colm Tóibín, music by Alberto Caruso. With Richard Rittelmann, baritone; Carole Sidney Louis, soprano; Sébastien Obrecht, tenor; Alberto Caruso, piano. ▶︎ Video
March 21: Rome, Palazzo della Sapienza, conference about Music and Cinema with Prof. Renato Butera.
2016
The Church of the Name of Jesus in Rome, the mother church of the Society of Jesus, commissioned him to compose a MASS for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra.
For the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, he composed TRE CANTI on words by Saint Teresa of Calcutta: I Thirst; Come, Be My Light; You Did It To Me for soprano, mixed choir and piano, premiered by the Movimento per la Vita in Rome and Bibione, Venice.
He composed and performed LAUDATO SI' for mixed choir and piano, on words by Pope Francis from the Encyclical Laudato Si' on care for our common home: prayer for our earth and Christian prayer in union with creation. With the choir of the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, conducted by don Santiago Gassín.
2015
Fellowship from the Bogliasco Foundation of New York for his opera THE MASTER, libretto by Colm Tóibín, based on his novel of the same name.
On June 15th, he conducted at the Teatro Carignano in Turin, the European premiere of his opera IL PICCOLO PRINCIPE in the Italian version, of which he is also the author of the libretto, based on Le Petit Prince, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Produced by CRT Foundation and Biella Music Academy. Sugarmusic - Edizioni Suvini Zerboni music publisher.
June 6, guest of Luigi Marzullo at Rai 1 Sottovoce.
For the AdP, Apostolato della Preghiera, he composed TU, CENTRO DELLA STORIA, Hymn to the Sacred Heart for mixed choir and orchestra, on words by Father Ottavio de Bertolis, S.I.
2014
In June, the University of Colorado in Boulder invited Alberto Caruso and Colm Tóibín to the production of a workshop of the entire opera THE MASTER directed by Ron Daniels. ▶︎ Video
In Rome, at the Capitol Hill, he has been awarded the prize Premio Personalità Europea.
2013
In March, the director Thomas de Mallet Burgess, artistic director of the Joondalup Festival in Western Australia, commissioned Alberto Caruso and the poet Vivienne Glance, to create a work for choir and orchestra, BANURU SONGS, premiered under the baton of Chris van Tuinen. ▶︎ Video
Additional music for the film GLI ANNI E I GIORNI, directed by Beppe Manzi.
2012
Score for the documentary ROMA-GERUSALEMME, le città gemelle di Costantino (ROME-JERUSALEM, the twin cities of Constantine), directed by Luca Archibugi, produced by Alex Ponti for RaiCinema. Warner/Chappell music publisher. ▶︎ Video
Publication of his article The conversion journey of some great composers, in Logos et Musica, Peter Lang Publisher (Frankfurt, Oxford, New York).
Composed the first draft of his opera THE MASTER at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig (Ireland) and at the Centre d'Art i Natura de Farrera (Spain).
Original music for the short DARA, directed by Alessandro Marinelli.
2011
Score for the documentary ABUNA MICHELE, Viaggio di una Vita in Terra Santa, (ABUNA MICHELE, the journey of a life in the Holy Land), directed by Luca Archibugi, produced by Alex Ponti for RaiCinema. Warner/Chappell music publisher. ▶︎ Video
Score for the documentary celebrating 150 years of NYPSI, The New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, directed by Charlie Sadoff, produced by Found Object, New York. ▶︎ Video
Premio Ostia Award for the music.
2010
Score for the documentary SENZA SCRITTORI (WITHOUT WRITERS), directed by Luca Archibugi, produced by Alex Ponti for RaiCinema. Warner/Chappell music publisher.
Score for the documentary about the doctors of the GNYHA, the Greater New York Hospital Association, sending relief to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, directed by Brian David Cange, produced by Anthos Media with the GNYHA.
Publication of his article Chopin's Variations in Fryderyc Chopin - Sein und Werk, Peter Lang Publisher (Frankfurt, Oxford, New York).
2009
Composition and performance of the incidental music for GLI OCCHIALI D'ORO (THE GOLD-RIMMED SPECTACLES), theatrical adaptation by Tullio Kezich from Antonio Bassani, with Massimo De Francovich, directed by Piero Maccarinelli. Sala Estense, Ferrara, Teatri Parenti and Dal Verme, Milan, Teatro Eliseo in Rome.
2008
On April 3rd and 4th he conducted the Tokyo Chamber Opera Theatre in the world premiere of his opera, in Japanese language, IL PICCOLO PRINCIPE - 星の王子さま (THE LITTLE PRINCE), of which he is also the author of the libretto, based on Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. ▶︎ Video
2007
Film score for CARDIOFITNESS, directed by Fabio Tagliavia, produced by Palomar for RaiCinema. Paopub music publisher.
Composition and performance of the incidental music for MUSSOLINI, L'ULTIMA NOTTE (MUSSOLINI, THE LAST NIGHT), by Gianni Clerici, with Paolo Bonacelli, Giuliana Lojodice, Alvia Reale, Anna Valle, directed by Piero Maccarinelli. Teatro Valle, Roma.
Composer and pianist in CANTO LE ARMI, LE DONNE E GLI EROI (I SING OF ARMS, WOMEN AND HEROES), with Margherita Buy, Lucrezia Lante della Rovere, Massimo Popolizio and Gaia Aprea, directed by Piero Maccarinelli. Palazzo Braschi, Roma.
2006
Film score for MA CHE CI FACCIO QUI! (WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE!) directed by Francesco Amato, produced by Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia for RaiCinema. RaiCom music publisher.
At the Ateneo Veneto in Venice, for the Biennale di Venezia, artistic director Maurizio Scaparro, he composed and performed, at the piano, the incidental music for CARA CINA (DEAR CHINA) by Goffredo Parise, with Pino Micol, directed by Piero Maccarinelli.
At the 1st edition of the Rome Film Fest, in the show Cinema Goes Fashion, he played, at the piano, scores from great Italian movies. Rome, Auditorium Parco della Musica.
Composed and played at the piano music for The White Night in Rome on words by Pier Paolo Pasolini, with readings of the actors Margherita Buy, Massimo Popolizio, Gaia Aprea and Aisha Cerami, directed by Piero Maccarinelli.
2005
Score for the documentary CALL IT DEMOCRACY, directed by Matt Kohn, produced by Seventh Art Releasing, New York. ▶︎ Video
2004
Film score for MADHOUSE, directed by William Butler, produced by Lakeshore Entertainment, Los Angeles. ▶︎ Trailer
Score for the short 8 FEBBRAIO (FEBRUARY 8TH), directed by Sarah Revoltella, produced by Società Dante Alighieri and Comune di Padova.
2003
Film score for IL PRANZO DELLA DOMENICA (SUNDAY LUNCH) directed by Carlo Vanzina, written by Enrico Vanzina, produced by International Video 80 Productions for RaiCinema. Warner/Chappell music publisher.
2001-2003
He spent three years in Los Angeles, as an assistant of the composer Henning Lohner, at the studios Media Ventures of Hans Zimmer.
2002
At the Festival dei due mondi di Spoleto played music by Bach/Busoni, Teatro Caio Melisso.
2001
Pianist and conductor of the Solisti Aquilani: music by Verdi, Paganini/Mannino, Boccherini and the Concerto op.467 by Franco Mannino, in Francavilla a Mare, Italy.
Finalist at the Spoleto International Competition for conductors.
2000
Started composing music for films, having as a mentor the composer Franco Mannino, composer and conductor of films by Luchino Visconti such as The Innocent, Death in Venice, Ludwig, Conversation Piece.
With soprano Miwako Matsumoto and tenor Kanichi Suzuki, he takes part as the pianist for the first complete Japanese recording of the Arie in stile Antico (Arias in Antique Style) by Stefano Donaudy (CD Fontec), for the critical edition of the artistic director of the New National Tokyo Opera Theatre, Ryosuke Hatanaka.
1999
LA FLAMENQUISIMA Y ENDUENDADA SANTA TERESA, Trio for piano, violin and cello, from the original composed for voice and ensemble, based on the Federico Garcia Lorca's Teoria y juego del duende. Premiered at the Italian Culture Institute in Madrid, violin: Marco Casazza, cello: Alessandro Peiretti, piano: Alberto Caruso.
MADRIGALE MACCHERONICO ALLE SARDE for mixed choir a cappella, on words by Pellegrino Artusi from La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene. Mention at the competition Pellegrino Artusi, Gorizia.
DIALOGO DI FEDERICO RUYSCH E DELLE SUE MUMMIE (DIALOGUE BETWEEN FREDERICK RUYSCH AND HIS MUMMIES) for mixed choir, on words by Giacomo Leopardi from the Operette Morali, composed for the Leopardi Institute of Recanati, Italy.
Piano recital at the Auditorium Piazza Adriana, Rome.
1998
At the Stony Brook University, New York, he performed at the piano the world premiere of the Concerto per piano and orchestra op. 561 composed for Alberto by Franco Mannino.
For the Fordham University, New York, he composed and premiered, performing as the soloist, his FANTASIA FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA, touring it successively in Mexico, at the Teatro Principal of Puebla, in Leon Guanajuato and in Manuel Doblado for the IV Festival Cervantes.
Opening concert at the Visconti Festival in Troina, Sicily, with music by Franco Mannino from scores of Luchino Visconti's films.
THOSE PRETTY WRONGS, for voice and ensemble, on the Sonnet 41 by William Shakespeare. Premiered at the church of Saint Pelagia in Turin, Italy, as a student of the composition course of Giuseppe Elos at the Conservatory of Turin.
1997
Opening concert at the Visconti Festival in Villa Erba, Cernobbio, Lake Como, with music by Franco Mannino composed for Luchino Visconti's movies.
He wrote a transcription, for piano and brass-band, of the Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra by George Gershwin, and performed it at the piano, with the military band of the Brigata Alpina Julia (Alpine Brigade Julia), conducted by Biagio Cancelosi, at the Arena Alpe Adria in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine.
Piano recital at the Ohara Museum of Art in Kurashiki, Japan.
1996
Pianist in the Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra by George Gershwin, for the New Year Concert of the Opera Theatre in Split, Croatia, conducted by Christoph Campestrini.
April 25th, soloist in the world premiere of the piano version of the Concerto for clavicembalo and Orchestra op.467 by Franco Mannino, Udine Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Franco Mannino.
Premio Marcello D'Olivo Award, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine.
1995
In the concert of Franco Donatoni's masterclass of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, he plays piano music by Katia Tiutiunnik, recorded by Radio3 at the Palazzina Liberty in Milan.
Piano recital at the Italian Culture Institute in Tokyo, with music by contemporary Italian and Greek composers
Piano recital at the Ishihara Hall and at the Kuboso Hall in Osaka, Japan.
Piano recital at the Oratorio del Caravita in Roma.
In Fregene (Rome), soloist in the Concerto for piano and orchestra K 414 by Mozart, Orchestra di Benevento e del Sannio conducted by Paolo Ponziano Ciardi.
november 18th, pianist in the FANTASIA FOR PIANO, CHORUS and ORCHESTRA op.80 by Beethoven, with the Orchestra di Benevento e del Sannio conducted by Ivo Lipanovic.
december 13th, piano recital at the Castle of Udine.
1994
Winner of the National Competition in Italy for a position of piano teacher in Conservatory, he taught for two years at the Conservatories of Palermo and Sassari.
Soloist in the Piano Concerto in a minor op. 54 by Robert Schumann, Yao Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan.
Teatro Miela, Trieste piano recital with premiere of Chez Manna for piano by Fabio Vidali.
1993
Awarded with a two-year scholarship from the Japanese Government Monbusho, for researches about contemporary and traditional Japanese music at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo. He also studied Japanese language at the Osaka University.
1989
Second Prize Béla Bartók Piano Competition, Academy of Hungary in Rome.