Azio Corghi

Born in Cirié, in the Province of Turin, on 9 March 1937, Corghi was interested in both painting and music. His first instrument was an accordion. From 1956, he studied the piano at the Turin Conservatory with Mario Zanfi. After graduation in 1962, he moved to the Milan Conservatory, where he studied composition with Bruno Bettinelli, choral music with Amerigo Bortone, conducting with Antonino Votto, and polyphonic vocal composition with . Corghi's orchestral composition Intavolature, performed at La Fenice in Venice, won the Ricordi composition competition of 1967. and Fabio Mengozzi. He was awarded the Massimo Mila Award in 1991 for his dedication to teaching. He composed his second opera, Blimunda to a libretto by José Saramago who became his longtime friend and collaborator. In 1999, Corghi was commissioned to compose an opera for La Scala, ''Tat'jana'', based on Chekhov's play Tatyana Repina. == Awards and legacy ==

In 1994, Corghi became a Fellow of the Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome. La Scala reacted to his death stating that it joined "in the condolences of the Italian and international music world for the passing of Azio Corghi, composer, musicologist and teacher who was an undisputed protagonist of the contemporary music scene as well as of La Scala's programming". == Works ==

Corghi's compositions were published by Casa Ricordi: Operas • Gargantua (Teatro Regio Turin, 1994) • Blimunda (Teatro Lirico, Milan, May 1990) • Divara – Wasser und Blut (Münster, October 1993) • Isabella (Pesaro, August 1996) • Rinaldo & C. (Catania, October 1997) • ''Tat'jana'' (Teatro alla Scala Milan, October 2000) • ''Sen'ja'' (Münster, March 2003) • Il dissoluto assolto (Teatro alla Scala, Milan, March 2005) • Giocasta (Vicenza, August 2008) Chamber music • Ricordando te, lontano (1963) for soprano and piano, G. Ungaretti, A. Bertolucci e S. Aleramo • Stereofonie x 4 (1967) for flute, cello, organ and percussion • Actus I (1975) for ten wind instruments • Actus II (1976) for viola and piano • Intermedi e Canzoni (1986) for solo trombone • Chiardiluna (1987) flute and guitar • ...promenade (1989) for flute, clarinet, violin and cello • animi motus (1994) for string quartet and electronics • ... ça ira! (1996) piano concert studio • ''a 'nsunnari...'' (1998) for soprano, flute, clarinet, guitar, violin and cello • Syncopations (2006) for solo violin, a compulsory piece for the Paganini Award • ''Tang'Jok-Her'' (2008) for viola alone, dedicated to Anna Serova • Redobles y Consonancias (2018) for La Soñada (guitar and 11 strings), dedicated to guitarist Christian Lavernier == References==