Franco Sciannameo

Born in Apulia, Italy, violinist, musicologist and cultural historian Franco Sciannameo studied in Rome at the Conservatorio di Musica “Santa Cecilia” and later at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the University of Hartford, and the University of Pittsburgh. Always concerned with the role of the artist in society, Sciannameo writes and lectures extensively on contemporary music and its relation to politics, cinema and the arts. He has worked with a number of celebrated composers, including Giacinto Scelsi, Nino Rota Ennio Morricone, and Paul Chihara with whom he collaborated on performances and recordings. Sciannameo’s articles and essays are featured in The Musical Times (London), and his most recent books include Nino Rota’s The Godfather Trilogy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010); Phil Trajetta (1777-1854), Patriot, Musician, Immigrant (CMS Monographs and Bibliographies in American Music, 2010); Music as Dream: Essays on Giacinto Scelsi (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013); Experiencing the Violin Concerto: A Listener’s Companion (Rowman & Littlefield 2016), Musicians’ Migratory Patterns: The Adriatic Coasts (Routledge, 2018), and Reflections on the Music of Ennio Morricone: Fame and Legacy (Lexington Books, 2020). Sciannameo is College Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music in the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.