An Italian composer born in 1947 in Palerme.
A self-taught musician, Salvatore Sciarrino was composing at a very early age under the guidance of Antonio Titone and, from 1962, his first pieces were played at the third “Settimane internazionali di nuova musica” in Palermo. He subsequently received academic training with Turi Belfiore (1964) and was initiated into electronic music by Franco Evangelisti in Rome in 1969. A untrammelled personality, he forged an original style and sound, favouring micro-variations of sound structures consisting of sophisticated tone-colours and breathing and based on the rarefaction of sound events. The voice occupies a major position in his output and he shapes the texts of his vocal works according to his poetic, musical and dramaturgical needs (Lohengrin 1982, Macbeth 2002, Da gelo a gelo 2006). Salvatore Sciarrino readily uses gigantic forces (La bocca, i piedi, il suono, 1997, for four alto saxophones and 100 saxophones in movement) and exploits virtuosity and rapidity of execution in order to explore a new sound world (First Piano Sonata, 1976). A pedagogue, he has taught successively at the conservatories of Milan, Perugia and Florence and has organised many masterclasses while devoting himself to composition. His works include Vanitas (1981), Perseo e Andromeda (1990), Cantare con silenzio (1999), Il giardino di Sara (2008).