Rocco di Pietro

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Rocco Di Pietro (b.1949) is a composer who creates acoustic, electronic and multi-media concert works. He synthesizes a diverse professional and educational background in music composition with an interest in digital electro-acoustics and sampling with a diverse métier. A interdisciplinary scholar in Social History (Annales Historiography) a Habilitationist working in prisons (Prison Dirges) and a Social Worker (The Lost Project) he has turned every experience into music.

He has been an ASCAP Fellow to the The Berkshire Music Center, Tanglewood, and at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse Fur Neue Musik where he studied with Lukas Foss and Bruno Maderna. He has been a fellow of The MacDowell Colony, The Yaddo Colony and The Headlands Center for The Arts where he received commissions for The” What’s Next? “Festival. Grants and Recognition has come from The Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation, The Kittredge Fund, The Kennedy Center Awards, The Puffin Foundation, The Buffalo Foundation, The Erie County “Lift” Grant, The Ohio Arts Council, The Greater Columbus Arts Council, The Meet The Composer Grants and most recently from The Stanford Initiative for the Creative arts (SICA) award for Composer in residence at Stanford University 2009.

His works have been performed world wide by various musicians and ensembles including:Lukas Foss, Bruno Maderna, Cristobal Halffter, Christiane Edinger, Julus Eastman, Jan Williams, Yvar Mikhashoff, Frances Marie Uitti, Gunther Schuller, Robert Dick, Kathy Supove, Paul Dunkel, Dennis Russel Davies, Cristina Valdes, Anthony Miranda, Pauline Oliveros, Chris Chafe, ,Chryssie Nanou Ge Wang and Larry Marotta ,among others. Ensembles and venues include: The Berkshire Music Center Chamber Ensemble, The CETA Orchestra, The St.Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Buffalo Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, “Sonor” at the Ojai Festival, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Bavarian Radio Orchestra, The Contemporary Ensemble of Seoul South Korea, The Bang On a Can All Stars, University of Buffalo Percussion Orchestra, Earlham College String Orchestra and Chorus, Sequoia String Quartet, Stanford University Ensemble, Avant Collective, Thing NY. Roulette Experimental Intermedium, EMF, ISIM, Los Angeles sonic Odyessy, ISCM, The Flea Theatre etc.


He holds degrees in Music Composition and Social History from SUNY at Buffalo-Empire State College (BPS) (1986) and from Vermont College (MA) (1988) .He currently teaches in The Humanities in: Music, Art, Piano, Electronic Music and History at Columbus State Community College. He has also taught history and held master classes in composition at: Medaille College, Ashland College, Wilmington College, Urbana University, Earlham College, The Stockbridge School, The Ohio State University, The University of Washington at Bellingham, Florida International University, Occidental College, Mills College and Stanford University.
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Ordered by year. Most recent works appears first

Chamber Group ( 2 - 4 instruments )


WAITING ALONE GIVES ATTENTION a self-portrait for Clarinet, Percussion, and Celesta (2021)
Three Pieces for Violin and Piano (from "The Children's Journey") (2020)
The Six Day Week (May 29 – June 2-3) (5+1)(-1) for string trio and electronics, or string trio (2019)
Little Dance Suite for electric guitar quartet (2019)
String Quartet No.4 (Imaginal Listening) for string quartet (2013)
Imaginal Listenting for string quartet (2013)
Turandot's Recueillement for Guitar Quartet with Two Mandolins (ad lib) (1983)

Solo Instrument


BEING3 for solo violin (2021)
Mimetic Nostalgias From the Room of Useless Memories (In the form of Arabesques, Vaudevilles, and Islands) for solo Viola with Three Music Stands (2020)
Three Sarcasms (from Burlesques for James Ensor) (2020)
The Children's Journey (Five Piano Pieces from The Little Lyric Suite) (2019)
Interrupted Dance (He Who Sings is Not Always Happy) (2019)
Melodia Assoluta for solo (2016)
Fables from the Youth's Lost Illusions I - Portrait of a Young Man as "Knight Rupert" II - Study for (a) Girl With Flaxen Hair III - Sketch for 'Portrait of a Girl' IV - Etude for a Young Man at a 'Wild Hunt' V - Study for a Portrait of a 'Live' Princess (2015)
Message From Julius Eastman for piano (2015)
The Serrata for piano four hands (2013)
Twelve Odalisques for solo melodic instrument (2012)
TWO PASTELS FOR LUKAS FOSS (in memoriam) for solo piano and recitation (2009)
MELODIENSCHATZ for clarinet in Bb (1981)
Aria per Pianoforte a Hans Hagen (1978)
Melodia Della Terra for violin solo (1976)
Preludes 1974-76 for piano (1974)

Mixed Ensemble


Caprices for Small Jazz Band For Saxophone, two Electric Guitars, Piano, Percussion, and optional voice (2020)

String Trio


The Six Day Week (May 29 – June 2-3) (5+1)(-1) for string trio and electronics, or string trio (2019)

Other Orchestral Ensembles


In Medieval Woods and Fields for Solo Violin & music stands, Chamber String Orchestra, Piano, Harpsichord, Harp, and Percussion. (2018)

Instruments and Electronics


Message From Julius Eastman for ensemble (2015)
Pierrot Serrata for Pierrot ensemble (2014)

String Quartet


String Quartet No.4 (Imaginal Listening) for string quartet (2013)
Imaginal Listenting for string quartet (2013)

Orchestral Music


In Medieval Woods and Fields for Solo Violin & music stands, Chamber String Orchestra, Piano, Harpsichord, Harp, and Percussion. (2018)
Finale for orchestra (2011)
Aria per Pianoforte a Hans Hagen (1978)
BEING3 for solo violin (2021)
Caprices for Small Jazz Band For Saxophone, two Electric Guitars, Piano, Percussion, and optional voice (2020)
Fables from the Youth's Lost Illusions I - Portrait of a Young Man as "Knight Rupert" II - Study for (a) Girl With Flaxen Hair III - Sketch for 'Portrait of a Girl' IV - Etude for a Young Man at a 'Wild Hunt' V - Study for a Portrait of a 'Live' Princess (2015)
Finale for orchestra (2011)
Imaginal Listenting for string quartet (2013)
In Medieval Woods and Fields for Solo Violin & music stands, Chamber String Orchestra, Piano, Harpsichord, Harp, and Percussion. (2018)
Interrupted Dance (He Who Sings is Not Always Happy) (2019)
Little Dance Suite for electric guitar quartet (2019)
Melodia Assoluta for solo (2016)
Melodia Della Terra for violin solo (1976)
MELODIENSCHATZ for clarinet in Bb (1981)
Message From Julius Eastman for piano (2015)
Message From Julius Eastman for ensemble (2015)
Mimetic Nostalgias From the Room of Useless Memories (In the form of Arabesques, Vaudevilles, and Islands) for solo Viola with Three Music Stands (2020)
Pierrot Serrata for Pierrot ensemble (2014)
Preludes 1974-76 for piano (1974)
String Quartet No.4 (Imaginal Listening) for string quartet (2013)
The Children's Journey (Five Piano Pieces from The Little Lyric Suite) (2019)
The Serrata for piano four hands (2013)
The Six Day Week (May 29 – June 2-3) (5+1)(-1) for string trio and electronics, or string trio (2019)
Three Pieces for Violin and Piano (from "The Children's Journey") (2020)
Three Sarcasms (from Burlesques for James Ensor) (2020)
Turandot's Recueillement for Guitar Quartet with Two Mandolins (ad lib) (1983)
Twelve Odalisques for solo melodic instrument (2012)
TWO PASTELS FOR LUKAS FOSS (in memoriam) for solo piano and recitation (2009)
WAITING ALONE GIVES ATTENTION a self-portrait for Clarinet, Percussion, and Celesta (2021)