Luigi Zaninelli (born 30 March 1932, in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

) is an Italian-American composer of vocal and instrumental music.

Biography

Zaninelli was born in

Raritan, New Jersey Raritan is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 6,881,Curtis Institute The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...

of Music in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Curtis sent him to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

to study under the legendary

Rosario Scalero Natale Rosario Scalero (24 December 1870 in Moncalieri - 25 December 1954 in Montestrutto) was an Italian violinist, music teacher and composer. Life and career By the age of six, Scalero was under the tutelage of Pietro Bertazzi, a violinis ...

. In 1973 he was appointed to the music faculty as the composer-in-residence at the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

in Hattiesburg, a position he held until his retirement in 2009. He has won several awards for his music. In addition to the Steinway Prize, he is a five-time Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters winner. He also has a son who is named after him, who was the top individual performer at the 2018 MHSAA Speech and Debate Championships.

Music

Zaninelli has published over 300 works. He uses the name "Lou Hayward" for his jazz compositions and arrangements and his given name for his "serious" compositions. His concert arrangements of Gospel Hymns and Folksongs for solo voice are a favorite of U.S.

voice teacher A voice teacher or singing teacher is a musical instructor who assists adults and children in the development of their abilities in singing. Typical work A voice teacher works with a student singer to improve the various skills involved in singi ...

s to use with college students.

Reviews

"Luigi Zaninelli is one of America's musical masters. His music is filled with taste, and unique sounds. It is composed with the highest possible craft and imagination." - David Dubal, WWFM, ''The Classical Music Station'', N.Y, NY. "Luigi is a composer of true melodic gift. This is why I accepted him as a student at the CURTIS SCHOOL OF MUSIC. His music apes no one and is always true to its self." - Gian Carlo Menotti. "Zaninelli's music has earned him International praise. It is superbly written, containing gems of musical lyricism and originality." - Jerry Deagle, ''The Calgary Herald'' "Zaninelli's music is introspective, ethereal and very personal. It is a music of great originality and imagination." - Leonard Leacock, ''The Albertan'' "His music is hauntingly beautiful and powerful, creating sounds of mystical magic that touch the listener deeply."Bomboy, Bonny (17 September 1977) ''The Hattiesburg American''. - Bonny Bomboy, ''The Hattiesburg American''

Compositions

Operas *Snow White - 1996 *Mr. Sebastian - 1997 *Good Friday - 1998 Vocal and choral works *Ave Maria (SATB - a capella) (C. Alan Publications) *The Battle for Vicksburg (theater piece for soprano, piano, and narrator), 1982 (E. C. Kerby) *Beginnings (solo voice and piano or chamber orchestra, texts by

Eudora Welty Eudora Alice Welty (April 13, 1909 – July 23, 2001) was an American short story writer, novelist and photographer who wrote about the American South. Her novel ''The Optimist's Daughter'' won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty received numero ...

), 1992 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Five American Gospel Songs (medium voice and piano), 1986 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Five American Revival Songs (solo voice and piano), 1991 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Five Folk Songs (high voice and piano), 1979 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Five Folk Songs (medium voice and piano), 1984 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Five Folk Songs, Volume II (medium voice and piano), 1989 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Five Sacred Songs (solo voice with piano) (C. Alan Publications) *Good Friday (opera), 1998 *My Father's World (SATB choir with piano) (C. Alan Publications) *O Child Divine (SATB with organ/piano) (C. Alan Publications) *Pie Jesu (SATB with organ) (C. Alan Publications) *Remember, O Mortal Man (SATB with organ) (C. Alan Publications) *Seven Sanctuary Songs (solo voice and piano), 1987 (Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press) *Song of Mary (SATB with organ) (C. Alan Publications) *Trinity Mass (SATB with organ) (C. Alan Publications) Chamber music *Autumn Music (trumpet and piano) *Dance Variations (wind quintet) (Shawnee Press) *Elegy (alto saxophone and piano) (C. Alan Publications) *A Lexicon of Beasties (piano and narrator) (G. Schirmer) *Rome Suite (flute, clarinet, bassoon) *The Steadfast Tin Soldier (instruments and narrator, revised 1990 for narrator and orchestra) (G. Schirmer) *Suite Concertante for Alto Saxophone (alto saxophone and piano) (C. Alan Publications) *Suite Concertante for Flute (flute and piano) (C. Alan Publications) *Sonatina (bassoon and piano) *Speak Gently (keyboard percussion quartet) Orchestra *The Tale of Peter Rabbit (tuba, narrator, and orchestra) (G. Schirmer) *The Magic Carousel Wind Ensemble *Adagio on a Sussex Carol (C. Alan Publications) *Burla and Variations for Woodwind Quartet *The Cymbalist (C. Alan Publications) *Danza Furiosa (C. Alan Publications) *The Dwarf of Venice (C. Alan Publications) *Fantasy for Various & Sundries (for Adaptable Winds & Percussion) (C. Alan Publications) *Italian Carol (C. Alan Publications) *Lagan Love (C. Alan Publications) *Little Scherzo (C. Alan Publications) *My Father's World (with optional treble choir) (C. Alan Publications) *Prayer and Canto (C. Alan Publications) *Remembrance (C. Alan Publications) *Roma Sacra (C. Alan Publications) *Sunset (C. Alan Publications) *Symphony for Winds and Percussion (C. Alan Publications) *Three Dances of Enchantment (C. Alan Publications)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaninelli, Luigi American male composers 21st-century American composers Living people 1932 births Musicians from Mississippi 21st-century American male musicians