Carlo Domeniconi

Carlo Domeniconi (born February 20, 1947, in Cesena) is regarded as one of the most significant contemporary guitarists and composers. His artistic development is characterized by a deep grounding in European tradition combined with an exceptional openness toward non-European musical cultures.

He began his musical studies at the conservatory in Pesaro with Carmen Lenzi-Mozzani, daughter of Luigi Mozzani. He later continued his studies in West Berlin with Erich Bürger, a student of Bruno Henze. At the same time, he studied composition with Heinz Friedrich Hartig at what is now the Universität der Künste Berlin, where he served as professor of guitar from 1969 to 1992. He also taught at the State Conservatory of Istanbul from 1977 to 1980.

A milestone in his oeuvre is the “Concerto di Berlinbul” for bağlama, guitar and chamber orchestra, composed in 1987. The world premiere took place in the Berliner Philharmonie together with bağlama virtuoso Adil Arslan.

With more than twenty guitar concertos — about half for solo guitar and half for various ensembles with guitar — Domeniconi created a substantial and stylistically diverse body of work. His compositions are strongly influenced by Turkish, Arabic, and Indian music. Renowned artists such as David Russell, John Williams, Dale Kavanagh, Shin’ichi Fukuda, Álvaro Pierri, Pavel Steidl and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet have performed his works internationally.