10 Things You Need to Know About Berio
1. A hand injury from World War II led him to pursue composition instead of piano. During the Second World War, Berio was drafted into the army and injured his hand in basic training. This injury prevented him from pursuing his studies in piano at the Milan Conservatory, so he switched his focus to composition and the rest is history.
2. He was heavily involved in the world of electronic music. In 1955, Berio, along with Bruno Maderna, founded the Studio di Fonologia Musicale di Radio Milano, a leading facility for experimentation with electronic composition. Later, from 1974-1980, Berio ran the electro-acoustic department of Paris’ IRCAM, the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music.
3. His music brings together a variety of techniques and influences. From his early interest in serialist composition to later explorations in electronic and aleatoric (chance-based) techniques, Berio was always seeking new ways of integrating various musical elements. One of his most well-known works, Sinfonia, for eight amplified voices and orchestra, showcases a myriad of musical and literary influences in the 3rd movement which layers quotes from Bach, Debussy, Stravinsky and more over an arrangement of the Scherzo from Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
4. He was married to Cathy Berberian, virtuoso vocalist and composer. Berio composed many works to be performed by his first wife, Cathy Berberian, including Thema (Omaggio a Joyce), which was one of the earliest works to feature electronic elaboration of the human voice, and Sequenza III, a challenging solo work from his series of Sequenzas.
5. Berio taught at several American institutions, including Juilliard and Harvard. His first teaching position in America was at Tanglewood, followed later by Mills College, Juilliard, and Harvard. While he was at Juilliard, he founded the Juilliard Ensemble, which specialized in contemporary performances.
6. Steve Reich and Phil Lesh were among his many students. Steve Reich, one of the first minimalist composers, studied under Berio at Mills College. Phil Lesh, founding member of the Grateful Dead rock band and bass guitarist, also studied with Berio at Mills College at the same time as Reich.
7. His work O King pays homage to Martin Luther King Jr. Written in 1968, shortly after MLK’s assassination, Berio’s O King for voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, uses MLK’s name as the text for the work, starting with the vowels and then slowly adding in the consonants to reveal the full name. This work was later rewritten for orchestra and amplified voices as part of Berio’s larger work, Sinfonia.
8. In addition to his original compositions, Berio produced many arrangements and transcriptions. From Brahms’ Clarinet Sonata to Folk Songs and Beatles arrangements, Berio’s talent for reimagining the music of others reflects his masterful craftsmanship and passion for a diversity of musical genres.
9. He spent the last years of his life in his home country of Italy. Berio passed away in 2003 at the age of 77 in Rome, after serving for 3 years as the President and Artistic Director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.
10. His Sequenzas were written during a span of over 40 years. Berio’s Sequenzas are a set of highly virtuosic solo works for a variety of instruments, and they were composed from 1958-2004. Seattle Modern Orchestra will be hosting a Sequenza Marathon on Saturday, February 15th at the Chapel Performance Space.
GET YOUR TICKETS to our Berio’s Sequenza Concert on February 15.