• Bruno Bettinelli (Milan 1913-2004), the “MAESTRO dei MAESTRI” completed his musical studies at the Conservatory G. Verdi of Milan, receiving his diploma in Composition and Conducting, Piano, Choral Music, Choir Direction and Vocal Polyphony. He was Professor of Composition at the same Conservatory. Many internationally famous musicians have studied with him: Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Maurizio Pollini, Riccardo Chailly, Bruno Canino, , Uto Ughi among others.

He has composed symphonic music (seven Symphonies), three operas, choral works and chamber music. He has won many national and international prizes for compositions.

• Bettinelli’s early works incorporated contrapuntal neo-classicism, influenced by Stravinsky, Bartók and Hindemith. His later music evolved constantly adding new elements such as atonality and 12-tone music, to blend it into a free chromatic language, always expressing the basic human emotions. He is one of the most important and influential 20th

century Italian composers, together with Casella, Malipiero, Ghedini, Dallapiccola and Petrassi.

• Italian pianist Chiara Cipelli plays this demanding and fascinating piano music with great conviction, virtuosity and clear perception of the formal structures.