Marco Galvani is a composer of choral, concert, and electronic music, based in London. His music has been described by Robert Hugill as ‘21st Century, yet timeless’, and has been commissioned by a variety of ensembles, choirs, and foundations, such as The Sixteen, Royal Philharmonic Society, Southern Cathedrals Festival, Classic FM, Borough New Music, and Creative Scotland.

His recent work explores the connection between music and technology, with his critically acclaimed album collaboration with SANSARA, Invisible Cities, creating a synthesis of choral and electronic music, as well as projects such as his most recent opera Helena and virtual reality collaboration Play the Stars, investigating the relationship between analog and digital through music.

In 2021 Marco signed with Birdsong Music Publishing, and any enquiries should be sent to megan.ohanlon@harrisonparrott.co.uk


Returning - Cello and Piano

I am thrilled to share the live performance of my work ‘Returning’ for cello and piano, recorded by Ozgur Kaya and myself at Menuhin Hall in Cobham. The piece is a single movement form, moving in a quasi-rhapsodic manner between moments of high intensity and density to moments of calm reflection. I very much hope you enjoy the performance!

The full score of the piece can be purchased from Faber here


Ubi Caritas - SATB - Score video

Please have a look at the score video of Ubi Caritas, which I composed in 2011, here. This piece was featured on my single composer disc by SANSARA entitled ‘Invisible Cities’ from 2021. You can listen to the full album below.

This piece is dedicated to my father, and I am very grateful for his encouragement and support, as well as the support of SANSARA choir in recording my works and in our ongoing work in my position as Associate Composer.


Infinite Wave - Quartet Malamatina

Guitar Quartet Malamatina performed my newly commissioned work ‘Infinite Wave’ during their recent residency at Banff Centre for Arts Creativity, alongside works by Brouwer and Laura Snowden. Quartet Malamatina originally premiered this piece in March 2023 at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and have performances lined up at a variety of locations across Canada. Further information can be found here

The glorious work of Takayuki Yoshida that inspired the piece can be seen on the left.


Vermillion - Accordion orchestra - 2022

Commissioned by Ian Watson and the London Accordion Orchestra and first performed on 18 April 2022 by the London Accordion Orchestra at Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon, London

I composed this piece for the London Accordion Orchestra after seeing the work of Takayuki Yoshida, whose artworks are these miniature masterpieces that capture a singular colour or texture and have a consistency of form and tone. My piece is a response to some of his more rigid formal works, which include a whole series of paintings titled 'Inside and Outside'. The structures that Yoshida creates are akin to windows into an unknown space, which has been a standard trope of abstract painters for many years, but I feel the circumstances of this year have brought home the ideas of boundaries between inner and outer for all of us.

My piece fluctuates between two types of material: very meditative chordal almost chorale-like figures are present throughout the piece, combined with flowing repetitive patterns, that create complex polyrhythms and textures. In the middle of the piece the two different types of material flow into one another before all parts come together for a homophonic finish.

I am very grateful to Ian Watson and the London Accordion Orchestra for commissioning this piece.


Sound of Contagion - Berlin, May 2022

In May 2022 I participated in a weekend of AI-based research at UdK in Berlin, where, along with a variety of musicians and visual artists, I made an improvised live work for violin, electronics and pre-recorded material generated by AI models trained on my electronic work.

More information can be found here


Marco signs to Birdsong Publishing

I recently signed to Birdsong Music Publishing, a new initiative for composers as part of Harrison Parrott and Faber Music, for the promotion of the work of young composers. I will be represented internationally by the company, and any enquiries for commissions and collaborations should be sent to milly.paine@harrisonparrott.co.uk.

Other composers that have joined this new initiative have been Freya Waley-Cohen, Jimmy Lopez-Bellido, Charlotte Bray, Ben Rowarth, among others.

This is a very exciting new venture for me, and I am looking forward to work with Birdsong on new projects and ideas!



Helena - a new opera for Tête à Tête 2021

We had such an amazing time putting together Helena, a new sci-fi opera telling the story of the last human on earth, who struggles against pursuing androids from the omni-present Rossum’s Universal Robots corporation.

Our performance on the 6th August incorporated live electronics as well as pre-recorded sounds, a live string trio, and four fantastic singers. Please see some of the production photos to the right.

Music and words:  Marco Galvani, Musical director:  Sam Poppleton, Director:  Annemiek van Elst, Producer:  Jessie AnandHelena:  Beca Davies, Primus:  Will Frost, Hunter:  George Robarts, Oracle:  Anita Monserrat

Violin:  Kath Robarts, Viola:  Cameron Howe, Cello:  Dominic Veall


Play The Stars - Liverpool Light Night 2021

I collaborated with virtual reality artist Rosie Summers and theatre company Leo and Hyde for an evening of improvised music and art based on audience suggestions on a YouTube live stream. Please see the trailer to the right for a taster, which includes Rosie’s recreation of Liverpool docks, along with me improvising on my modular synthesiser setup.

The full performance can be listened to below. I hope you enjoy!


Reviews

‘Galvani’s music touches at a very immediate level, an assertion that only in community do with survive and thrive’

- Choir and Organ Magazine 2021

‘Galvani manages to create music which is very 21st century yet timeless, and in his polyphonic textures is not frightened of sharp corners’

- Robert Hugill

‘Sansara’s two associate composers, Marco Galvani and Oliver Tarney, sit comfortably alongside the masters of the past with their creative invention’ 

- Choir and Organ Magazine 2018

‘Spectacular new pieces from Oliver Tarney, Marco Galvani, and Malcolm Archer on a journey from darkness into light’

- The Guardian, SANSARA ‘Cloths of Heaven’ review

‘Lambe’s Stella caeli is paired with an impassioned setting by Marco Galvani (b1994)

-Gramophone, review of The Sixteen’s album ‘Star of Heaven: Legacy of the Eton Choirbook’

‘Marco Galvani’s response to Lambe’s Stella Caeli has a certain harmonic austerity that works well with the text, a prayer from deliverance from plague’

-Limelight Magazine Australia


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