BIOGRAPHY
Riccardo Turcotti was born in Borgosesia (VC, Italy), but he has lived most of his life in Varallo Sesia (VC, Italy), a city rich in music, history, arts, culture. His Music and Instrumental studies started at the age of 8 years in his hometown, under the guidance of Maestro Celli: at the age of 14, he decided music would be his profession. Therefore, he carried on his studies under the guidance of world renown musicians such as Angelo Gilardino, for the guitar, and the organist Arturo Sacchetti together with the conductor Giuseppe Rosetta for all theoretical studies. He obtained his Degree in 1975 from the Liceo Musicale G.B. Viotti of Vercelli, where he spent most of his musical career.
He constantly refined his technique in the following years and took part in several International Contests for young concert performers: he always reached the top places in all National and International Contests he participated in. A few examples: 1st Place in the National Contest in Desenzano del Garda (Italy) in 1974; Finalist in the Viotti International Contest in Vercelli (Italy) in the same year. He recorded several CDs containing his compositions and his own transcriptions of various artists; he performed solo as well as together with other musicians, with whom he often formed small orchestras, working with Record Companies and performing both in Italy and abroad. A very active concert performer, he was always extremely appreciated by the public and the critics; he held many concerts of great importance, in Italy as well as in several Countries all over the world.
For many years he has been teaching in prestigious Music Highschools and established Music Academies in several cities in Northern Italy. His compositions clearly reveal his musical style, which is mostly oriented towards Romanticism but also includes displays of great virtuosity. Such passages demand very high technical abilities, which he has constantly been training. His past years' compositions were mostly dedicated to his main instrument, the classical guitar, but a few more instruments have been addedd every now and then: several guitars, violin, flute, sax, Indian sitar, Tibetan bells, drums.
In the last few years, though, he developed a strong interest in ensemble music, in particular for big symphonic orchestras. Therefore, most of his time is now dedicated to orchestral composition, in the attempt to research and create new harmonic styles. He is currently working on a unique method for a new kind of harmony, which will be published soon, called “Romantic Dissonances”.
Being a complete and eclectic musician, he couldn't renounce to one of the most ambitious goals in his field: Orchestral Conducting. His studies in this field date long back, from right after his Music Degree. For many years, though, he only pursuited these studies in order to complete his musical education, without trying to put into practice the abilities he acquired. He was also intensively active in concerts, which didn't allow him to concentrate on other sectors. But after a few years of concert activity, he decided to seriously focus on Orchestral Conducting: he profited from his numerous tournées abroad to deepen his Conducting skills with internships and great teachers, learning new techniques and methods. Afterwards he started to conduct several symphonic orchestras of considerable dimensions: he worked and lived mostly abroad, hoding concerts especially in Asia and Eastern Countries, in addition to Europe. He recently came back to Italy to take up an important position: together with other eminent conductors and important musicians, Riccardo Turcotti is currently the conductor of the Ravel Philarmonic Orchestra (www.ravelphilharmonicorchestra.com)
He constantly refined his technique in the following years and took part in several International Contests for young concert performers: he always reached the top places in all National and International Contests he participated in. A few examples: 1st Place in the National Contest in Desenzano del Garda (Italy) in 1974; Finalist in the Viotti International Contest in Vercelli (Italy) in the same year. He recorded several CDs containing his compositions and his own transcriptions of various artists; he performed solo as well as together with other musicians, with whom he often formed small orchestras, working with Record Companies and performing both in Italy and abroad. A very active concert performer, he was always extremely appreciated by the public and the critics; he held many concerts of great importance, in Italy as well as in several Countries all over the world.
For many years he has been teaching in prestigious Music Highschools and established Music Academies in several cities in Northern Italy. His compositions clearly reveal his musical style, which is mostly oriented towards Romanticism but also includes displays of great virtuosity. Such passages demand very high technical abilities, which he has constantly been training. His past years' compositions were mostly dedicated to his main instrument, the classical guitar, but a few more instruments have been addedd every now and then: several guitars, violin, flute, sax, Indian sitar, Tibetan bells, drums.
In the last few years, though, he developed a strong interest in ensemble music, in particular for big symphonic orchestras. Therefore, most of his time is now dedicated to orchestral composition, in the attempt to research and create new harmonic styles. He is currently working on a unique method for a new kind of harmony, which will be published soon, called “Romantic Dissonances”.
Being a complete and eclectic musician, he couldn't renounce to one of the most ambitious goals in his field: Orchestral Conducting. His studies in this field date long back, from right after his Music Degree. For many years, though, he only pursuited these studies in order to complete his musical education, without trying to put into practice the abilities he acquired. He was also intensively active in concerts, which didn't allow him to concentrate on other sectors. But after a few years of concert activity, he decided to seriously focus on Orchestral Conducting: he profited from his numerous tournées abroad to deepen his Conducting skills with internships and great teachers, learning new techniques and methods. Afterwards he started to conduct several symphonic orchestras of considerable dimensions: he worked and lived mostly abroad, hoding concerts especially in Asia and Eastern Countries, in addition to Europe. He recently came back to Italy to take up an important position: together with other eminent conductors and important musicians, Riccardo Turcotti is currently the conductor of the Ravel Philarmonic Orchestra (www.ravelphilharmonicorchestra.com)