DELIA DERBYSHIRE - UK
BORN 5 MAY
Delia Derbyshire was born in Coventry, England, in 1937. Educated at Coventry Grammar School and Girton College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a degree in mathematics and music.
In 1959, on approaching Decca records, Delia was told that the company DID NOT employ women in their recording studios, so she went to work for the UN in Geneva before returning to London to work for music publishers Boosey & Hawkes. In 1960 Delia joined the BBC as a trainee studio manager. She excelled in this field, but when it became apparent that the fledgling Radiophonic Workshop was under the same operational umbrella, she asked for an attachment there - an unheard of request, but one which was, nonetheless, granted. Delia remained 'temporarily attached' for years, regularly deputising for the Head, and influencing many of her trainee colleagues.
Before long the Workshop's TV output had overtaken work produced specifically for radio broadcast. Derbyshire was called upon to do music for drama and documentary programmes set in the distant past, the unseen future or deep in the human psyche - in fact any area where an orchestra would be out of place. Science, arts and educational programmes also benefited from her abstract style. Her work with Barry Bermange on the four Inventions for Radio is perhaps the best illustration of Delia's intuitive way with soundscaping.
Delia's works from the 60s and 70s continue to be used on radio and TV some 30 years later, and her music has given her legendary status with releases in Sweden and Japan. She is also constantly mentioned, credited and covered by bands from Add n to (x) and Sonic Boom toAphex Twin and The Chemical Brothers.
A recent Guardian article called her 'the unsung heroine of British electronic music', probably because of the way her infectious enthusiasm subtly cross-pollinated the minds of many creative people. She had exploratory encounters with Paul McCartney, Karlheinz Stockhausen, George Martin, Pink Floyd, Brian Jones, Anthony Newley, Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson.
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GIOVANNA DONGU - ITALY
BORN 5 MAY
Giovanna Dongu started studying Piano from a very early age and graduated with top marks cum laude at the Conservatory where she lived, in Sassari, and then went on to study at the Ecole Normale de Musique “Alfred Cortot” in Paris and the Roman Academy of Music. She also gained a diploma in Choral Music and Choral Conduction at the Sassari Conservatory in 1999, and a further diploma with Maestro Riccardo Dapelo in 2001 in Composition with top marks.
Her compositions have been highly appreciated in important events, performed by renowned maestros and gained a number of International Competition awards. In August 2010 she won her first overall award at the International Liszt competition for Piano Composers in Bellagio and in October 2011 she was invited to the University of Oldenburg to hold a Komponisten Colloquium on her works.
Her works are characterised by the synthesis between the most avant-garde contemporary styles and the wealth of the traditional Sardinia music. She loves defining “contemporary music” as a “playing with sound” and feels she has a great affinity with the world of children, that primordial part of all of us that is made of love of sound, a need for sound… Among her recent works we find a book called “Sulle tracce dei suoni… prime esperienze sonore” for Infant and Primary Schools.
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Si riveste, colma di vita, la terra by Giovanna Dongu
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