Biography

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Roberto Laneri studies philosophy at La Sapienza, University of Rome. Graduates from the St. Cecillia conservatory (diploma in clarinet). B.A. in performance (clarinet) and M.A. in composition at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNYAB), and a Ph.D in composition at the University of California S. Diego (UCSD).

Among his teachers, Lejaren Hiller, Charlie Mingus (see article for Bianco e Nero), William O. Smith, John Silber e Keith Humble are the most influential.

Professional experience

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Jazz and free-music. Plays in various groups with Bruno Tommaso, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Mario Schiano, Marcello Melis, Franco Tonani (’65 – ’68). Plays with Frederic Rzewski e Cornelius Cardew at the Metamusik-Berlin ‘ 72

In the U.S.: Founds the JAZZ IN PROGRESS ORCHESTRA – Creative Associate with the Center for the Creative e Performing Arts (a group of young musicians highly specialized in contenporary music directed by Lejaren Hiller and Lucas Foss). Evenings for New Music (’70 – ’72), in New York, Carnegie Recital Hall and all over NY State. Member of the SEM Ensemble directed by Petr Kotick, participates in various European tours (European première of John Cage’s SONGBOOKS in Cologne and Berlin, for Cage’s 60th birthday (’71 – ’72). Composer in residence with the Company of Man, directed by Graham Smith e Cristyne Lawson: production of Black Ivory, a ballet inspired by Genet, for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s 10th anniversary (’72). Plays for the Monday Evening Concerts series, Los Angeles (’72). Premières of several works dedicated to him by contemporary composers (George Perle dedicates to him the Sonata Quasi una Fantasia for clarinet and piano). His compositions are published by Media Press (Entropic Islands, L’Arte del Violino) and Seesaw Corporation (Esorcismi n. 1). In ’72 starts working on the musics of extra-european musical cultures and specifically vocal tecniques: founding member of EVT (Extended Vocal Techniques), a project within the Center for Music Experiment, UCSD, in ’73 founds PRIMA MATERIA, a vocal improvisation group (see voice/Overtone singing) active until 1980, which makes use of vocal techniques from central Asia and e Tibet, in long fascinating and intense improvisations. The group’s debut takes place at the Autunno Musicale di Como (‘73), and for 7 years partecipates in prestigious events, to great public and critic recognition. A parallel activity of lectures, articles and workshops in overtone singing over the world starts at the same time. Now Roberto Laneri performs in solo recitals and a great variety of musical situations, mostly playing his own music.

Upon returning to Italy teaches clarinet in the Italian conservatory system (Pesaro-L’Aquila-Firenze) from 1975 to 2011

1993: creates the project I POTERI DEL SUONO, for the Volterra-Teatro festival; …a small but exquisite festival, including lectures and concerts by Peter Michael Hamel, Jacques Dudon, Jean During, Tran Quang Hai, Walter Branchi, Stefano Scodanibbio, Manfred Kage, Christian Bollmann, Michael Reimann and Roberto Laneri himself, who, beside dispensating his witty remarks and offering a magnificent concert for voice and tape, every morning has been leading a rather well attended seminar on overtone singing.(…) Finally, one of the peaks of these Volterra days, Roberto Laneri’s concert. (Deep Listenings n. 2, Fall 1993)

1994: ORIGINI (Orvieto, Palazzo del Popolo) (…) in the end, Roberto Laneri in top form: two compositions for solo voice (…) prove how far this great artist has ventured.(Deep Listenings, Winter 1995, n. 2)

First prize in composition competition “Quattro passi nel delirio”, Roccella Jonica festival

1995/96/97: creator and artistic director of the I POTERI DEL SUONO festival, produced in Orvieto with local and UE contributions: …other interesting activities, like I POTERI DEL SUONO, an out of the beaten path festival in the known panorama; its focus centered both on multicultural sound practices and the use of the voice. (Oltre il Silenzio, dicembre 1995)

1999 : Teaches a course in overtone singing at the Cherubini conservatory in Firenze, forms IN FORMA DI CRISTALLI another vocal group

2001: Writes and performs musics for voice and didjeridoo for CLINAMEN, a piece of dance theather produced by the Moto Armonico company, directed by Betty Lo Sciuto

2002: Is elected “creative member” of the Budapest Club, founded by Edwin Laszlo for a new planetary consciousness

2002: Writes the music for David Riondino’s recital “La signorina Felicita” (première: 13.03.02, Teatro degli Illuminati, Città di Castello)

2002 July: Eisenbach, partecipates in a workhop of traditional didjeridoo technieques led by Djalu Gurruwivi

2002 November 23: Collaborates with visual artist Masssimo Luccioli to the realization of the multimedia work “Armonie, elaborazioni sonore nel segno” (première: Rome, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Universita’ La Sapienza)

2003: Collaborates with Peter Pannke’s soundtrack for “Itinerarium Kircherianum”, dedicated to Athanasius Kircher, prizewinner at the Cologne Westdeutscher Rundfunk competition (première: 17.05.03, Kite-Museum, Detmold)

2003 June 1: Theo Otto Theater, Remscheid, German première of CLINAMEN, directed by Betty Lo Sciuto

2004 February 14/15: Plays at the Palazzo dei Congressi, Tirana for Ardit Gjebrea’s presentation of the “Ja ku jam” CD

2004 Maggio 23 – Radio3, is featured in “MAESTRI”, a program by Beppe Sebaste

2004 June 21/24: Bari University, humanities faculty, departiment of di psychology, seminar on: synesthesia, voice and movement (with Betty Lo Sciuto)

2004 July 18: Anagni, Cisterna della Cattedrale di Anagni, Festival of medioeval and renaissance theather, XI ed., overtone singing concert with con IN FORMA DI CRISTALLI

2004 November 7: Berlin, Back-Fabrik: “Armonie, elaborazioni sonore nel segno”

2005 June: Rome, Tevere Eterno, a project by Kristin Jones, with IN FORMA DI CRISTALLI

2005: Collaborates with poet Grazia Debe’ to a CD/DVD of poetry set to music, Carolina Gentile, voice (published by Uroboros, Manni editore)

2005 September 9-10-11: Montefalco, partecipates in CONTEMPO, a contemporary composer in Montefalco, 1st Edition, Terry Riley, with IN FORMA DI CRISTALLI; also performs In C in the inaugural concert

2005 October 8: Rome, Teatro Vascello, Rome première of “DREAMTIME PROJECT”, mutimedia work by and with Ilaria Drago and Alberto Tessore

2005 December: Festival Scelsi, Rome, Goethe Institut, December 10, 2005, “Musica in forma di cristalli”, a harmonic-vocal itinerary on texts by Giacinto Scelsi, taken from Il sogno 101, II parte: il Ritorno, with IN FORMA DI CRISTALLI, Ilaria Drago narrating voice

2006 – 2009: Teaches overtone singing at the “BeVoice” school in Milano

2006 June 21: Roma, Tevere Eterno, “Ombre Sul Lupercale”, 21.06.06. Première of “Flumen”, a piece for 6 mixed choirs coordinated by Roberto Laneri and directed by their respective directors; solo voice in “Molto presto di mattina”, 4 arie from darkness to light, by Walter Branchi.

2007 August: Rome, evangelic church, APOLDA BELLS, for voice and slide didjeridoo, with dancer Betty Lo Sciuto as part of the Apolda Global Bell Festival, broadcasto live in mondovision.

2007 November: New York, RIVER TO RIVER Festival.

2008 November 7: Guadalupe “La Voyageuse”

2009 July 7-8 :Martinique, Fort de France, Festival Moissons Vivantes “La Voyageuse”.

2010 January 21: Roma, Incontri al Museo Casa Scelsi, BREATH.

2011 February 22: Orvieto, Nuova Biblioteca Fiiumi, Paradigms of Dreaming, the didjeridoo in traditional aboriginal music and its impact on the western world.

2013 Febbraio 21 – Rome, Università La Sapienza: Roberto Laneri and overtone singing.

2013 Agosto – Festival Asti Musica.

2013 Settembre – Artistic residency in the Casale Monferrato Castle.

2014 Febbraio 13 – Nel cielo di Indra, the harmonic experience, a music appointment with Walter Branchi, Rome, Isabella Scelsi Foundation.

2014 August-September, courses in overtone singing in L’Aquila (Ambient’azioni musicali) and Chiusi della Verna (Corsi d’alto perfezionamento musicale).

2014 September – Torino Spiritualità, BREATH.

2015 June 21st, Yoga Day, overtone singing on the Capitol

2015 Aug. 31-Sept.5, Chiusi della Verna, overtone singing course

2016 March 18-19 – Il disagio esistenziale, tra musica, antropologia e letteratura, Overtone Method workshop, Como Conservatory of Music

2016 April 22-25 – XII Convegno Internazionale, Conferenza, seminario e perfomance (BREATH), Federazione Mediterranea Yoga, Acitrezza, Catania

2016 – founds the overrtone singing choir NEL CIELO DI INDRA

2016 – May 29 ­ Church of Sanw Giorgio al Velabro, Roma, the overtone choir NEL CIELO DI INDRA in concert

2016 – June 1 ­ Roberto Laneri’s new jazz quartet WINDS OF CHANGE makes its debut at the Music Inn, Rome

2016 – August 28 – Church Santa Maria di Portonovo, Ancona,the overtone choir NEL CIELO DI INDRA in concert

2016 – Aug. 29/September 3 – Chiusi della Verna, residential course in overtone singing

2017-Founds the O(vertone (M)ethod Academy and starts a biennial training course in overtone singing

2017 Aug./Sept., residential course at Chiusi della Verna

End of 2017-records the CD WINDS OF CHANGE fo the Da Vinci Editions-

February 2017, interview for the magazine MUSICA, by Davide Ielmini

March 5-6 2018: participates in the Voice Week organized by the Perugia Conservatory with a solo recital, LA VOCE DELL’ARCOBALENO, and a master class

March 23: WINDS OF CHANGE, live concert for “La stanza della musica” (Radio 3)

May 12: Bologna, Spectrorama, solo recital

2019 – Roberto Laneri: Songs Book of Middle Space, for Voice and Piano – please visit >> https://davinci-edition.com/product/c00237/ and Roberto Laneri: Sonora Crossroads, for Piano – please visit >> https://davinci-edition.com/product/dv-11404/