Born in 1971, Francesco Antonioni grew up in a musicians’ family. He started composing at an early age, graduated in piano and composition, got a master’s degree in composition under the guidance of Azio Corghi at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, then went to study with Julian Anderson and George Benjamin at the Royal College of Music in London, with the support of a Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother scholarship.
His music, always appreciated for its originality and independence, has been performed by major orchestras and festivals, and broadcast in Europe and the United States. He has received commissions by prestigious institutions and musicians, including his mentors, George Benjamin and Hans Werner Henze, the latter to whom he has been composing assistant for three years.  Whilst his musical roots lie in the classical tradition, his current musical interests encompass many genres, from experimental electronics to pop and folk song. This is also fuelled by his work as a radio presenter on the Italian National Radio (RAI–Radio3). His compositions reflect the breadth of his interests, attempting a synthesis of various tendencies in contemporary art, framed into forms derived from the classical heritage.
Amongst his compositions are: Chat-Opera, a multimedia chamber opera for singers, actors, amplified ensemble and DJ, premiered in 2002 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan and the Piccolo Regio theatre in Turin, and broadcast as part of the 2002 Prix Italia; Morphing, for string quartet, premiered by the Smith Quartet at the Venice Biennale in 2001, and selected to represent Italy at the 2002 International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. Le melodie nascoste was commissioned and extensively performed by twelve Italian orchestras and also played by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in 2004. Codice Ovvio is a ‘visual cantata’ commissioned by the Ensemble Modern, premiered at the Schauspielhaus in Frankfurt in January 2006. Giga, for large orchestra, was commissioned jointly by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Goethe Institut and the Ernst von Siemens Stiftung, to celebrate Hans Werner Henze’s 80th birthday, and was premiered by the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia under Pascal Rophé in June 2006. In September 2006 his Violin Concerto was premiered in the US by Lorenza Borrani with the Albany Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Alan Miller. In December 2007 the Arena di Verona opened its winter season with a ballet made on Demand me nothing, meditation on Iago, for orchestra. In January 2009 his Ballata, for eight solo strings was greeted with enthusiasm after its premiere given by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group under George Benjamin and the success was echoed by reviews on the Times and the Guardian.
Web: http://www.francescoantonioni.com/ (2010)