At his Singapore premier last Tuesday, Campus Magazine spoke to 21-year old composer Luca Stradivari, the 8th generation of legendary Italian violin-maker Antonio Stradivari.
Luca may only be 21, but he’s been composing music from the age of 13. While more of a piano player, he also composes for string – the compositions of which were showcased by a quintet comprising SSO’s former concertmaster Alexander Souptel, in addition to young homegrown talents Siew Yi Li (violist), Lin Juan (cellist) and Si Pei (bassist).
Of the 4 pieces he showcased, the first three – Aquila d’oro, Primavera and Nevi dei sogni – were written from a personal perspective, and seem to flow from one emotion to another. There was also a faint Asian influence, which Luca accredits to Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The finale – Concerto Grande – has a more classical sound, which was very well received by the sold-out crowd. For those not quite ready for a full-on concerto, Luca’s short and easy-listening compositions – coupled with a condensed version of Vivaldi’s classic Four Seasons – made for an enjoyable introduction to the world of classical music.
The concert was also complemented by a short session on violin-making, presented by Shotaro Nishimura, a young Japanese luthier (string instrument-maker) based in the Italian city of Cremona, the renowned centre for violins and home of the Stradivari family.
Dressed casually for the premier, Luca – who is currently enrolled at the University of Nottingham – is definitely not your typical classical composer. He’s also the first member of the Stradivari family to return to the music industry since Antonio Stradivari’s violinmaking days in Cremona more than 300 years ago.
