Italy

Born in 1967 in Busto Arsizio, Italy, Pietro Ferrario graduated in piano, composition, organ, and choir conducting at the conservatories of Brescia, Milano and Alessandria, studying with Lucia Romanini (piano), Bruno Bettinelli (composition) and Luigi Molfino (organ). He studied composition also with Azio Corghi in Parma and Siena, film music with Ennio Morricone, organ with Lionel Rogg, Giancarlo Parodi and others, vocal technique and choir conducting with Stephan Woodbury, Gary Graden and Tõnu Kaljuste.
He is a composer, choir conductor, pianist (recent complete live performance of all Chopin’s Études), and organist, and an appreciated author of various works performed and recorded in Italy and abroad (Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Australia, China, USA, New Zealand, Argentina, Israel, Japan, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Norway) by important symphonic orchestras and choirs (Orchestra Sinfonica Toscanini, Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Choeur National des Jeunes, Coro Nacional de Jóvenes de la Republica Argentina, Tower New Zealand Youth Choir, Northern Illinois University Chamber Choir, Antioch Chamber Ensemble, Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers, Iowa State University Cantamus Choir, Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Internationaler Festivalchor C.H.O.I.R., Vocal Ensemble “EST”, Kórus Spontánusz, Mornington Singers, Uranienborg Vokalensemble, Vocapella Innsbruck, Coralia of the University of Puerto Rico, Rezonans Istanbul, Schola Cantorum Sopianensis Pecs, Evoke London, Coro Città di Parma, Ars Cantica Choir, Coro da camera Trentino, Coro da Camera di Varese, Torino Vocal Ensemble, Vocalia Consort, Genova Vocal Ensemble, etc.), at times with internationally famous conductors or soloists, like for example Aldo Ceccato, Marco Berrini, Giancarlo Parodi. He composed on commission of important european institutions such as Fondazione Toscanini di Parma, Settimane Musicali di Stresa, Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Landesakademie Ochsenhausen (D).
He was awarded the first prize at the International Trophy of Choral Composition “C. A. Seghizzi” in Gorizia in 2004, with the winning piece performed during the final of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing 2004. In 2008 1st prize in the 2nd International competition of composition “Bruno Bettinelli” in Milano. In 2016 first prize in the Arezzo composition competition “Canta Petrarca”, with the winning piece being the compulsory work for mixed choirs in the recent 65th International Choral Competition in Arezzo 2017. His compositions are published by Carus, Ferrimontana, Ricordi, Sonzogno, Carrara, and other italian publishers. He is often invited as a jury member in important national and international choral and composition competitions (e. g. Gorizia, Padova, Maasmechelen).
He is the conductor of Ensemble vocale Calycanthus since its foundation, first prize winner in two of the most important Italian choral competitions (Arezzo 2005 and Vittorio Veneto 2006). He recorded with this group a CD of contemporary choral music, and a pop-jazz a cappella arrangements CD. Composers Vytautas Miškinis, Rihards Dubra and Azio Corghi wrote pieces for Calycanthus, premiered in 2008, 2009 and 2013. Other Italian premières of composers Fredrik Sixten and Ivo Antognini in 2009 and 2016. In 2011 he was professor of harmony, counterpoint, fugue and composition at the Vicenza Conservatory, musical theory at the Cagliari Conservatory in 2014 and 2015, harmony and analysis at the Sassari Conservatory in 2016. He currently is professor of choir conducting and choral composition at the Vicenza Conservatory.