Rocco Parisi

Rocco Parisi, born in San Pietro a Maida – Italy, studied in Holland with at the Rotterdam Conservatorium, where he gained brilliantly which is the Getuigschrift diploma in bass clarinet and in Italy gained “cum laude” the clarinet master degree at the Conservatorio “F. Ghedini” of Cuneo.

He has been the winner of various international competitions, including T.I.M. Rome, the Orpheus Prize in Antwerpen, and the Concorso Internazionale di Stresa.

Parisi took part in Giuseppe Garbarino’s master classes at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena for four years, each year gaining a special grant, and earning at the end of the four years a Diploma of Honor. Maestro Garbarino subsequently asked Parisi to become his assistant at the Academy.

Recognized as a talent interpreter of contemporary music and as an innovator of new techniques for the bass clarinet, many original compositions have been dedicated to Parisi, these being performed by him at important Italian festivals, including Chigiana Novità Siena, Settembre Musica Turin, Biennale of Venice, Nuovi Spazi Musicali Rome and Spazio Musica Cagliari.

He also gave the world premiere of “Sequenza IX c” for bass clarinet and the Italian premiere of “Chemins II c” for bass clarinet and orchestra by Luciano Berio.

A deep collaboration in direct contact with Ennio Morricone and Sylvano Bussotti allowed him to record some world premiere in CD, playing their compositions in prestigious concert halls.

As a soloist he has performed in several foreign countries (Germany, Turkey, Portugal, China, France, Switzerland, Spain) and at prestigious venues: Basklarinetdagen Gent, Strobel Studio Freiburg, Centrum Sztuki Wspolczenej Warsaw, Music Academyof Kracow, UHR kleinersaal Leipzig, Lisbon Music Conservatory and the Beijing Central Conservatory, “Festival Cervantino” Mexico.

He was invited by the l.C.A. (International Clarinet Association to) give concerts and master classes at the world clarinet convention in New Orleans (Louisiana) USA; Stockholm (Swede); Salt Lake City (Utah) USA; Austin (Texas) USA, LOS Angeles (California) USA.

The RAI, BRT, and WDR are just a few of the many radio and television stations to have recorded Rocco Parisi.

He has performed as bass clarinet with a number of Italian orchestras, such as Giovanile Italiana of Fiesole, the “Arturo Toscanini” of Parma, the Orchestra da Camera of Padua, Orchestra Sinfonica “G. Verdi” of Miland and RAI O.S.N. (Italian Radio Television National Symphony Orchestra).

Parisi has recorded CDs for labels Taukay, Stradivarius, DDT, Nuova Era, AOC Classic – Edizioni Leonardi, Concerto Music-Media, Amirani Records.

He his currently professor of clarinet and bass clarinet at the conservatory “Antonio Vivaldi” in Alessandria.