Michele Allegro Composer

BIOGRAPHY

Michele Allegro,Italian composer and pianist whose music explores the relationship between rhythmic energy, musical memory and expressive tension. Seeking a balance between structural clarity and emotional immediacy, his works combine physical gesture, resonance and contemporary musical language. His compositions have received international recognition through composition competitions, calls for scores, commissions and performances in Europe and the United States. Recent highlights include winning the 12th Garth Newel International Composition Competition with Rush, selected from 115 submissions worldwide, and the Premier Orchestral Institute International Composition Competition with October Light.

SELECTED AWARDS & INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

2026— Garth Newel International Composition Competition, USA Rush — Piano Quartet Winner, 12th Garth Newel International Composition Competition. Selected from 115 submissions worldwide. Recipient of the Glorvina and Richard Lynn New Music Prize. Official Composer Residency, Garth Newel Music Center, Virginia, 7–11 July 2026. World Premiere by the Garth Newel Piano Quartet, 11 July 2026. Prize included multiple performances and livestream/video recording of the premiere.

2026 — Manufaktur der Künste, Vienna Pulse — Trio Winner, Manufaktur der Künste Call for Score 2026. World Premiere by Trio Revolution, Vienna, 4 September 2026. Italian Premiere: Fazioli Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy — 13 November 2026, Trio Revolution.

2026 — OLEA Ensemble, USA City Time — Ensemble Winner, OLEA Ensemble Call for Scores 2026. Selected for performances during the OLEA Ensemble 2026–27 season.

2025— Premier Orchestral Institute International Composition Competition, USA October Light — Orchestra Winner, 2025. Selected from more than 135 submissions from over 18 countries. Composer Residency, Jackson, Mississippi. World Premiere by Master Camerata Orchestra, Millsaps College, Jackson, 13 June 2025.

2025/26 — Ensemble for These Times / RMF, Berkeley Game Overture — Piano Four Hands Selected among the winning works of the E4TT/RMF Call for Scores. Performed at Berkeley Piano Club, Berkeley, California, 1 March

2024 — Art’Ventus Quintet, Portugal In Time — Quintet Selected as the winning work of the Art’Ventus Quintet Call for Scores. New work commissioned for the ensemble for the Reencontros de Música Contemporânea Festival, Aveiro.

2024 — Sax and Willas Composers Competition, Poland New York Tales — Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone & Piano Second Prize. Performed at Villa Lentz, Szczecin.

2024 — Dante Moro International Composition Competition, Italy Giochi— Piano & String Orchestra Third Prize (First and Second Prizes not awarded). Performed by Silvia Tessari and Dolomiti Symphonia.

2022- NU Quintet Call for Score, New York, USA- Across the Line- Wind Quintet, winner Nu Quintet Call for score, World premiere. Cary Hall- New York.

2021 — Musica nel Silenzio International Composition Competition Pagine d’isolamento — Piano Winner. Performed at Palazzina Liberty, Milan. Published by Curci Edizioni.

COMMISSIONS & RESIDENCIES

Stettin Days — Saxophone Orchestra Commission, University of Saxophone, Szczecin, Poland — 2024. Performed by Impression Saxophone Ensemble at the World Saxophone Festival 2025, Szczecin.

Garth Newel Music Center — Virginia, USA Composer Residency — July 2026. Residence connected to the 12th Garth Newel International Composition Competition and the world premiere of Rush. Premier Orchestral Institute — Jackson, Mississippi Composer Residency — 2025. Residency connected with the development and premiere of October Light.

SELECTED INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE HISTORY

United States: Garth Newel Music Center, Virginia · Berkeley Piano Club, California · New York · Jackson, Mississippi Austria: Vienna — Manufaktur der Künste Festival
Poland: Villa Lentz, Szczecin · Akademia Sztuki, Szczecin · World Saxophone Festival
Portugal: Teatro Aveirense, Aveiro · Reencontros de Música Contemporânea
Italy: Palazzina Liberty, Milan · Teatro degli Animosi, Carrara · Auditorium del Carmine, Parma · Falcade · Palazzo Roderio

His music has been performed by ensembles including the: Garth Newel Piano Quartet, Trio Revolution, OLEA Ensemble, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Master Camerata, Dolomiti Symphonia, Impression Saxophone Ensemble, Art’Ventus Quintet and NU Quintet.

FORTHCOMING PERFORMANCES

City Time — OLEA Ensemble 7 February 2027 — 8:30 PM · Constellation, 3111 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL, USA City Time — OLEA Ensemble 15 May 2027 — Time TBA · The Well, 2454 Gilbert Ave, Cincinnati, OH, USA October Light —

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 6 March 2027 · Jackson, Mississippi, USA

PUBLISHING

Curci Edizioni, Milan: Pagine d’isolamento and published works. Stella Mattutina Edizioni: Reduction for harp and piano of G. C. Wagenseil’s Concerto for Harp and String Orchestra.

PIANIST & EDUCATOR

Alongside his compositional activity, Michele Allegro maintains an active career as a solo and chamber pianist and has performed as a soloist with orchestra, including Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. He has collaborated with contemporary music ensembles and participated in performances of new works. Also active in music education as Piano prefessor at the R.Levi Montalcini school.