14 Facts About Azio Corghi

Azio Corghi was an Italian composer, academic teacher and musicologist.

Azio Corghi's operas are often based on literature, especially in collaboration with Jose Saramago as librettist.

Azio Corghi taught composition at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, among other academies.

Azio Corghi was awarded the Massimo Mila Award in 1991 for his dedication to teaching.

Azio Corghi composed his second opera, Blimunda to a libretto by Jose Saramago who became his longtime friend and collaborator.

In 1999, Azio Corghi was commissioned to compose an opera for La Scala, Tat'jana, based on Chekhov's play Tatyana Repina.

In 2005, Azio Corghi composed Il dissoluto assolto, a musical in one act to a libretto by the composer and Saramago, which was co-produced by La Scala and Teatro San Carlos in Lisbon.

Azio Corghi was commissioned in 2008 by Ensemble Punto to compose the opera Giocasta to celebrate the quincentenary of Andrea Palladio, to a libretto by Maddalena Mazzocut-Mis based on Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, because an opera with the subject by Andrea Gabrieli was performed when Palladio's Teatro Olimpico was opened in 1585; Giocasta was performed there on 19 June 2009.

When Rossini's bicentenary was celebrated in 1992, Azio Corghi composed the Suite dodo, based on some of Rossini's Peches de vieillesse, and his ballet Un petit train de plaisir was performed at the Teatro Rossini in Pesaro, broadcast live.

Azio Corghi composed in 2002, on a commission from the Santa Cecilia National Academy, De paz e de guerra to a libretto by Saramago.

Azio Corghi wrote Poema Sinfonico for the 25th anniversary of La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, first performed on 29 January 2007 at La Scala conducted by Riccardo Chailly.

Azio Corghi was married to Magda Bodrito who had a degree in literature.

In 1994, Azio Corghi became a Fellow of the Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome.

La Scala reacted to his death stating that it joined "in the condolences of the Italian and international music world for the passing of Azio Corghi, composer, musicologist and teacher who was an undisputed protagonist of the contemporary music scene as well as of La Scala's programming".