Gerardo Gandini was a pianist, composer, and music director, who became one of the most relevant figures of contemporary Argentine music of the second half of the 20th century. He studied composition with Goffredo Petrassi and Alberto Ginastera, and piano with Roberto Caamaño, Pía Sebastiani, and Ivonne Loriod. He was Astor Piazzolla's pianist in the Sexteto Nuevo Tango formed in 1989.
Platinum Konex Award for Best classical music composer of the decade in Argentina
Gandini was also regularly invited to participate as a juror in international composition contests.
Works
Operas
La pasión de Buster Keaton , libretto by Rafael Alberti: one-act chamber opera for baritone with chamber ensemble, jazz quintet, puppets, and soundtrack
Espejismos II : chamber opera for two sopranos, two mezzo-sopranos, two ballet dancers, and chamber ensemble
La casa sin sosiego , libretto by Griselda Gambaro: chamber opera in six scenes for two sopranos, two mezzo-sopranos, contralto, tenor, six actors, and chamber orchestra
La ciudad ausente , libretto by Ricardo Piglia: opera in two acts
Liederkreis , libretto by Alejandro Tantanian
Works for orchestra
Variaciones para orquesta, for harp, piano, percussion, timbales, celesta, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibrphone, and strings. Commissioned by ESSO Argentina, City Prize for Composition of Buenos Aires, premiered by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Richard Dufallo during the Interamerican Music Festival in Washington
Cadencias, for harp, piano, percussion, and strings, premiered by the Academia Santa Cecilia orchestra, directed by Daniele Paris, Academia Nacional de Santa Cecilia, Rome
Laberynthus Johannes, for orchestra divided in three groups: clavecin, harp, marimba, piano, xylophone, tenor saxophone, drums, percussion, and strings, premiered by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic orchestra, directed by Antonio Tauriello in the Teatro Colón
Soria moria, for string orchestra made up of four solo violins, a string quartet, and a string trio . Recorded on disc. Published by Melodie Zurich. Premiered by the Camerata Bariloche on their European tour
... E sarà, five pieces for orchestra: Homenaje a Girolamo Frescobaldi, Círculos sobre "L'enharmonique", Planh, Sarabande et Double, and Homenaje a Domenico Scarlatti, for English horn, harp, percussion, solo violin, and strings. Premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra, directed by Antonio Tauriello, Teatro Cervantes
Eusebius, five nocturnes for orchestra divided in four groups, group A: percussion, celesta, harp, strings; group B: strings s/b.; group C: strings; and group D: percussion, piano, and strings. Premiered by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic orchestra, directed by Juan Pablo Izquierdo, Teatro Colón
Música ficción III, three pieces for chamber orchestra: Neobarroco, Pasos and Reescritura y continuación de una pieza de Arnold Schoenberg, for voice, percussion, piano, celesta, harmonica, strings. Premiered by the Contemporary Music Studio, directed by Gerardo Gandini, Goethe-Institut
Mozartvariationen for voice, percussion, piano, and strings, premiered at the Goethe-Institut
Estudios para descripción de la luna, for chamber orchestra, percussion, and piano, premiered by the Fundación Omega Seguros Sinfonietta, directed by Gerardo Gandini, Teatro General San Martín
