Biography

Pianist and composer Arturo Stàlteri draws on an exceptionally wide range of influences, from minimalism to Romantic music, film music, the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Rolling Stones, and more. He is also a radio broadcaster. Stàlteri was born in Rome on October 22, 1959. His surname appears both with and without the accent mark, even on his own website. Stàlteri's father was a television journalist, and his mother played the piano; he took after both. By 11, he was making up his own radio programs on a tape recorder, and in 1988, he joined the schedule of the Italian national broadcaster RAI; he remained there as of the mid-2020s. Stàlteri was introduced to the piano by his mother. In 1974, he and multi-instrumentalist Gaio Chiocchio founded the progressive rock band Pierrot Lunaire, with which he released several albums. He continued to study classical piano as well, earning a diploma from the Alfredo Casella Conservatory in Aquila in 1979 after studies with Ermanno Pradella. He studied further with Vera Gobbi Belcredi from 1979 to 1985 and also with Aldo Ciccolini, whom he frequently visited in Paris. Stàlteri also had master classes with Vincenzo Vitale and Konstantin Bogino. His album ... and the peacock spoke to the moon, recorded at various times in the 1980s, appeared in 1987; it was musically inspired by Indian styles. In 1998, he released the album Circles, featuring music by Philip Glass, on the Materiali label. Stàlteri has defined his style as Romantic Post-Minimalist, naming his influences as Wim Mertens, Chopin, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Brian Eno, among others. He has released both solo albums and recordings devoted to music by other composers, mostly minimalists and progressive rock figures. Stàlteri read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy when he was 18 and has released several albums connected to those books, including Rings: Il Decimo Anella (2004). An admirer of The Rolling Stones, he recorded his own version of Ruby Tuesday, included as a bonus track on his 2007 album Child of the Moon: Dieci Notturni e un'Alba. That album appeared on the Felmay label, where Stàlteri also released Half Angels (2009) and In Sete Altere (2014). Stàlteri composed and performed a score for the 1921 silent film Selika, and he has collaborated widely with other musicians. He has performed as a solo musician, including at the Piano City Napoli festival. In 2023, Stàlteri returned on recordings with the album Dodecagon, featuring music by Glass and released on that composer's Orange Mountain Music label. ~ James Manheim, Rovi