Contemporary classical, electronic and ambient music blend in the work of Federico Albanese. The multi-instrumentalist and composer blurs the lines between genres in his popular works. He’s coming to Canada on tour, including a stop in Toronto on March 5, in support of his recent album Blackbirds and the Sun of October.
Federico has released three albums previously, including The Houseboat and the Moon (2014), and The Blur Hour (2016), both concept albums revolving around specific themes. In 2018, he released the more personally reflective By the Deep Sea. Before And Now Seem Infinite followed, (2022), and then in September 2023, Days of Passage. He’s toured extensively throughout Europe.
The new album is piano-centric, with some orchestral accompaniment, and represents a change in direction. It was released on XXIM, Sony’s new cross-genre label, and both composed and recorded in Monferrato in Northern Italy.
Federico Albanese performs in the UK in 2023:
Federico Albanese
Born in Milan, Italy, Federico began his musical journey with studies on the piano as a child. He became fascinated with jazz, and took up the clarinet. Later, as a teenager, he played bass and got into punk music. In his 20s, he became enamoured of the new age style music of artists like Brian Eno.
All those influences, from jazz to punk to classical, can be found in his music.
He has also composed music for film, TV and advertising, and toured and performed with singer-songwriter Jessica Einaudi in an avant-garde duo called La Blanche Alchimie, releasing three albums.
Federico had been living and working in Berlin during most of his recording career, but moved back to his native Italy in 2022. It proved to be inspirational. He felt more in touch with the landscape and his music began to reflect that renewed connection with the natural world, and also the history, myths and legends attached to the region.
He comments about the work in a statement, “I can sense the freedom in this music,” he says, “and there’s more positivity in it. I can feel it’s something different than before.”
The new album ranges from the quieter and more reflective piano and string combination of The Prince and the Emperor, which is based on a medieval story, to the busier, more modern piano and percussion of Blackbirds And The Sun Of October, the title track.
- He’ll be performing in Toronto on March 5, following dates in Quebec City (March 1), Montreal (March 2), and Ottawa (March 4). Find details and tickets [HERE].
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