Swiss composer Ivo Antognini (b. 1963) received a degree in piano in 1985 at Lucerne, where he studied with Nora Doallo. He then studied at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern with pianist Joe Haider. Early in his career he composed music for television and film as well as jazz works. In 2006 he met with Coro Calicantus, a world-class children's choir, and its director, Mario Fontana, and since that time he has devoted his efforts largely to the composition of choral works. He has been described as “an important new voice” by The American Organist Magazine. His choral works have won many awards in national and international choral composition events and are performed by top choirs throughout the world. In July 2012, he was invited by the American Choral Directors Association to present his choral music at the 7th World Choir Games in Cincinnati, USA, where he served as one of the adjudicators.
Antognini writes music for choirs of all levels and has a distinctive personal style. His choral works have been performed in more than 54 countries.
A concert dedicated completely to his choral music took place in March 2016 at Lincoln Center in New York City. His first major, extended work, “A Prayer for Mother Earth”, for mixed choir, children's choir, orchestra, soprano soloist and piano, was premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York in May 2016.
Recent recordings with Antognini's music include “Invisible Stars” (SIGNUM RECORDS), with UCD Choral Scholars, and “Sacred Songs of Life & Love” (PENTATONE) with South Dakota Chorale.
His choral pieces are published by Alliance Music Publications, Walton Music, Hal Leonard, G. Schirmer, Colla Voce, Boosey & Hawkes, Porfiri & Horváth, de Haske, Carus-Verlag, Ferrimontana and others.
Ivo Antognini teaches ear training and piano at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. He lives in the village of Aranno with his wife Patrizia and his two children, Eleonora and Milo.
