Irma Ravinale (1 October 19377 April 2013) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and music educator. She teaches at the Conservatory Santa Cecilia in Rome. Ravinale has received many awards for her compositions, and was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the silver medal for merit from the School of Art and Culture in Rome, and a Gold Medal for culture and the arts.

Biography

Irma Ravinale was born in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

in 1937. She studied composition at the

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Conservatory of Santa Cecilia with Goffredo Petrassi, and continued her studies with

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, also studying piano, conducting and choral music. After completing her education, she took a position in 1966 teaching composition at the Conservatory Santa Cecilia in Rome. Ravinale became director of San Pietro a Maijella Conservatory in Naples where she served until 1989 and then Director of the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia where she served until 1999. She is member of the International Honour Committee of the Fondazione Donne in Musica. Her compositions have been performed by leading musicians in Italy and overseas. She is particularly known for her one-act opera ''Il ritratto di Dorian Gray'', based on the novel by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

. The opera had its concert premiere by RAI in Turin in 1975. She has won many prizes for her compositions, including four national composition prizes and an international prize. She was the only woman to win the composition prize at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia, which she was awarded in 1966. Ravinale died in

, Italy, at the age of 75 on 7 April 2013.

Honors and awards

*Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Rome, 2 June 1992 *Silver medal for meritorious school of art and culture, Rome, 2 June 1994 *Gold Medal for Culture and the Arts

Works

Ravinale composes works for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles and musical theatre. Selected works include: *1965 ''Scorpion'', for chorus a cappella, from Trilussa *1966 ''Death meditated'', cantata for baritone and string quartet *1967 ''Concerto'' for oboe, horn, timpani and strings *1967 ''Ballad of love and war'', for soprano, violin, cello and piano *1968 ''Concerto for Strings'' *1970 ''Night Trio'' for violin, viola d'amore and cello *1970 ''The Picture of

Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly M ...

'', play by

*1971 ''Invention concerted'', for 13 wind instruments *1972 ''Sinfonia Concertante'' for guitar and orchestra *1974 ''Serenade'' for guitar, flute and viola *1976 ''Sequentia'', for guitar and string quartet *1976 ''Spleen'', for baritone and orchestra (Won an award at the International Competition of Trieste) *1977 ''Dialogues'', for viola, guitar and orchestra *1978 ''Changeling'', for harpsichord and small orchestra *1979 ''Improvisation'' for guitar alone *1980 ''Jontly'' for two guitars *1980 ''Recherche'', for violin only *1981 ''But ... what comes after love'', for oboe and horn *1981 ''Improvisation II'', for harpsichord *1982 ''Sombras'', for guitar alone *1983 ''Les Adieux'', for violin and orchestra *1984 ''Per una mano sola'', for piano *1984 ''To Ada'', for clarinet *1985 ''Ode to a star'', for organ and concertante string orchestra *1987 ''Duo'' for violin and guitar *1987 ''Untitled'', for clarinet and bass clarinet in E flat *1988 ''Elegy of silence'', for chamber orchestra *1989 ''The Ballad of the vassal'', for female voice *1989 ''Jeux'', for guitar *1990 ''Two arias'' for baritone voice *1990 ''Poem for Oscar Romero'', for baritone, mixed choir and orchestra *1991 ''Quintet'' for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano *1992 ''Nuit'', for cello only *1995 ''Prologue'', for narrator and five instruments, from Pier Paolo Pasolini *1996 ''Sextet'' for Strings *1997 ''Pour une etoile'', for body only *1999 ''The Remains of the day'', for orchestra *2004 ''In memory of those we love'', for mezzo-soprano, piccolo and orchestra *2004 ''Ode to friendship'', for violin and cello *2005 ''Second Quintet'' for two trumpets, trombone, tubacorno and tuba *2005 ''Puer natus est'', for nine male voices *2006 ''Cadenza'', for solo violin *2009 ''Vaghezie'', for cello and soprano *2012 ''Pour un cher amie'', for clarinet and piano

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ravinale, Irma 1937 births 2013 deaths 20th-century Italian classical composers Italian music educators Italian women classical composers Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia alumni Italian women music educators 20th-century Italian women composers