Davide Riva

What does music mean to you personally?

Music is my best friend. I started playing the piano when I was a child and I wrote my first piece at 13 years old. Since this moment I was fascinated by music which supported me in all the steps of my life. My art groves and changes by my side, it makes me discover new sights and emotions. Music expresses deeply my personality.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

I think that music and fantasy are strongly connected. Igor Stravinkyj used to said „I'm a maker“, I get this feeling me too. Write a new piece means to create new things and landscapes, many times this impression comes while I compose. There's no limit in creativity!

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

I think I'd probably be a physicist! Science would have been my interest, in particular fascinated by any theoretical subject like quantum mechanics or something else.

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about the future?

I don’t think so. I teach music to many students. Some of them will become musician and others will not, but almost all of them really know the importance and the power of music, in particularly choral music. The young generations really care about performing arts, much more than adult people. Be a musician is still very difficult, but I don’t think it's caused by the indifference of audience, but by other things.

What do you envision the role of music to be in the 21st century? Do you see that there is a transformation of this role?

I don’t see the role of music changed. However, I think that the role of musician is changed because there are lots of different styles and types of music to get inspired. There are times when I write complex, modern and not easy music to listen, and other when I compose most enjoyable works. I suggest that these two ways of being can coexist, there's no contrasts between them. The important thing is that I like the work I’m creating!

Do you think that the musician today needs to be more creative? What is the role of creativity in the musical process for you?

Yes, I agree, if you’re a composer you have to be very innovative, curious and it’s important to listen a lot of genres of music! There are so many styles, so there are many possibilities, but it is not easy to choose and mix ideas. Being creative is essential!

Do you think we as musicians can do something to attract the younger generation to music concerts? How would you do this?

I think musicians could perform more in schools and in unconventional places. The collaboration between young people and artists will be more direct, personal and effective.

Tell us about your creative process. What is your favorite piece (written by you) and how did you start working on it?

When I compose, I imagine pictures and sensations that I try to create and express in music language. Sometimes I get the result easily, instead of other cases the process is more complex, but it brings surprises! It’s hard to say exactly what is my favorite work, but there are some of them which I’m very fond of. I love my „Credo“ for eight mixed voices chorus that I wrote in 2012 and I like my first ballet „La bella addormentata nel bosco“ (The sleeping beauty) composed and performed for the first time in 2015. I also really like my piece for piano six-hands „Undergroud“ simple and complex in the meantime. Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves?

To young people who want to discover classical music I say that it’s impossible to get bored! Too many times it is considered a music for old people, but it’s wrong. Classical music is young, expressive, dynamic, a mix of great emotions!

Do you think about the audience when composing?

I think I compose for myself...that’s important. I try to write what I like as much as possible and if I love it, the public will probably appreciate it too. The greatest satisfaction is to be able to deeply love my music. I do not exclude, however, to choose between my works the most suitable for a medium audience!

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

I have many plans for the future. I want to write a lot for orchestra for example. I just finished a large symphonic piece and now I’d like to start writing an opera or a concert for piano and orchestra. I’d like also to start working on a "Requiem" for soloists, choir and orchestra, but above all I will be swayed by the opportunities that I will have.