ABOUT

Alessio Olivieri is an awards-winner Italian classical guitarist and musicologist. He holds a Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from Manhattan School of Music (NYC), as well as a Master of Music in Music Publishing, a Diploma (B.M+M.M) in Classical Guitar, and a Bachelor of Music in Musicology, all from the Cesare polling Conservatory (Padua, italy). He also studied in a Postgraduate semester program at the University of Melbourne (Australia). 

Currently, Mr. Olivieri  is a Ph.D. candidate in Musicology at the University of California Riverside, where he also serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Associate Instructor, teaching an array of music classes.

Under the tutelage of Dr. Walter A. Clark, Mr. Olivieri’s research focuses on realism and verismo in the Spanish musical theater at the crossroads of the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular emphasis on the Spanish realist operas informed by Italian verismo.

Other interests include the Italian chamber romances (art songs) of the 19th century —with his book Le romanze da salotto di Michele Bellucci. Le edizioni a stampa e i manoscritti autografi (2010). His graduate thesis, titled “Il Tenebrismo: la chitarra della noche oscura da Manuel de Falla ad Angelo Gilardino,” introduced the concept of “tenebrism” as a new poetic in the 20th century guitar repertoire.

As a classical guitarist, he has performed extensively as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles in Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and The United States.  His recordings include the CD Operaperta Duo: Spanish Popular Songs, Venetian Boat Songs, Neapolitan Songs together with the Italian Soprano Elisa Ramon, and – as a member of the former Manhattan Guitar Quartet- the CD Angelo Gilardino: A Salute from New York, produced in New York for the Italian label Bérben. 

His main teachers have been Angelo Gilardino, Giulio Tampalini, Mark Delpriora, David Leisner, and Giovanni Grano. An experienced educator, Mr. Olivieri has almost two decades of teaching activity, both in his studio and as a faculty in public and private schools. He has taught students of every age and level, preparing them for competitions, performances, and college admissions.

Before moving to California, Alessio served as a guitar instructor at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.