Paolo Schianchi is considered by many to be one of the best Italian musicians of his generation. He is an out-of-the-ordinary performer, able to master all the varieties of the guitar, spanning from the Renaissance lute to visionary instruments that he has personally invented. Among them, a 49-string guitar (specifically made for him by the Argentine luthier Carlos Roberto Michelutti) and the Octopus, a patented, complex electro-acoustic system that enables him to play several guitars contemporaneously using both hands and feet, mixing their sounds in real-time.

 

Schianchi is a guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, researcher, inventor, and educator. He has been performing in concerts and teaching on both national and international scales at several schools and academies. Additionally, Schianchi has been invited to hold master classes in prestigious schools and universities internationally, including the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (USA), the Conservatory of Rovigo (ITA), the Duke Ellington School of The Arts (USA), George Washington University (USA) and many others.

 

As part of his two-day stay at Severn, Schianchi will spend most of his time with music students in the Middle and Upper Schools. He will rehearse with Severn’s various performance groups --Jam Band and Treble Choir, participate in working sessions with Middle School musicians, and have lunch with students. 

 

Rob Redei, Chair of the Upper School Arts Department, is looking forward to having such an innovative musician on campus. “The students are really excited for our Musician in Residence this year,” says Redei. “We have a bunch of guitarists who will get a ton out of working with a world-class musician like Paolo." He notes that all musicians will be able to work with Paolo, not just those who play the guitar. "Since his scope spans a range of styles, genres, and time periods, our other instrumentalists and our singers will all benefit from working with him.”

 

The program's culminating event is a Friday, January 20 concert at 7:00 p.m. in Price Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public and will feature performances by Paolo and Severn students. Redei believes that this will be a memorable concert for the audience, as well as the performers. “We already have a lineup of music that the kids will collaborate with him on during the concert,” says Redei. “Without giving too much away, it’s safe to say that the music bends genres and covers about 600 years of music making.”

 

The Musician in Residence program is one of the highlights of the year for the Severn community. It continues to honor the memory of Dillon Moran, Class of 2013, whose life was tragically cut short in the fall of 2011 as the result of an accident at his home in Davidsonville, Maryland. The Dillon Moran Musician in Residence program was created to commemorate the passion, exuberance, and solid musicianship exemplified by Dillon Moran. The purpose of the program is to invite outside musicians to spend a defined period of time at Severn working with students, faculty, and the entire community to inspire, create, and perform great music. Past performers include pianist Julian Gargiulo, local band Super City, and singer-songwriter Mackenzie Shivers. To learn more about the Dillon Moran Musician in Residence program, visit our website.