[158.2] LUCIANO BERIO IS DEAD

Very sad news just in (via Charles Imperatori, the BBC Radio 3 bulletin board classical section, and an article USA Today) - Luciano Berio died late yesterday, ostensibly from post operational complications after having undergone surgery on his spine at the Gemelli hospital in Rome. Berio was undoubtedly the greatest living Italian composer, and one of the true greats of the twentieth century. He will be sorely missed.

Berio, who was also a conductor, was particularly noted for innovations in electronic music. He taught courses on electronic music at Columbia University in New York. He was a co-founder of the Musical Phonology Studio at RAI state television in Milan in 1955, at a time of significant electro-acoustical exploration. Berio was in the news last month about Myung-Whun Chung's decision not to renew his contract at principal conductor at St. Cecilia when his contract runs out in 2005. Other top posts for Berio included director of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. See also the Daily Telegraph.