LUIGI ZANINELLI was born in New Jersey in 1932.  Following high school, he was brought to the Curtis Institute of Music by Gian-Carlo Menotti. At age 19, he was sent to Italy by the Curtis Institute to study composition with the legendary Rosario Scalero (the teacher of Samuel Barber and Menotti).

Upon graduation, Dr. Zaninelli was appointed to the faculty of the Curtis Institute. In 1958, he began his long relationship with Shawnee Press as composer/arranger/ pianist/conductor. In 1964, he returned to Rome, Italy, to compose film music for RCA Italiana. During that period, Zaninelli became conductor/arranger for Metropolitan Opera soprano Anna Moffo.

Dr. Zaninelli has served as composer-in-residence at the University of Calgary and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Since 1973, he has been composer-in-residence at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Among his numerous honors are a Steinway Prize and Outstanding Achievement Award, Province of Alberta. In 1991, he became the first three-time winner of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Music Award. With more than 300 published works to his credit, Mr. Zaninelli has been commissioned to compose for all mediums, including opera, ballet, chamber music, orchestra, band, chorus, and solo songs. He also has composed several movie and television scores for PBS. 

Among the organizations who have commissioned his new works are the Seattle Symphony, New Orleans Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Kennedy Center.

last updated April 14, 2020
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