“Each story, set of images or movement deserves to reveal its own distinct character through music that is made-to-measure”
Giovanni Spinelli is a multi-award-winning composer for film, TV, dance and theater with over 50 film credits. He lives and works in New York City.
ABOUT
Born in England and raised across London, New York, Stockholm, and Florence, Giovanni brings a richly cosmopolitan sensibility to his work as a film composer. His musical world spans continents and genres — from the austere spirituality of Arvo Pärt and Henryk Górecki to the post-punk intensity of Joy Division and Interpol; from the ambient architectures of Brian Eno and Ryuichi Sakamoto to the raw electricity of Jimi Hendrix and The Edge; from the minimalist precision of Philip Glass, David Lang, and John Adams to the visceral grandeur of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós.
His musical formation is equally wide-ranging. Giovanni studied piano with Jean Lloyd-Webber and began learning classical and flamenco guitar at an early age under the guidance of his mother, Marianne Parsons-Echevarría — an influence that continues to permeate his compositional voice.
His film scores reflect both this breadth and a restless creative curiosity. The award-winning short Bis Gleich — winner of 30 Best Film awards, including the AmPav Best Emerging Filmmaker prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2015, and shortlisted for the 2016 Academy Awards — showcases his gift for classical lyricism. The narrative feature Before El Fin draws on his deep roots in flamenco, while his live solo electric guitar score for F.W. Murnau's silent masterpiece Sunrise earned him perhaps his most evocative critical description: "an astounding mix of Hendrix, Badalamenti, Vaughan and The Edge" — San Francisco Examiner. His documentary work includes The Last Pig, The Protestants, Blind Trust, and the Sundance Channel's Pop Star on Ice, alongside award-winning scores for experimental filmmaker Sławomir Milewski's Raspberry Man and Come Shine.
Giovanni's music for dance is equally distinguished. He has composed for the Martha Graham Dance Company, including works choreographed by Principal Dancer Xin Ying, and collaborated with American Ballet Theatre and soloist choreographer Zhonghing Fang. His ongoing work with Megumi Eda — principal dancer with Armitage Gone! Dance — includes the experimental piece Scintilla, currently in development. He performs regularly in New York as both guitarist and pianist.