A Handmade Anthem of Hope: Composer Nicola Tirelli on Spring! and the Art of Belief
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Italian composer Nicola Tirelli has been awarded the Gold Prize in Original Composition for his work Spring! at the Erik Satie International Music Competition 2025 Season 4. The season ran from 21 July to 21 October 2025, with the results officially announced on 12 November 2025.
Behind this uplifting and thoughtfully crafted composition lies a creative journey shaped by optimism, craftsmanship, and artistic curiosity. In the following interview, Nicola Tirelli shares the story behind Spring!, reflecting on its inspiration, his hands-on approach to composition, and his broader musical philosophy. He also speaks about his evolving artistic path, the role of versatility in today’s digital age, and the importance of openness, collaboration, and experimentation in contemporary music-making.
Could you please introduce your award-winning composition Spring!? When and under what circumstances was it composed? Could you share the inspiration behind the composition and the message you hope to convey through it?
Nicola Tirelli:
"Spring! was written over different periods of time and reached its final form a few months before the competition.
The central message of the work is positivity—an anthem of hope for our future, a sort of mantra to hold on to when we feel that life is not giving us enough. It is precisely in those moments that we must continue to believe and to smile, regardless of the adversity we face: from a bad day, to a delicate situation, to a family problem, and even to more serious circumstances. It is about continuing to remember that we are alive.
For this reason, the piece is closely connected to its cover art, which I chose with great care: an image borrowed from a work by another amazing italian artist Giorgio Celiberti, whom I know personally and who kindly granted me permission to use it as the cover."
What was your creative process like while composing Spring!? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
Nicola Tirelli:
"For this piece, I drew on several musical ideas that I had had in my mind for quite some time. It came to life simply through playing, recording, cutting, playing again, recording again, and so on—almost as if I were an artisan, as if I were working with a piece of fabric or something similar. This approach truly motivated me throughout the process.
The concept of something 'handmade' accompanied me during the entire creative journey. I was keen to leave a completely free section in the middle of the piece, an improvised and unpredictable moment, before returning to the written material while still maintaining a rather distinctive form—one that is not rigid or schematic."
Could you talk to us about yourself, your journey in music, and your future goals? Could you also share your perspective on what defines a great composer in today’s digital age, and what you consider to be the most significant artistic or professional challenges facing musicians today and in the coming years?
Nicola Tirelli:
"I am a musician from Italy with a strong foundation in classical and jazz music, and a deep interest in exploring new musical languages. My journey began with the church organ and later expanded to jazz piano and composition, building on a solid classical background. Performing original music and improvisations on historical organs across Italy has been an inspiring part of my practice.
I enjoy arranging and composing for orchestras, ensembles, and electronic music, often combining acoustic and electronic elements within the same production. Film composition is another passion, as it challenges me to translate the director’s vision and emotions into music. I am also drawn to world and ethnic music: traveling for concerts allows me to study local cultures and traditions, which continually inspire my compositions. Currently, I am involved in multiple projects, including new concerts, experiments with ensembles, and original music that is ready to take flight. Recently, I was selected to participate in a prestigious, limited-enrollment course in film scoring at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, with faculty from both Italy and the United States.
Overall, my work reflects a commitment to versatility, creativity, and continuous exploration, blending tradition with innovation, acoustic and electronic sounds, and classical rigor with improvisational freedom.
I believe that, today more than ever, a great composer must be deeply curious and open to all musical languages, including commercial and popular forms. Many contemporary genres have distinctive elements that, regardless of personal taste, should be studied for both cultural enrichment and creative cross-pollination. The same applies to new technologies: much influential music has been created with computers, synthesizers, and other electronic tools. These are not a limitation—the difference lies in how they are used in the act of making music."
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and anyone you'd like to thank?
Nicola Tirelli:
"What struck me most about this competition was hearing so many talented artists and musicians with fresh, original, and sincere ideas. This is what competitions should aim for—not just pure rivalry, but also fostering collaborations and connections that are incredibly valuable for composers like us who want to keep growing and learning.
Of course, I also want to give a huge thank you to my family, who have always supported me and offered wise advice for every idea or project I’ve undertaken so far.“
Artistic Biography of Nicola Tirelli
After studying classical music, he earned a degree in piano and jazz composition at the "J. Tomadini" Conservatory in Udine, under the guidance of maestros Glauco Venier and Alfonso Deidda. He pursued advanced courses in composition and arranging with Maestro Valter Sivilotti, organ improvisation in Paris with Frederic Blanc, and jazz piano with Emilio Marinelli and Guilherme Ribeiro.
He began gaining recognition by presenting original music and participating in numerous productions and projects both in Italy and abroad, as a pianist, keyboardist, and arranger. He has collaborated with artists from diverse musical genres, including Simone Cristicchi, Paolo Belli, Ermal Meta, Don Andrea Gallo, Piero Pelù, Serena Brancale, Mario Biondi, Levante, Francesca Michielin, Joan Thiele, Leo Gassmann, Settembre, Maya Sar, Osvaldo di Dio, U.T. Gandhi, Luisa Cottifigli, Boris Savoldelli, Claudio de Maglio, Massimo Somaglino, Giuliano Bonanni, Enzo Giraldo, and many others.
He has participated as a musician and composer in major festivals, cultural events, television and radio broadcasts, as well as initiatives in Italy and abroad, including Rai 1, Rai 3, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague, Mittelfest, Udine&Jazz, Gorizia 2025 European Capital of Culture, Safety Love, Estoria, Cantieri dell’Immaginario, Crocevie Art & Music Festival, More Than Jazz, Carniarmonie, Jazz all’Aquila, FaberDays, Estensioni Jazz, Jazz nelle terre del sisma 2025, and many others.
In January 2026, he was selected to participate in the prestigious Screen Scoring course at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, organized by CineCittà in Rome, with renowned Italian and American faculty (University of Southern California).
Among his main achievements: winner of the Gold Prize at the Erik Satie International Competition, finalist in international composition competitions for film music (IFMC Film Music Contest) and piano (Fidelio International Piano Composition Contest).
He composes and contributes to music, soundtracks, and theatrical scores for touring shows throughout Italy, including: A forza di essere vento, Synchrony City (MTV Labs), Estoria, L’Ombra della Vetta, Mossa Vincente, Orient Express, I sogni del Calameonte, I Borbone di Francia a Gorizia – Per Go2025, Parole e musica per un domani, and many others.
He also arranges for orchestras, ensembles, and big bands, such as the Mittel Europa Orchestra and the San Marco Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with Paolo Belli as an arranger and orchestrator. He premiered the European first performance of the Lyrics Suite for Sextet, a suite composed by Chick Corea for piano, vibraphone, and string quartet.
Active as a producer, he arranges for keyboards, electronics, and percussion, and participated in the show Mamui, directed by Marina De Juli, presented in its absolute premiere at Mittelfest 2017.
He dedicates time to research and experimentation with new musical languages. In 2016, he placed second in the international Beatport Play – Music Producers Contest with the original track Crazy Trip.
Nicola Tirelli music
website - https://linktr.ee/nicolatirelli
