Ukulele – Giovanni Albini

“…Albini wants to conquer a permanent place in the contemporary classical music landscape with his ukulele. […] Giovanni Albini manages to shed light on the different aspects of the ukulele and get rid of the incorrect nickname ‘pocket instrument’.” H. Gaudeus, Classiek-Centraal.be

At the Conservatorio “A. Vivaldi” of Alessandria, Professor Albini has established a Bachelor’s degree program focused on the ukulele. This pioneering initiative marks the world’s first-ever course dedicated to the instrument, offering a comprehensive curriculum specialized in ukulele performance. Prof. Albini is at the forefront of commissioning and performing contemporary classical music pieces tailored for the ukulele. His expertise extends to arranging classical compositions, as well as acclaimed contemporary and 20th-century scores, effectively cultivating an innovative and sophisticated repertoire for the ukulele. His efforts are directed towards enriching the instrument’s unique idiomatic characteristics, driving its evolution. His ukulele transcriptions are edited by Ricordi and exclusively distributed by Hal Leonard. In March 2023, he presented his research on contemporary ukulele music during seminars for composition classes at prestigious institutions like The Juilliard School of Music in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. As the co-director and co-founder of the Ukulele International Conference (UIC) – an interdisciplinary platform encompassing Performance, Composition, and Organology – Prof. Albini contributes significantly to the global ukulele community of researchers. The inaugural edition (UIC 2021) took place at the University of Milan in December 2021, receiving resounding acclaim. Its proceedings, “Research Paths in the Ukulele” have been published by Milano University Press. Building on this success, the second edition (UIC 2023) has been organized and hosted by the Conservatory of Music “Antonio Vivaldi” in Alessandria, Italy. Prof. Albini is a respected faculty member in the esteemed summer courses organized by the Fondazione Campus Internazionale di Musica, held in the picturesque castle of Sermoneta.
His album A Contemporary Ukulele, showcasing fourteen new compositions for ukulele, was published in 2022 by Da Vinci Classics (here is a link to one of the several great reviews). Notably, he has also recorded ukulele solo scores for Frederick Rawski’s album, Misremembrances and for Philip Ellis Foster’s album The Cosmos Project. Additionally, Albini takes immense pride in his role as an official endorser of Aquila Corde Armoniche. His endorsement involves thorough testing and evaluation of their nine distinct ukulele string sets, culminating in official YouTube videos where he intricately showcases and compares their remarkable features. Prof. Albini’s influence resonates internationally through teaching and performances at renowned festivals like Festival Pontino 2023, Oggi Musica (LAC, Lugano, CH – 2023), Monopolele – Mediterranean Ukulele Fest (Monopoli, IT – 2022 and 2024), Czech Ukulele Festival (Únětice, CZ – 2022), and Gaithersburg UkeFest (2021). Among his esteemed ukulele students and former students are the exceptional Isabella Sophie Paruzzo, Davide Donelli, Pierpaolo Menegazzo, Elisabetta Chierici and Matthew Quilliam.
Albini has also incorporated the ukulele into his ongoing compositional endeavors. Among his more recent accomplishments is the commission by Fine5 Dance Theatre for a dance performance’s musical score, premiered at the Russian Theatre in Tallinn. Here, alongside electronic music segments, he skillfully interwove live ukulele performances. A portion of this musical creation can now be found on an album titled Uppuv Aeg, available across major digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Recognizing the ukulele’s potential even in educational settings, Albini also crafted a suite for a choir of treble voices and ukuleles, titled Escursioni cittadine, piccola suite metroselvatica, set to original nursery rhymes by Mario Sala Gallini. This initiative took the stage in the autumn of 2022, involving preschool children, and is slated for a reprisal in Pavia come 2024.
In his concerts, he takes the stage with meticulously chosen historical and modern instruments from a collection of over seventy ukuleles. A special emphasis is placed on instruments and luthiers of Italian origin, including notable names/brands such as Francesco Verginelli (FVguitars) – with whom he has initiated an intense and productive collaboration and research relationship that has led to the production of luxury / high-profile instruments – Lorenzo Lippi, Nicòla Turturro, Marco Todeschini (Antica Ukuleleria), Paolo Bianchi (Waiz), Giuseppe Triolo, Giovanni Pece, Peppe Treccia (Treccioliuto), and Mogar (Monzino Garlandini). Regarding Albini’s activity, they have been written about in Ukulele Magazine, Uke Magazine, The Syncopator, Ansa.it, Oggi, Open, Il Corriere della Sera, and several other magazines and newspapers. At this link, he has been interviewed on the first channel of Latvian national television.

Published transcriptions by Giovanni Albini

CLASSICAL UKULELE ANTHOLOGY – VOL. 1: from Beginner to Intermediate (32pp.)
This anthology for ukulele with re-entrant tuning (high G) offers a collection of faithful transcriptions of works from the classical repertoire, presented in order of difficulty. The transcriptions collected in this anthology primarily call for fingerstyle technique and are included in both tablature form and traditional notation. Each piece is designed as both a concert miniature and an exercise. Published by Ricordi, exclusively distributed by Hal Leonard. ISMN: 9790041426723; NR 14267200. Music Shop Europe.

Wiegenlied op. 49/4 [Johannes Brahms]
La Toupie [Mel Bonis]
Wilder Reiter [Robert Schumann]
Mireille au piano [Mel Bonis]
Le Petit Mendiant [Mel Bonis]
Wiegenlied [Carl Maria von Weber]
Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille [Johann Sebastian Bach]
Tema [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]
4 Canones [Johann Sebastian Bach]
March [Dmítrij Sostakóvic]
Miaou! Ronron! [Mel Bonis]
Scherzo [Aram Il’ic Chacaturjan]
Tortues [Camille Saint-Saëns]
Tema [Nicolò Paganini]
Le Baptême [Mel Bonis]
Morgenstemning [Edvard Grieg]
Sarabande [Georg Friedrich Händel]
Là ci darem la mano [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]
The Little Horseman [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]
Wiegenlied (minor version) [Johannes Brahms]

CLASSICAL UKULELE ANTHOLOGY – VOL. 2: from Intermediate to Advanced (44pp.)
This anthology for ukulele brings together a collection of faithful transcriptions of works from the classical repertoire, presented in order of difficulty, alternating between re-entrant (high G) and linear (low G) tuning. The transcriptions collected in this anthology primarily call for fingerstyle technique and are included in both tablature form and traditional notation. Each piece is designed as both a concert miniature and an exercise. Published by Ricordi, exclusively distributed by Hal Leonard. ISMN: 9790041426730; NR 14267300. Music Shop Europe.

Melodie [Robert Schumann] high G
Lied ohne Name [Igor Stravinsky] low G
Minuetto [Luigi Boccherini] high G
Ave verum corpus [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart] low G
Pur ti miro, pur ti godo [Claudio Monteverdi] high G
El noi de la mare (tradizionale) low G
An der schönen blauen Donau [Johann Strauss] high G
Praeludium III [Clara Schumann] low G
Moments musicaux Op. 94/3 (D 780) [Franz Schubert] high G
March [Henry Purcell] low G
Le cygne [Camille Saint-Saëns] high G
Adagio [Clara Schumann] low G
La fille aux cheveux de lin [Claude Debussy] high G
Branle Gay [Adrian le Roy] low G
Prélude [Maurice Ravel] high G
Primo tema | First theme from 2nd movement of Symphony N. 7 [Ludwig van Beethoven] low G
Allegro [Muzio Clementi] high G
Mishima/Closing [Philip Glass] low G (scordatura)
Für Elise [Ludwig van Beethoven] high G
Truman Sleeps [Philip Glass] low G (scordatura)

CLASSICAL UKULELE ANTHOLOGY – VOL. 3: from Advanced to Expert (84pp.)
This anthology for ukulele brings together a collection of faithful transcriptions of works from the classical repertoire, presented in order of difficulty, alternating between re-entrant (high G) and linear (low G) tuning. The transcriptions contained in this anthology primarily call for fingerstyle technique extensively and are included in both tablature form and traditional notation. Each piece is designed as both as a concert miniature and an exercise. Published by Ricordi, exclusively distributed by Hal Leonard. ISMN: 9790041426747; NR 14267400. Music Shop Europe.

Trost [Franz Schubert] high G
Adagio BWV 974 [Johann Sebastian Bach] low G
Canon a 2 [Johann Sebastian Bach] high G
Jesu Rex admirabilis [Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina] low G
Capriccio op. 1/2 [Nicolò Paganini] high G
El grillo [Josquin Des Prez] low G
Allegro from La primavera [Antonio Vivaldi] high G
Hymn of the Cherubim [Aleksandr Sheremetev] low G
Lied op. 6/2 [Fanny Mendelssohn] high G
Stabat mater dolorosa [Giovanni Battista Pergolesi] low G
Prélude from Suite BWV 1012 [Johann Sebastian Bach] high G
Erlkönig [Franz Schubert] low G
Clair de lune [Claude Debussy] high G
Adagio [Samuel Barber] low G
Ein Kleine Nachtmusik K 525 [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart] high G
Allegretto [Karl Jenkins] low G
Russian from The Nutcracker op. 71 [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky] high G
Inventio 4 BWV 775 [Johann Sebastian Bach] low G
Promenade [Modest Mussorgsky] high G
Hymn of the Cherubim op. 41/6 [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky] low G

UKULELE POP ANTHOLOGY: intermediate-advanced level (36pp.)
Twelve iconic hits of Italian pop music, arranged for solo ukulele in standard re-entrant (high G) tuning by Giovanni Albini. These instrumental arrangements revisit and reinterpret the rich texture of the originals on the ukulele’s four strings, offering a refined journey through the history of Italian pop music, from the 1960s to the late 1990s. With technical solutions that enhance the expressive potential of the ukulele, these arrangements transform well-known tunes into compositions suitable for any stage. Published by Ricordi, exclusively distributed by Hal Leonard. ISMN: 9790215109407; MLR 00094000. Music Shop Europe.

A far l’amore comincia tu [Raffaella Carrà]
America [Gianna Nannini]
Caruso [Lucio Dalla]
Con te partirò [Andrea Bocelli]
Fatti mandare dalla mamma a prendere il latte [Gianni Morandi]
Gloria [Umberto Tozzi]
Laura non c’è [Nek]
Quando quando quando [Tony Renis]
Terra promessa [Eros Ramazzotti]
Ti Amo [Umberto Tozzi]
Tuca tuca [Raffaella Carrà]
Un’estate al mare [Giuni Russo]

New works written for (or premiered by) Albini

► Alberto Barberis, Preludio Variato (2020) for ukulele solo (gCEA) and web app. Duration: 5′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini. ALBUM

► Andrea Amici, Contrappunto a 3 – su Mikrokosmos n. 32 di Béla Bartók (2024) for ukulele (GCEA). Duration: 1’00. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Andrea Amici, Così fa il vento (2024) for ukulele (GCEA) and soprano. Based on a text by Mirkka Rekola. Duration: 2’00. Written for Giovanni Albini and Andreea Alexandra Vnucovschi during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Andrea Beggio, Prototype Pattern (2020) for amplified detuned ukulele solo (gCE♭G) and live electronics. Duration: 3′. Written for (and revision and fingering by) Giovanni Albini.

► Andrea Beggio, Obscure Particles (2021) for amplified detuned ukulele solo (gCE♭G) and tape (via Ableton Live). Duration: 4′. Written for (and revision by) Giovanni Albini. ALBUM

► Antonio Giacometti, Encontro das Águas (2022) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 5′. Dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Brandon J. Rolle, Afterward (2021) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini, published by Black Tea Music. SCORE / ALBUM

► Cosimo Carovani, [Leidenpassus] Op. 49 No. 4 (2020) for ukulele solo (GCEA), from Miniature Caratteristiche per vari strumenti solo. Duration: 5′. Written for (and dedicated to) Giovanni Albini.

► Choan Gálvez, The Cheerless Walk (2020) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 5′. Dedicated to and premiered by Giovanni Albini, published by The Ukulele Bookshop. ISMN: 979-0-805446-01-1 SCORE / VIDEO / ALBUM

► Choan Gálvez, A. P. Drove me to Tears (2020) for ukulele solo (Low G) with scordatura (GBDA). Duration: 3′. Premiered by Giovanni Albini, published by The Ukulele Bookshop. ISMN: 979-0-805446-03-5 SCORE / VIDEO

► Choan Gálvez, Bigger Steps (2021) for baritone ukulele solo (DGBE). Duration: 6-10′. Premiered by Giovanni Albini, published by The Ukulele Bookshop. ISMN: 979-0-805446-16-5 SCORE / VIDEO

► Choan Gálvez, Hopeless at Messenger (2021) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 1′. Premiered by Giovanni Albini, published by The Ukulele Bookshop. ISMN: 979-0-805446-31-8 SCORE / VIDEO

► Choan Gálvez, On Vacation (2022) for ukulele solo (gCEA). I – Introduction, II – At the Pool, III- At the Terrace, IV – Turnaround. Total duration: 12′. Dedicated to and premiered by Giovanni Albini, published by The Ukulele Bookshop. ISMN: 979-0-805446-36-3 SCORE

► David John Roche, I love Ukulele, Three Pieces for Solo Ukulele (2020) for ukulele solo (gCEA). I – Future Champion, II – Love and Admiration, III – Greatest of all Time. Total duration: 10′. Written for, commissioned and premiered by Giovanni Albini. II – VIDEO III – VIDEO

► Davide Tammaro, The Messenger (2021) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini. ALBUM

► Edoardo Priscimone, I Primi Baci (2024) for ukulele (gCEA) and reciting voice. Based on a text by Giancarlo Consonni. Duration: 1’00. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Emmanuel Amiot, Ta Tendre Chair de Femme (2021) for ukulele with scordatura and voice ad libitum (FCEA). Duration: 3′. Dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Enrico Dorigatti, Ascension (2023) for electric ukulele (GCEA) and electronics. Duration: 3′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Fabrizio Nastari, Dies Rainbow (2020) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini. VIDEO / ALBUM

► Fabrizio Nastari, Pappagalli Verdi (2021) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3’30. Written for, dedicated to to, revision and fingering, and premiered by Giovanni Albini.

► Federico Favali, Leuk (2021) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for and premiered by Giovanni Albini, published by Donemus. SCORE

► Francesco Tanzi, Mà-tera (2021) for ukulele (gCEA) and cello quartet. Duration: 6′. Dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Frederick Rawski, Milan Dismembered (2021) for ukulele (gCEA) and delay. Duration: 3’30. Written for Giovanni Albini at highSCORE Festival 2021. ALBUM1, ALBUM2

► Giorgio Colombo Taccani, Canzone dell’Assenza (2021) for ukulele (gCEA). Duratio: 3’30. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini. Published by Edizioni Suvini Zerboni.

► Giuseppe Di Stefano, La Candela si Consuma Poco a Poco (2024) for ukulele (GCEA) and voice reciting. Based on a text from “Molto tardi nella notte” by Ghiannis Ritsos. Duration: 2’30. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Joe Schittino, Le Capybara Rêveur, JS 322 (2020) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Dedicated to (and revision and fingering by) Giovanni Albini.

► Lindsay Higgs, Homage to Brouwer (2013) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 40”. Premiered by Giovanni Albini. VIDEO

► Lodi Luka, Country Roads (2021) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 4′. Dedicated to (and revision and fingering by) Giovanni Albini.

► Luca Blanco, Parola Cieca (2024) for ukulele (gCEA) and reciting voice. Based on a text by Giancarlo Consonni. Duration: 1’00. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Matteo Generani, Cartolina Musicale (2020) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for, dedicated to, revision and fingering, and premiered by Giovanni Albini. VIDEO

► Matteo Tundo, Acheta (2022) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3′. Dedicated to, revision and fingering by Giovanni Albini.

► Matteo Tundo, Chiarore appena (2022) for solo amplified ukulele (gCEA) with reverb. Duration: 4-8′. Dedicated to, revision and fingering by Giovanni Albini.

► Matteo Tundo, Inoltre (2022) for four ukuleles (gCEA). Duration:3’30. Dedicated to and revision by Giovanni Albini.

► Matthew Quilliam, The Department for the End of the World (2021) for ukulele (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for Giovanni Albini at highSCORE Festival 2021. ALBUM

► Nanni Circonciso, Mikrojazz n. 32 (2024) for ukulele (gCEA). Duration: 1’00. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Nanni Circonciso, M’Involo in Brezza Pietosa (2024) for ukulele (gCEA) and reciting voice. Based on a text by Melania Valenti. Duration: 1’00. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Oliver Dubon, Reality’s Edge: an Homage to Brendon Randall-Myers (2021) for ukulele (gCEA). Duration: 4′. Commissioned by Giovanni Albini. ALBUM

► Philip Ellis Foster, Cosmos 1 (2021) for ukulele. Duration: 5′. Written for Giovanni Albini at highSCORE Festival 2021. ALBUM1, ALBUM2

► Roberto Squillaci, Arpeggio (2020) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 4′. Written for, commissioned and revision and fingering by Giovanni Albini.

► Samantha Muir, Lines of Flight 3: The Red Angel (2021) for ukulele solo (Low G) with scordatura (GB♭DB♭). Duration: 5′. Premiered by Giovanni Albini. VIDEO

► Samantha Muir, Tell Me Why (A prayer for out time) (2021) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Sandro Montalto, Fibonacci Song (2022) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 5′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Sonia Ballarin, Recuerdos de El Nihuil (2021) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for, dedicated to, commissioned and revision and fingering by Giovanni Albini.

► Stefano Procaccioli, Percorso G – liens VII (2020) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for, dedicated to (and revision and fingering by) Giovanni Albini.

► Steven Watson, Three Dances (2023) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 7′. Dedicated to (and revision and fingering by) Giovanni Albini. SCORE

► Sydney Doemel, Green (2021) for ukulele (gCEA). Duration: 4′. Written for Giovanni Albini at highSCORE Festival 2021. ALBUM

► Toivo Tulev, Synchronistic Afternoon With a Freshly Tuned Ukulele (2020) for ukulele solo (GCEA) and crystal glasses. Duration: 5′. Written for (and revision and fingering by) Giovanni Albini. Dedicated to Giovanni Albini and Liisa Hõbepappel. ALBUM

► Tony Mizen, Homage to Leo Brouwer (2022) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 1’30”. Dedicated to Giovanni Albini.

► Virginio Zoccatelli, Friend’s Hand (2020) for ukulele solo (GCEA). Duration: 3′. Written for, dedicated to, commissioned and revision and fingering by Giovanni Albini. VIDEO

► Virginio Zoccatelli, Improvviso (2021) for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 4′. Written for, dedicated to, commissioned and revision and fingering by Giovanni Albini.

► Yuri Furnari, Cristo in Croce (2024) for ukulele (GCEA) and reciting voice. Based on a text by Melania Valenti. Duration: 1’30. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Yuri Furnari, Little Gym (2024) for ukulele (GCEA). Duration: 1’00. Written for Giovanni Albini during a masterclass held at Conservatory “V. Bellini” in Catania on May 2 and 3, 2024.

► Zane Dombrovska, Iter Ad Amorem (2024) for ukulele (GCEA) and electronic music performer. Duration: 8′. Written for Giovanni Albini.

► Zulfiia Tursunova, Intention Sector 3012 (2021) for ukulele (gCEA). Duration: 6′. Written for and dedicated to Giovanni Albini at highSCORE Festival 2021. ALBUM

Ukulele original scores

► Giovanni Albini, Sabbia Op. 73 No. 2 (2021), from Mirabilia for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 3′. Dedicated to Luis Henriques and his cocolélé. VIDEO

► Giovanni Albini, Rosarium Op. 73 No. 3 (2021), from Mirabilia for ukulele solo with scordatura (FCEG). Duration: 3-10′. Dedicated to Choan Gálvez.

► Giovanni Albini, Hail to the Frightening E and B Sharp! Op. 73 No. 4 (2021), from Mirabilia for ukulele solo (gCEA). Duration: 1’30. Written for the London Ukulele Project.

現代音楽 + ウクレレ + イタリア ◆ 夏威夷四弦琴 / 烏克麗麗