Luca Turilli

Last updated
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli in 2019 (2).jpg
Turilli in 2019
Background information
Born (1972-03-05) 5 March 1972 (age 52)
Trieste, Italy
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • composer
  • arranger
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • keyboards
  • piano
Years active1993–present
Formerly of

Luca Turilli (born 5 March 1972) [1] is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects, ranging from trance and electronic music of his first compositions to symphonic metal inspired by the world of soundtracks and also to modern pop and piano compositions of his current productions. He is one of the founders of the symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, later called Rhapsody of Fire, [1] for which he composed and arranged all music with his colleague Alex Staropoli from 1997 until 2011.

Contents

In the early 2000s he also worked on a trilogy of solo albums, and released one album under the name of Luca Turilli's Dreamquest, a symphonic metal / rock project combined with electro pop elements he worked on alongside Dominique Leurquin. [2] After his split from Rhapsody of Fire, he released three more albums under the name Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and one under the name Turilli / Lione Rhapsody. Though his lyrics in Rhapsody of Fire dealt with epic, sword and sorcery high fantasy, namely a saga of his own design, the lyrics of his later albums speak mainly about science, metaphysics, psychology, anthropology and are generally related with the mysteries of life - Turilli's greatest passion after what he started experiencing thanks to his long-term yoga and meditation practices. [3]

In 2020, with the piano being one of his favorite instruments, he also announced his entry into the market of modern, emotional and cinematic piano with the release of his debut piano album, in the tradition of artists like Yann Tiersen, Ludovico Einaudi and Yiruma, some of the well-known piano composers of our time and a true inspiration to him, underlining his need for continuous artistic challenges and the need to express himself at 360 degrees. [3]

Early life

Turilli was born in Trieste, Venezia Giulia, Italy. His father was a cello player who died when Turilli was only two years old. He inherited his passion for classical music and at 16 years old he started playing guitar. In 1993, Turilli survived cancer at age 21. [4] At the age of 22, he started playing piano.

Career

In 1993, Turilli founded the band Thundercross, which was renamed Rhapsody after releasing the first demo, [5] and renamed once again to Rhapsody of Fire for trademark reasons in 2006.

In 2008, Turilli began an online guitar course titled Luca Turilli's Neoclassical Revelation. The course takes its name from his neoclassical playing style. [6]

In August 2011, some time after releasing the last album related with the heroic-fantasy saga on which all the lyrics and music of Rhapsody / Rhapsody of Fire were based until then, Turilli and Staropoli proceeded to a friendly split. Alex agreed to go on as Rhapsody of Fire, while Turilli decided to move on as Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, adding his name on top of the logo because of trademark reasons and old legal settlements. In 2015, after releasing the debut album entitled Ascending to Infinity , the record company Nuclear Blast released the one defined by Turilli as one of the most important albums of his career: Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus . One year later the same album was released under the title Prometheus, The Dolby Atmos Experience + Cinematic and Live. That album, mixed by producer/mixing engineer Chris Heil (David Bowie, Bryan Adams), was the first one in music history to be mixed in Dolby Atmos and its music was used by Dolby and Yamaha to promote Dolby Atmos technology worldwide. [3]

From November 2016 to March 2018, Turilli and his former bandmates Fabio Lione and Alex Holzwarth who in the meantime had also left Rhapsody of Fire, gathered to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary by playing their entire best-selling album Symphony of Enchanted Lands in a tour called the "20th Anniversary Farewell Tour". With the success of the farewell tour, it convinced Turilli and Fabio to go on with Rhapsody, although both had different artistic plans in mind. For legal reasons the new band was called Turilli / Lione Rhapsody. Both agreed to such plan and to use the same band name only if they could bring something really new to the table, combining their typical symphonic metal approach with all the modern music they like to listen to nowadays, evolving the sound, the image and the lyrical concept of the band to new horizons. To make this more than clear they agreed to entitle the album Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution) and filled it with what they both love: vocal interludes à la Queen, progressive elements à la Dream Theater, electronic, ethnic music and more. In both bands, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and Turilli / Lione Rhapsody, Turilli is the only composer of all music and lyrics, orchestral arrangements and in addition to guitars he also played all the keyboard parts.

In early 2020, Turilli stated in an interview with Steinberg that he feels the constant need to evolve and explore the world of music by creating new projects, finding new artistic goals and stimulations. He is currently working on the debut album of his new band presenting a modern pop/rock sound in the style of some of his actual favorite artists like Adele and bands like Muse and Imagine Dragons, enriched by electronic, ethnic music and all those symphonic elements which are now a real trademark in his discography. Turilli / Lione Rhapsody later disbanded in February 2023 following a final tour in Latin America, announcing that they would be "closing the chapter of their career for good". [7]

Playing style

Early in his career Turilli was influenced by guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine, Marty Friedman and especially Jason Becker, still considered by him today as the greatest guitarist ever. His lead playing often includes extensive use of sweep picked arpeggios, tremolo picking, classically influenced phrases, and scales such as aeolian, harmonic minor, phrygian, locrian, and melodic minor. In his latest albums he introduced new ethnic elements too (Hirajoshi and Pentatonic scales). As a pianist his main influences are romantic pianists like Chopin and contemporary composers such as Ludovico Einaudi, Yann Tiersen, Yiruma and Philip Glass.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<i>Power of the Dragonflame</i> 2002 studio album by Rhapsody

Power of the Dragonflame is the fifth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released on 23 April 2002 by Limb Music. It is the last chapter in the Emerald Sword Saga. In 2017, Loudwire ranked it as the 9th best power metal album of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabio Lione</span> Italian singer

Fabio Tordiglione, known professionally as Fabio Lione, is an Italian singer who has worked with many bands in the metal genre. He was known for being the singer of Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire for 21 years. He later formed his own band Turilli / Lione Rhapsody with former Rhapsody of Fire guitarist Luca Turilli. He is also the current lead vocalist of Angra, and was the original singer of Labyrinth and Vision Divine.

<i>Legendary Tales</i> 1997 studio album by Rhapsody

Legendary Tales is the debut studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released in 1997 on Limb Music. The album is the beginning of the Emerald Sword Saga.

<i>Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret</i> 2004 studio album by Rhapsody

Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret is the sixth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 2004. A concept album like all previous albums of the band, it is not a sequel to Symphony of Enchanted Lands but the first chapter of the band's new saga, The Dark Secret Saga, which would conclude with their ninth album From Chaos to Eternity.

<i>Symphony of Enchanted Lands</i> 1998 studio album by Rhapsody

Symphony of Enchanted Lands is the second studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 1998. It is the second part of the Emerald Sword Saga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Staropoli</span> Musical artist

Alessandro "Alex" Staropoli is a keyboard player, composer, leader and co-founder of the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He does the orchestral arrangements in all the band's songs. Following the split with Turilli, Staropoli is Rhapsody of Fire's only remaining founding member.

<i>Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret</i> 2006 live album by Rhapsody

Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret is the first live album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was recorded on 14 June 2005 at the Métropolis in Montreal, Canada, during the first part of the Demons, Dragons and Warriors World Tour.

<i>Triumph or Agony</i> 2006 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

Triumph or Agony is the seventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, released in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhapsody of Fire</span> Italian symphonic power metal band

Rhapsody of Fire is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.

<i>The Frozen Tears of Angels</i> 2010 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

The Frozen Tears of Angels is the eighth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on April 30, 2010 via Nuclear Blast. It is the first album to be released after a long hiatus, caused by a legal dispute with the band's previous label, Magic Circle Music. The concept album is the third chapter of The Dark Secret Saga, which began with Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret.

<i>The Cold Embrace of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony</i> 2010 EP by Rhapsody of Fire

The Cold Embrace of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony is the second EP by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It is essentially one long, orchestral song divided into seven acts. The album was recorded at the same time as their previous album The Frozen Tears of Angels and released on 15 October 2010 in Europe.

<i>From Chaos to Eternity</i> 2011 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

From Chaos to Eternity is the ninth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This is the last album to feature long-time guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli, bassist Patrice Guers, and session guitarist Dominique Leurquin, who all left the band on good terms in August 2011 to found Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, the last album with Christopher Lee as narrator, and the only album with guitarist Tom Hess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luca Turilli's Rhapsody</span> Italian metal band

Luca Turilli's Rhapsody was an Italian symphonic power metal band created and led by Luca Turilli after his split from Rhapsody of Fire, also including German, French and Finnish members. The band members referred their style as "Cinematic metal" to underline Luca Turilli's passion for the world of cinema and the soundtracks, yet the main influence of his new artistic proposal.

<i>Dark Wings of Steel</i> 2013 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

Dark Wings of Steel is the tenth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on November 22, 2013, in Europe and December 3, 2013, in the United States via AFM Records. Following the various line-up changes since the previous album From Chaos to Eternity in 2011, Dark Wings of Steel is the first album by the band to not feature guitarist and founding member Luca Turilli, the first with guitarist Roberto De Micheli, and the only album with bassist Oliver Holzwarth.

<i>Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus</i> 2015 studio album by Luca Turillis Rhapsody

Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus is the second and final studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, created by Luca Turilli after his departure from Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 19, 2015, via Nuclear Blast. Turilli considers it as one of the most important albums of his career: Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus was the first ever to be mixed in Dolby Atmos and the music of the same was used by Dolby and Yamaha to promote Dolby Atmos technology worldwide.

<i>Into the Legend</i> 2016 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

Into the Legend is the eleventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on 15 January 2016 via AFM Records.

<i>Legendary Years</i> 2017 studio album of re-recorded songs by Rhapsody of Fire

Legendary Years is a studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, featuring re-recorded songs from The Emerald Sword Saga, a five concept albums-long story started in their first album Legendary Tales in 1997 and concluded in Power of the Dragonflame in 2002.

<i>The Eighth Mountain</i> 2019 album by Rhapsody of Fire

The Eighth Mountain is the twelfth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on 22 February 2019 via AFM Records.

Turilli / Lione Rhapsody was an Italian symphonic metal band formed in December 2018, by former Rhapsody of Fire members Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione. The lineup also included former Rhapsody of Fire members Alex Holzwarth, Patrice Guers, and Dominique Leurquin. Prior to the band's formation, the same lineup performed under the Rhapsody moniker for the 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour, which celebrated 20 years of the original band's existence. On the same day that the band formed, the band started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to fund their only studio album.

<i>Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution)</i> 2019 studio album by Turilli Lione Rhapsody

Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution) is the only studio album by Italian symphonic metal band Turilli Lione Rhapsody. It was released on July 5, 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The album was funded by a crowdfunding campaign that the band had started on Indiegogo.

References

  1. 1 2 "Luca Turilli". rhapsodyoffire.com. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  2. ↑ "Dream Quest 2006".
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview with Luca Turilli". Interview with Luca Turilli. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Facebook post". Facebook . Retrieved 17 March 2014.[ better source needed ]
  5. ↑ "Rhapsody – Biografias" . Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  6. ↑ "Neoclassical Guitar Lessons". neoclassicalrevelation.com. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "Turilli / Lione Rhapsody final Latin American Tour". Turilli / Lione Rhapsody. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.