| Birth date | 1950 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Naples, Italy |
| Death date | 21 May 1983 (aged 33) |
| Death place | Milan, Italy |
| Occupation | Composer and musician |
Luciano Cilio (1950 – 21 May 1983) was an Italian composer and musician.[1]
Born in Naples, Cilio was trained in both architecture and music. In the early 1970s, he became involved with Italy’s progressive rock and experimental theater scenes.[2] He collaborated with musicians such as Alan Sorrenti and Shawn Phillips.[3]
Cilio recorded and released an album of minimalist music, Dialoghi del presente, in 1977.[4] The album is organized as a suite of four movements plus an interlude, and uses instruments such as acoustic guitar, mandolin, strings, piano, woodwinds, voice, and percussion.[2] An expanded version of the album, entitled Dell'Universo Assente was released in 2004, performed by Girolamo De Simone and featuring liner notes by Jim O’Rourke.[5] O'Rourke cites De Simone as responsible for rediscovering Cilio's work, and draws comparisons to artists such as Nick Drake, Bill Fay, This Heat, Popol Vuh, and Arvo Pärt.[3]
One of his pieces, "Della Conoscenza", is featured on No. 18 of The Wire magazine's long-running series of CD compilations The Wire Tapper.
He died in Milan by his own hand at the age of 33.[6]
References
- ^ De Simone, G., Luciano Cilio mi disse..., Naples: ilmiolibro, 2011, ISBN 978-88-910-4633-8
- ^ Beta, Andy. "Luciano Cilio: Dell'Universo Assente". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "LUCIANO CILIO : Dell'Universo Assente - CD - DIE SCHACHTEL - Forced Exposure". www.forcedexposure.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "Luciano Cilio, l'Assente" by Gianluca Veltri, Nazione Indiana, 21 January 2009 (in Italian)
- ^ "Dusted Reviews: Luciano Cilio – Dell'Universo Assente". Dustedmagazine.com. 4 October 2004. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
- ^ Whiteley, S., & Sklower, J., Countercultures and Popular Music (Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, 2014), p. 245.