Ballet pianist Massimiliano Greco composes for murdered student
Giulia Cecchettin was stabbed over 20 times by her ex-boyfriend who left her body in a wooded area near a lake – she was days away from graduating with a degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Padua. The death of the 22-year-old college student in 2023 is one of several high-profile cases that highlight the problem of femicide and domestic violence in Italy.
Last week, Cecchettin’s former boyfriend, Filippo Turetta, was convicted of murder and given a life sentence.
Ballet pianist and composer Massimiliano Greco, who is Head of Music at the Académie Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo, has written a piece dedicated to her. Many will know Massimiliano Greco from his many recordings of music for ballet class on streaming platforms and on CD.
Giulia Cecchettin had been studying dance for many years, and her ballet teacher asked Greco to write a piece dedicated to her. The piece, called “Lettera a Giulia,” was composed, and choreography was created in memory of her.
After this request, Greco conceived a larger project to share with the entire dance world and his fellow pianists – a version of “Lettera a Giulia” specifically for ballet class.
He has made this version available free of charge as a musical file for dance schools, academies, and companies worldwide. Every time this music is announced and used during the ballet class, it will be a symbol of the unity of dance and music against violence towards women.
Also, the piano score will be distributed free of charge with fellow ballet pianists.
The goal of this project is that for a few minutes, a musical piece and a choreography become an immense voice, speaking to the world about beauty, art, and culture – a voice that vehemently buries the shame and horror of all femicides that unfortunately infest our planet.
https://open.spotify.com/track/6bPW8D6KEnDm6f30Wcu8IZ…
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
