| Leonardo/ISASTwith Arizona State University

David Monacchi

at Conservatory “G.Rossini”
Pesaro,
Italy

David Monacchi is a researcher, performer and eco-acoustic composer. He has been developing his multidisciplinary project Fragments of Extinction for nearly 15 years, conducting field research in the world’s last remaining areas of primary equatorial rainforest in the Amazon, Africa and Borneo. Monacchi is pioneering a new compositional approach based on 3D soundscape recordings of ecosystems to foster discourse on the biodiversity crisis through music and sound-art installations.
His music has been broadcast internationally and performed in concerts and installations since 1989, including at Kryptonale (Berlin), Nuova Consonanza, Tevereterno (Rome), La Via Lattea (Lugano), Community Art Council (Vancouver), Nuit Blanche (Paris), Dangerous Curve (Los Angeles), CNMAT (Berkeley), IEM (Graz), IMEB (Bourges), Cinematek (Oslo), R. Solomon Guggenheim Museum, Ear to the Earth and the River to River Festival (New York), Biennale (Venice), WFAE (Corfù), Balance-Unbalance (Montreal), Palazzo Reale (Milano), Hochshule (Darmstadt). Collaborations with visual artists include, Kristin Jones, Livia Cannella and Mimmo Paladino. He has released 65 CDs as a recording engineer, performer and composer, including: Prima Amazonia (Wild Sanctuary) and Eco-Acoustic Compositions (EMF Media). Honors include prizes from the Multiple Sound Festival (Holland, 1993), Russolo-Pratella Competition (Italy, 1996), Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland, 1996), Bourges International Grand Prix of Electroacoustic Music (France, 2007 and 2008).
A Fulbright research fellow at UC-Berkeley, he has taught at the University of Macerata and is now professor of Electroacoustic Music at the Conservatorio of Pesaro (Italy).
He is based in Italy and travels throughout the world for field research, eco-acoustic composition and installation-art, and gives lectures and concerts in Europe and North America.

Journal Articles:
Space

Fragments of Extinction: Acoustic Biodiversity of Primary Rainforest Ecosystems

December 2013