W ith an unruly mass of dark ringlets, blue jeans and a pair of black Chuck Taylors, Giovanni Allevi doesn't look like your average classical pianist. But as he talks about the early masters that inspire him, he lights up in a way that marks him as a truly passionate musician.
Allevi performs with impeccable classical technique, yet defies the traditional standards that govern melody and rhythm. This has led critics to describe his work as "contemporary classical."
"I think it is important now to take value from the past and transport it to the present and make new sounds," Allevi says. "The rule of the composer is this — to break with the past and to try and create something new."