PEPPE FRANA
Modal music & improvisation
In this seminar we will explore the musical thinking of the major non-European musical traditions (Turkish-Ottoman Makam, Arabic Maqam, Persian Dastgah, Hindustani raga, etc.) and early European modalsystem.
Through practical exercises, participants will be guided towards an immediate understanding of the concepts of mode, rhythmic cycle, modal pathway and to the creative reworking of the traditional materials studied. The workshop is aimed at all instrumentalists and singers interested in undertaking the study of “oriental” and medieval music in a conscious and fruitful manner and in broadening their improvisational and compositional language.
Passionate from a young age about rock and metal music, he quickly became the nightmare of the best electric guitar teachers in the area. At 20 he was dazzled by interest in modal music thanks to the work of Ross Daly and took up the study of turkish ud and other chordophones played with a plectrum, making frequent trips to Greece and Turkey especially in the context of the Labyrinth Musical Workshop in Crete. There he had the chance to learn from some of the most renowned maestros: Yurdal Tokcan, Omer Erdogdular, Murat Aydemir, Daud Khan Sadozai and Ross Daly himself.
A meeting with the members of Ensemble Micrologus inspired his interest in European medieval music and in plectrum lute. He quickly became one of the most appreciated soloists and teachers specializing in Italian trecento repertoire.
2013 he has been studying medieval lute at the Schola Cantorum in Basel Switzerland under the guidance of Crawford Young, marking his first experience of academic music study.
He has a degree in philosophy from the Istituto Universitario “L’Orientale” in Naples.
He regularly works with many artists and musical projects in the world of early, eastern and non- classical music. He is the artistic director of Labyrinth Italia.