Francesco Giammusso was born on January 27th, 1970 in Rome. His approach to music started through the study of the French horn with Luciano Giuliani. His interests went soon towards composition, which he studied with Riccardo Giovannini. From 1997 to 2000 he was guest composer of Farfa Giubileo Festival, where he presented symphonic and chamber works which had been commissioned to him. He cooperated with the Philarmonic Orchestra of Sarajevo and his compositions were performed at the National Theatre in Sarajevo under the direction of Emir Nuhanovic.
He cooperated with Solisti Aquilani who performed his pieces under the direction of Carlo Rizzari. A monographic concert was dedicated to him on occasion of the "2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue”, which took place at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In the same year, he was a guest of L'Orchestre Internationale de la Cité Universitaire de Paris, which executed two of his compositions: Concerto per pianoforte ed archi and Pathos, for symphony orchestra. He was invited by the Saaltnotestage Festival Washington D.C., where some of his compositions for orchestra where performed within a concert dedicated to Italy.
His chamber music was also played in various musical events, theatres and institutions in Rome, among them the most important were at: Roma Tre Orchestra, American Embassy, Österreichischen Kulturforum Rom and Teatro Ghione.
On July 9th, 2009 his Elegia per la Pace was performed by Solisti Aquilani and the American soprano Lydia Easley conducted by Vincenzo Mariozzi in the course of Aquila G8, before eight Chiefs of State, Prime Ministers and other Italian and foreign authorities.
He was awarded the 2009 Francavilla International Award as Emerging Composer.
On this occasion, Fantasia per tromba ed orchestra d'archi was performed.
In 2009 his Concerto per clarinetto e orchestra was executed at the Nancy Opera House under the direction of Paolo Olmi. He has been commissioned a symphonic piece (Reportage) by the San Carlo Theatre in Naples, performed during the season 2010-2011 and by Rome Opera House (American Pastoral), to be executed during the season 2011/12. In April 2013 Reportage was also been performed in Germany at the Trier Opera House.
His music was played at the National Italian Radio: Radio Televisione Italiana (RAI).
He has been a guest of Radio Tre Suite, where he presented the program of the concert performed at the European Parliament.
From some of his compositions we can perceive his particular attention to some social and ecumenical themes, above all reciprocal respect and enhancement among different religions and the safeguard of human rights. Under these auspices the piece Elegia per la Pace was composed. It is a collage of fragments of Buddhist, Christian, Hebrew, Hindu and Muslim prayers and, like some of his previous compositions, it has been enriched with video- projections, some of them by Massimo Mastrorillo, the winner of the Photography Award in 2006.
In 2012, the leading Italian label Tactus released the CD “Francesco Giammusso Piano Works” with the soloists Enrico Maria Polimanti on the piano and Andrea Noferini on the cello.This cd is being distributed currently by Naxos.
The recording was praised by Ennio Morricone who said: “Giammusso's music is very well written. It reaches the mind and the heart with no compromises or short cuts”
In 2013, Romanza for cello and string orchestra (commissioned by Teatro dell’Opera di Roma) was executed by Andrea Noferini and conducted by Carlo Donadio. In May 2013, the first execution of Ave Maria, at the Historical Duomo of Orvieto (commissioned by Festival Orvieto Musica e Cultura).
In December 2014, Svelunio for orchestra and Invictus (homage to Nelson Mandela) for choir and orchestra, were performed for the first time by the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, conducted by Walter Attanasi. The concert was organized in Bratislava (Auditorium of Radio Slovakia), on the occasion of the Presidence of Italy at the European Union.
Other experiences and acknowledgements:
In April 2019 Francesco Giammusso worked at the Faculty of Multimedial Arts of the National University of the Arts (UNA) in Buenos Aires, delivering a master class on composition for film scoring.
He has been recognized as Ambassador of Peace in Assisi.
He is a permanent member of the Jury of Davide di Donatello Academy of Italian Cinema.