This is a fun survey of Italian musical styles for the piccolo with piano accompaniment, penned by one of the most active and successful composers in flute music, Gary Schocker. Riding on the success of his Sonata for piccolo and piano, Schocker delivers yet again with Piccolo Italiano, which is comprised of three movements: "Fellini Was Here," "Ricordarsi," and "Polpettina." Piccolo Italiano is dedicated to Italian flutist and a Galway protégé Raffaele Travisani, whose gold piccolo inspired the piece, and also to Schocker's wife, pianist Paola Girardi. Each movement is challenging yet playful in nature, and piccolo players will be glad to have a chance to experience more of Schocker's fine work.

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GARY SCHOCKER
Flutist-composer-pianist Gary Schocker is an accomplished musician of outstanding versatility. As a flutist, Mr. Schocker has performed with many of the world’s great orchestras including performances with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra (while still in his teens), I Solisti Italiani, the Dallas Symphony, and the New Jersey Symphony. He has performed in recital throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, Panama, Taiwan, Germany, France, and Canada. He is often heard in concert with guitarist Jason Vieaux. Schocker teaches many students who travel to his home base of New York City as well as in master classes throughout the world.

In addition to being the most published living composer for flute, Gary Schocker has composed sonatas and chamber music for most instruments of the orchestra. He has also written several musicals and children’s musicals, including FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD and THE AWAKENING, which can be heard on Original Cast Recordings. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD was given its debut in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2000. In fall 2004 the show received its first fully-staged professional production at the 47th Street Theatre in New York City, as part of the first New York Musical Theater Festival. Schocker has won the International Clarinet Association’s annual composition competition twice and the National Flute Association’s annual Newly Published Music Award numerous times. Sir James Galway premiered his three-movement concerto GREEN PLACES at Ireland’s Adair Festival and has also performed the work with the New Jersey Symphony. Mr. Galway performed Schocker’s MUSIQUE FRANÇAISE on his U.S. tour in 2002.

Gary Schocker can be heard in his debut recording, REGRETS AND RESOLUTIONS, on Jonathan Digital, and on 4 highly-acclaimed CDs on the Chesky label. The 1998 Jonathan Digital recording titled AIRBORNE features his own works for flute with piano and harp. DREAMTRAVELS, on the Azica label, presents Schocker in duo with guitarist Jason Vieaux. ARIOSO, on Azica, is all baroque music featuring Schocker’s realizations of sonatas by Bach, LeClair, and Vivaldi. FOR DAD, also an Azica release, features original works as well as standard repertoire by Poulenc, Hindemith, Faure, and Caplet, with pianist Hugh Sung. Gary Schocker’s concert music may also be heard on the Koch, Troy, Sazas, Gionata, SNE, Paulinas Comep, Fleur de Son, and Innova labels, as well as the all-solo FLUTE FOREST Azica CD.