Christian Ferlaino is the Principal Investigator of LoMus. He is an ethnomusicologist who has conducted extensive research in Calabrian folk music and sound. He is also a saxophonist, bagpiper, improviser and composer whose music has been performed and broadcast worldwide.
Christian obtained his PhD in Creative Music Practice at the University of Edinburgh funded by AHRC. His doctoral research, Confluences – Folk Wisdom in Contemporary Music, developed a practice for contemporary music, which is informed by the grammar and vocabulary of Calabrian folk music in Southern Italy.
He graduated in DAMS at Università di Bologna with a dissertation in ethnomusicology about the dance folk music from central Calabria.
He holds a BA and an MA in Jazz from the Conservatorio di Musica G.B. Martini di Bologna.
He participates in European improvisation scenes in Bologna, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Berlin, where he lived and worked. He collaborated with musicians such as Anthony Braxton, Michael Moore, Dirk Bruinsma, Wilbert de Joode, Anne la Berge, Toby Delius, Han Bennink, Joost Buis, Tristan Honsinger, Kaja Draksler, Onno Govaert, Raymond MacDonald, and many others.
Publications
- Ferlaino, Christian. 2020. “Using ethnographic data and psychoacoustics to analyse a tuning system for surdulina bagpipes”, Sound Ethnographies 3(2).
- Ferlaino, Christian. 2019. “Generative principles of dance music in Central Calabria”, Analytical Approaches to World Music 7 (1).
- Ferlaino, Christian. 2018. “Alcune Osservazioni Sulla Danza Nell’area Di Influenza Della Madonna Di Conflenti.” In Paesaggi Culturali Di Calabria. Percorsi Interdisciplinari, edited by Mauro Francini, 1:165–76. Soveria Mannelli: Rubbettino.
- Bressi, Alessio, Giancarlo Di Toma, Christian Ferlaino, and Gianpiero Nitti. 2017. “Liner Notes.” In Musiche Tradizionali Nell’area Del Reventino-Savuto. F&C001. (Cd with booklet. pp.20, 22 audio tracks).
- Ferlaino, Christian. 2017. La Musica Da Danza Nell’area Di Influenza Della Madonna Di Conflenti. Soveria Mannelli: Rubbettino.
Conferences and Presentations
- Modularity and Micro-Variation in Central Calabria. Motif-Centricity and Micro-Variationin Traditional Music. University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. 9-12 November 2022.
- Animal Bells, From Landscape toPerformance. BFE Annual Conference 2021. Bath Spa University, Bath, 8-11 April 2021.
- Bad Habits. Seven Practice-Research Online Symposia. 2: Restrictions and Affordance. 21st Century Music Practice Research Network, University of West London, 15 May 2020.
- Animal Bells Beyond Functional. Research in Practice: Creative Engagement With The Work Of Others. University of West Scotland, Glasgow, 18 May 2018.
- Bagpipes as A Resource for Contemporary Music. Creating Music Across Cultures in the 21st Century Conference.Istanbul Technical University, 25-27 May 2017.
- Melodic Formula and Modular Micro-Variation. The Improvising Brain III. Cultural Variation and Analytical Approaches, Georgia State University, Atlanta GA, 26-28 February 2017.
- Bagpipes as a Resource for Contemporary Music. PhD Symposium. University of Edinburgh, 28 June 2016.
- Solo Saxophone Informed by The Grammar, Syntax and Vocabulary Of South- Italian Folk Music. International Society for Improvised Music Conference and Festival. Toronto, 12-16 May 2016.
- Saxophone solo: Sound Thought. Glasgow, 30 March-1 April 2016.