Damiano Cozzella

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Also known as

Levy Damiano Cozzella, Damiano Coccella

Years active

1950s–2010s

Genres

MPB, classical music, experimental music, tropicalism, avant-garde

Instruments

piano, violin, clarinet, trumpet

Biography

Damiano Cozzella (1929-2018) was a Brazilian composer, arranger, conductor and professor, recognized for his work in musical avant-garde and his ability to move between classical and popular music. He studied composition with Hans-Joachim Koellreutter in the 1950s, which introduced him to dodecaphonic technique. His career brought him close to movements such as Concretism and Tropicalism, for which he produced notable arrangements, including works for Caetano Veloso and Tom Zé. Cozzella was also one of the signatories of the "Música Nova" manifesto in 1963, a milestone for the Brazilian musical avant-garde.

His academic career included stints at the University of Brasília (UnB) and the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), where he was one of the founders of the Music Department in the 1970s. In addition to his work as a composer and professor, Cozzella was a prolific arranger, especially for choirs, creating over three hundred arrangements for the USP Choir, many of them based on Brazilian popular music. His version of Dorival Caymmi's "Suíte dos Pescadores" is one of his most celebrated arrangements.

Damiano Cozzella is remembered for his vast musical culture, privileged ear and irreverence, influencing generations of musicians. His work is marked by cultural hybridization, mixing elements of high and low culture, classical and popular, jazz, cha-cha-cha and bolero, always with a critical and innovative perspective. He passed away in São Paulo on May 24, 2018, at the age of 89, leaving a significant legacy for Brazilian music.