Today we’d like to introduce you to David Cerquetti.
Hi David, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hey, I’m David Cerquetti. I grew up in northern Italy, in Aosta, and currently live in Los Angeles. I am a composer and songwriter, working mostly in the film industry. I’ve had the honor of collaborating with many incredible artists in the last few years, including Anna Drubich (composer of the Oscar-winning documentary “Navalny”), Jongnic Bontemps (“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”), Giuliano Taviani (winner of two Italian Oscars), Lorenzo Licitra (winner of X-Factor Italia) and currently involved as orchestrator in the acclaimed John Wick saga “Ballerina” (music by Marco Beltrami and Anna Drubich). I recently composed the music for the Italian film “Buio come il cuore” (Dark is the Hear), directed by Marco De Luca and co-written with Claudio Masenza, with a Blue Film Srl production and soon in theaters. The soundtrack album was released last week on Spotify and includes 21 tracks in total, the first of which, “Buio,” features famous Italian pop singer Lorenzo Licitra. The score was recorded at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, performed by the Orchestra della Toscana, and later re-manipulated with the addition of electronics.
In the cast of this return of Italian noir, the face of Elisabetta Pellini emerges strongly, made such a brilliant performance. Alongside her, we find established names such as Antonio Grosso, Stefano Gianino, Gabriele Rossi, Antonietta Bello, Luc Merenda, and Stefania Casini.
I am wrapping up a new Italian feature film titled “La Volpe e l’Uva” (Fox and Grapes) directed by Piermaria Cecchini, where I collaborated again with pop singer Lorenzo Licitra on the song for the end credits. It is a comedy-mystery film. I had the honor of recording in Los Angeles with some of the best musicians in town, including George Doering, who really brought an artistic spark to the score. I am currently mixing with Tim Starnes.
On Feb. 10, 2024, I was among the featured composers at the “Opus Next” concert organized by K17 in Los Angeles at the Village Studios together with Marco Beltrami, Harry Gregson Williams, Anna Drubich, Jongnic Bontemps, Peter Golub and Carlos Simon where it was performed a chamber suite from the film “Buio Come il Cuore” (Dark is the Heart).
I have always been quite active in the concert world, actually coming from there. I studied in Italy with composer Salvatore Sciarrino at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, where I am currently a teaching assistant in the film scoring program.
There are many things planned for the future. I have been confirmed for another Italian film, and in the meantime, I am trying to expand my collaborations in Los Angeles and to continue working with Anna Drubich, whom I consider a brilliant composer and a special friend. There is a possibility that I will go to Beijin in July to teach orchestration for 2 weeks, which is very exciting.
As for my musical voice, I am driven by a deep passion for philosophy and art, the intellectual path of which has been shaped by a profound exploration of the works of Immanuel Kant and Victor Hugo. The profound impact of Kant’s epistemological and moral philosophy, combined with the rich literary tapestries woven by Victor Hugo, has left an indelible mark on my musical landscape and vision of life.
Other than that, I try as much as possible to live a happy and healthy life. I enjoy paddle playing (a kind of tennis), skiing, hiking and going to museums. Los Angeles is the perfect city for all this! It’s hard to find good pizza, though! I have to say.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life goes up and down; I think it’s not easy for anyone. I was born in a town of 3,000 people and spent my teenage years among mountains, cows, sheep, and lots of snow. The path to get here was extremely arduous and there is still so much I want to do and achieve. But it is a journey; I try to live it that way. The only way to move forward is to stay true to your goal, stay on your own path, and be happy for the paths of others. Love people, be around people who respect you, be happy for other people’s success, don’t chase success, don’t be too attached and proud of my work, don’t change because society dictates me to, and above all, respect everyone, be good and help without expecting anything in return. Besides bringing happiness to the world, this attitude, I am convinced, will pay off in the long run. There are no shortcuts, and I am grateful for everything that is happening to me. There are much more serious things in the world right now, which is why I decided to invest more time in songwriting as well. With lyrics I can talk about politics and be more heard.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Well, my working method is very distinctive, for better or worse. I always point it out to my clients. But maybe, after all, that’s why they hire me sometimes. I have my own artistic vision of things, I’m very collaborative, and I really enjoy working together with the director. However, if I am asked for a style that is in conflict with what I do, I prefer to recommend some other good composer friend. I’ll give you an example: I’m not a jazz musician, so why would I get into writing jazz when there are arrangers and composers who have studied their whole lives to do this? I usually spend months, when there is time, researching the correct sound for the film. Sound for me is everything, it’s like the color of a painting. I have discussions with the director, come up with ideas, and I make up my sound palette for the film, and then stick to it for all the cues. If halfway through the film, I come up with a sound that I didn’t plan for in advance, I can’t use it, even if I want to. I force myself to stay faithful to the “sound conception” stage. That way there is consistency and cohesiveness throughout the film. I am much more interested in the audience coming out, moved by the sound world I created for them rather than whistling a tune.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I have always been a dreamer. At home, I was the lively one, with my head in the clouds. My brother the quieter and more dedicated one, but a person of supreme intelligence. We both fight for a better world. Me in a more spiritual way, writing music and making art, him in a more practical way through the law. He lives in Italy. I love him with all my heart and miss him dearly, as well as all my family and my dog. I have always loved the stars, the sky, art, all art. My grandfather was a painter, and my grandmother was a big fan of paintings. I grew up around art. Music came kind of spontaneously. I wrote my first composition when I was 11 years old, so without any musical knowledge. It was part of myself, and my mom took me to the conservatory, they had suggested I start composition, but I was too young, so I studied piano. I ended up hating it over time, but that’s good; it got me back into composition.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.davidcerquetti.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.cerquetti/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_QhnmIiD1c
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/album/4ibe5kjHZ1U6YYHpvwrtkL?si=q1qecO6iQqmZd_y1_SPdug
