Gabriele Di Franco

Gabriele di Franco, born in Italy and naturalized Belgian, is a multi-award-winning composer, writer, and guitarist, whose music blends jazz roots, classical influences, and modern grooves into emotionally rich, story-driven works. With a dramaturgical approach to composition, he crafts music that unfolds like a story — where every note is a character, every silence a breath in the narrative.

He graduated in 2014 with a degree in Jazz Guitar from the Nino Rota Conservatory (IT) and completed an additional year of studies at the renowned Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien. In 2018, he earned a Master’s degree in Composition and Arrangement at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he studied under composers such as Kris Defoort, Lode Mertens, and Peter Swinnen. He also regularly takes private lessons with composers including Michel Bisceglia (BE), Ed Partyka (USA), and John Hollenbeck (USA).

He is currently pursuing a postmaster’s degree at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels under Michel Bisceglia, dedicated to researching how music can guide, transform, or emphasize scenes in cinematic and animated storytelling. As a final project, he is composing a new score for “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” (1926) by Lotte Reiniger — the world’s oldest surviving animated feature. This reimagining offers a space to merge historical film with contemporary musical insight.

Gabriele has developed an extensive discography and regularly composes for both large and small ensembles, which has earned him several awards and recognitions.
 

Gabriele is also active in the opera and music-theatre field, in fact, in 2021 premiered LULELA – Lui, Lei, L’Altro (LOD muziektheater): a layered jazz concert with narration, where the fate of the protagonist—and the direction of the entire performance—was determined by the audience. In LULELA, Gabriele explored reading as a theatrical experience, transforming the audience into active participants who influenced the development of the story, chapter by chapter. This was achieved through the use of animated projections of text, providing a vivid and imaginative reading experience that fostered a strong connection between the audience, the narrator, and the performers.

For LULELA, Gabriele was the composer, writer, performer, and director.

Awards

“3rd prize” – Spheres of a Genius Honoring Carla Bley Composition Competition for Symphony Orchestra (by ORF Vienna & Jammusiclab) – “05.08.23 for Carla” (2023)

“Special prize” – Ise-Shima International Popular Music Composition Competition – “‘Nguè” (2023)

“1st prize” (cat A) – Scrivere in Jazz International Composition & Arrangement Competition for Jazz Orchestra – “Betsabea” (2022)

“Special prize & mention” – Ise-Shima International Popular Music Composition Competition – “Berlin” (2022)

“Special prize” – Ise-Shima International Popular Music Composition Competition – “Acqua” (2022)

“winner composer” – European Composers (Sound of a generation) SJO/CGN (2021)

“3rd prize” – Helsinki International Big Band Composing Contest – “Berlin” (2021)

“Elevator Jazz Pitch” – injazz.nl - berthold rec - LULELA (2019)

“Second best Composer” – Jazz Comp Graz composition competition – “Aspetta” (2017)

“SIAE” scholarship for authors and composers under 35 (2017)

“Audience Award” – Sibiu Jazz Contest – Bija (2017)

“Black Music Contest” – Multiculturita – Bija (2017)

“Band Revelation Of The Year” – Jazzup – Bija (2012)

“Soundslice” – Bija (2012)

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