About Marco William

Marco William Duranti has been described as “a versatile musician, a classical guitarist who likes to look outside his window”. The gift of composition has led him to seek ideas outside the normal parameters of the classical guitar. His principal aim has always been to create new compositions for the classical guitar, rather than adaptations of music from other instruments or sources. He says “I like to implement and adapt ideas from the outside, mould them and make them a property of the guitar, rather than make the guitar a property of the transcription". At the same time, Duranti turns this idea on its head by taking ideas that come from the guitar and adapting them to other musical contexts. This is frequently his method in composing film scores or rock music. This approach comes from his early learning and family roots: his family were artist-artisans and had, as friends, opera, rock and classical musicians, painters and sculptors. He has an enduring love of 60's and 70's music of various styles, including the most beautiful period of classical music recordings. Duranti says he does not seek originality in music, but believes in the uniqueness of a composition stemming from many factors, including the character and ability of the performer. Duranti’s ideas are underpinned by a solid practical and theoretical education: he describes a “progressive and passionate study of music theory and the guitar” at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto under John Perrone and later in Rome under Mario Gangi. As a schoolboy, he also learned to play the blues from a street musician, giving him another perspective on the guitar. Duranti’s music career has suffered challenges and interruptions which have obliged him to explore new directions. He has made many original recordings, ranging from classical guitar to rock concept albums, and film music. He performed extensively in Italy for many years. Duranti says “this long journey is not over yet - I hope I will be able to produce more works and hopefully leave something worth mentioning!”

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