Alessandro Pittorino began playing the organ at just five years old and has since become one of the most inventive and invigorating young organists in the world, wowing audiences with not only his masterful command of the instrument but also his innovative performances and vibrant, theatrical style.

Last year, Alessandro took control of Perth Concert Hall’s famous 3000-pipe organ for a one-of-a-kind Halloween spectacular, improvising the score to the world’s first Dracula film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), before a captivated live audience. The concert was a five-star success, with Limelight Magazine praising him as “a virtuoso organist and a top-flight musician whose enthusiasm for the organ and for its artistic future is refreshing and addictive”.

Alessandro Pittorino performs Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors, 2021 | Photography: Dylan Woods – Partografia

This spooky season, Alessandro will return to the Hall for another spell-binding Halloween concert, this time improvising the score to the first ever feature-length science-fiction film, Metropolis (1927). Based on Thea von Harbou’s 1925 novel of the same name, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia where society is sharply divided into two groups: the working class who live in squalor underground and the privileged city planners who live in luxury above the surface. 

Despite receiving mixed reviews at the time of its release, the film has made its name in history as one of the best and most influential in the silent film genre, with a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 9.1/10. American film critic Roger Ebert once described Metropolis as “one of the great achievements of the silent era, a work so audacious in its vision and so angry in its message that it is, if anything, more powerful today than when it was made.”

In the lead-up to this exciting event, we spoke to Alessandro about the process behind improvising a live concert, his personal favourite film scores, and what audiences can expect at an Alessandro Pittorino concert.

Your Nosferatu concert last year was a hit! What made you decide on Metropolis for this year’s concert?

Many audience members were asking for it after seeing Nosferatu and it was a film I have been interested in exploring. It’s such an iconic film – sort of like an opera in many ways. 

For those who missed out on Nosferatu, how would you describe the experience of an Alessandro Pittorino Halloween concert?

I want my audience to have an experience that they cannot get anywhere else. A live improvised performance is unique to that space and time – a once in a lifetime opportunity. People can also expect fabulous costumes – and I thoroughly encourage people to outdo themselves from last year!

Audience members at Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors, 2021 | Photography: Dylan Woods – Partografia

Can you explain the process of improvising the music for these concerts? Do you prepare anything before the concert or do you just wing it on the night?

Technically, the answer is both. I prepare by studying the film – its structure and storyline, as well the characters in the film. I will then study different musical styles that I feel will most suit what I want to portray. Then it’s a matter of combining the two leading up to the performance. Regardless of all of that, I cannot tell you what is going to happen on the night – I’m excited to hear it myself! 

Alessandro Pittorino performs Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors, 2021 | Photography: Dylan Woods – Partografia

Improvising a film score in front of a live audience seems incredibly daunting. Do you get nervous beforehand and if so, how do you manage your anxiety before going on stage?

No, not at all – I actually find it incredibly freeing. The stage is my happy place. Years of listening, studying and performing so much music, paired with my own musical ideas and thoughts. This culminates in a most unique performance – a composition unfolding before your very ears. Whilst this is undoubtedly the most raw form of musical expression, it is also one I feel very comfortable sharing with my audience and I look forward to taking them on a journey. My mind will be too focused on the task at hand to worry about nerves!

What’s your all-time favourite film score, spooky or otherwise?

I’ll give you my top 3: John Williams' Star Wars and Harry Potter, Hans Zimmer's Interstellar (it's simply breathtaking), and James Newton Howard's Dinosaur.

Don't miss Metropolis: A Halloween Silent Film Spectacular at Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 30 October, 6pm. Find tickets and more information.