WITH MARCO DI STEFANO

London, 2025

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During this interview, I change seats, place myself in front of another artist and ask him the questions I wish people asked me. Today, I meet again with Italian composer Marco Di Stefano, who has just released his latest project, Far Inside. 

Marco, tell us about yourself.

I am an Italian living in Bruxelles; musician and composer, focused on creating music that blends classical elements with contemporary sounds. My works are often an exploration of moods and soundscapes. I am also an experienced software engineer and architect, skills that I often use in writing music to create solid structures and simplicity. I love spending time with my wife and son and dog, watching movies, travelling and discovering the best vegan restaurant around the world!

Tell us about Far Inside, your latest solo project?

Far Inside is a concept album that explores the inner landscapes of the human psyche. I feel that today, people tend to look outward for happiness, and this album is an invitation to turn inward, exploring our own depths to discover our true selves. Each piece was inspired by a specific emotion or human experience, from heroism and anxiety to melancholy and obsessive love. Musically, I think of it as a collection of cinematic pieces. My work is deeply introspective, and translating these emotions into music is my natural way of interpreting and describing reality. The album was written for a live ensemble and features full orchestras, live woodwinds, brass, and soloists, which I then layered with subtle electronic instrumentation to give it a modern edge. Each piece was recorded in studio with the European Recording Orchestra, and the album will be supported by a collection of videos made with the footage of the recording session, that will be published on YouTube following the album release.

What are some of your influences as a musician and composer?

My influences are quite varied and come from different stages of my musical life. I draw immense inspiration from the narrative spirit of cinematic composers like Ennio Morricone and the orchestral genius of classical masters like Stravinsky, Chopin, Petrassi, and Rachmaninoff. Their work is always in the back of my mind. My formal training was shaped by a decade of intensive study with contemporary masters like Giovanni D’Aquila, Adriano Guarnieri, and Luc Brewaeys, who taught me to explore music beyond traditional tonality. However, my path did not start in a conservatory. My musical journey began as a lead guitarist in a metal band, and that raw energy is still part of my compositional DNA. That background, combined with years of formal piano study, has given me a unique foundation to build upon.

How does film music influence your work, and specifically this latest project?

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Film music is a fundamental part of my artistic identity. I approach composition as a journey into storytelling, always aiming to merge the timeless emotion of classical orchestration with the narrative precision of modern scoring. This is especially true for Far Inside. I often describe the album as a collection of cinematic pieces. Even without visuals, each track is structured to build narrative tension and tell a story using the modern language of film music. My recent studies at the European Academy of Fine Arts in media scoring equipped me with the essential tools to build that dramatic arc with sound alone. A track like "Angels on Our Shoulders," for example, was consciously composed to evoke the spirit of classic war films like Saving Private Ryan, but re-imagined through a contemporary lens.

Tell us about how you approach balancing technologic advancements with traditional techniques?

This balance is at the core of my process, largely because of my dual background. I spent 20 years as an IT developer and architect, and I bring that architect's mindset to my compositions—structuring every piece to serve the project's core narrative needs. On one hand, the foundation is always traditional. The music for Far Inside was written for live ensembles, and every composition begins at the piano. On the other hand, I have a deep appreciation for electronic music and sound experimentation. For this album, my goal was to integrate synths so seamlessly that the listener might not even consciously notice them. They are not there to take the lead, but to accompany and enrich the organic, acoustic textures, making the traditional instruments sound unique.

What do you envision the future of music to be?

Based on my own work, I believe the future of music lies in the thoughtful synthesis of tradition and innovation. It Is essential for modern composers to utilise the new instruments technology provides to craft a truly unique sonic signature. The integration of electronic textures with traditional orchestras is a powerful example of this. I also see music becoming even more deeply intertwined with interactive media, like video games. My training with game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine has shown me the incredible potential for dynamic, narrative-driven scores that adapt to the user's experience. Ultimately, no matter how advanced the technology gets, the goal will remain the same: to tell stories and translate complex human emotions into sound. The future is about using new tools to achieve that timeless goal more effectively.

So after Far Inside, what’s next?

The immediate focus is the release of Far Inside on September 16th. I am also sharing a series of behind-the-scenes YouTube videos from the live recording sessions, giving listeners a glimpse into the process of bringing the music to life. Looking just ahead, in October, I am honoured to be one of twelve composers selected for the prestigious Fusion Film Scoring Workshop in Thessaloniki. There, I will have the amazing opportunity to score a short film and have it recorded by a live ensemble. Beyond that, I am actively seeking bold new cinematic and game projects to score. The work of a composer is always about finding the next story to tell.

Thanks very much Marco. One last for the road — one book, one album, one film —, tell us about your latest cultural pearls?

In the last two years I have been reading mostly theory books related to music and production, but one that I loved is the Harmony manual book from Arnold Schoenberg. I loved how he approached the whole discussion about music theory and the fact that there cannot be one system that is able to encapsulate the whole nature of sound. Music is a craft, it is ok to know the rules, but in the end when you craft you do it just following your own instinct. So, he says, each composer must just close his eyes and find the notes and harmonies inside himself. I found this book very interesting, because that is how I have always approached composition: I like to know the rules, the styles and the forms, but when I compose I am in full control and I do not let any system influence my creativity.

Bouncing on Marco’s words, one of the greatest challenges of any artist is to reflect his or her times. Nowadays though, the examples are plenty, from Richter to Radiohead there has never been a better time to look at how tradition and innovation meet. Read my review of Far Inside.