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A Walk at Sunset: The Creative Process Behind Carlo's "Atardecer"

  • Writer: WOMCO
    WOMCO
  • 6 days ago
  • 4 min read


Carlo Alberto Proto was awarded the First Prize and the Beethoven Innovation Special Award in the Original Composition Category, at the 2025 Season 2 Beethoven International Music Competition UK for his composition Atardecer.


Could you share the inspiration behind this work and the message you hope to convey through it?

This work holds a very special meaning for me because it encapsulates life experiences, emotions, stories, and personal bonds. My motto is: “to experiences and affections” — because, in the end, what truly matters is what you've lived and the people who care about you. Flamingo is not just a title: it evokes the hypnotic sound of Herbie Hancock’s keyboards in Mr. Hands, with a flamingo on the cover, and it also pays homage to Spain, as “flamingo” in Spanish is flamenco. This album is a sincere tribute to the emotions and memories that have shaped me.



What was your creative process like while composing "Atardecer"? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?

“Atardecer” came to life very naturally. The piece was inspired by an evening walk I took with Giovanna Magro in Andalusia. We were immersed in the beauty of a sunset, and the music just “came through”, flowing from my hands effortlessly. The structure reflects that suspended feeling — full of light and quiet melancholy. I wanted to keep a free form, allowing space for dynamics and emotional nuances. Giovanna wrote the lyrics based on that shared experience, and I believe her interpretation captured all its intensity.


How do you feel about the response to your composition, and are there any particular emotions or reactions you'd like listeners to experience when they hear it performed?

I am deeply grateful for the reception that “Atardecer” has received. Knowing that something born from such an intimate moment can touch others is one of the most fulfilling feelings for a composer. When someone tells me they felt moved or transported, I know the music did its job. I hope that those who listen will feel honesty, delicacy — and maybe be carried into a personal memory or emotion of their own.


Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and thank anyone (such as mentors, supporters, or other team members)?

Participating in this competition has been a great honor. It’s always inspiring to connect with an international audience and share one’s music in a new context. I am truly thankful to Giovanni Mazzarino, who has been a guiding light throughout my musical and personal journey. And of course, to Giovanna Magro: her sensitivity, voice, and writing were essential to bringing this project to life. I also want to thank my friends and family for always believing in me.



Biography

Carlo Alberto Proto is a Sicilian guitarist and composer. He graduated with honors in Jazz Guitar from the “A. Corelli” Conservatory of Messina, studying under Maestro Giovanni Mazzarino. He has attended advanced jazz masterclasses led by renowned musicians such as Fabrizio Bosso, Enrico Intra, Bebo Ferra, Fabio Zeppetella, Rosario Giuliani, Dado Moroni, Joe La Barbera, Eddie Gomez, and Pietro Lussu.


His career is strongly focused on original musical expression, with performances as a bandleader in prestigious European jazz clubs, including “Clasijazz” in Almería (Spain) and “The Concorde Club” in Southampton (UK).


He has received several important national and international awards, such as:

– First Prize at the Chicco Bettinardi National Jazz Competition in Piacenza (2025)

– Best Composition Award at the Johnny Raducanu International Jazz Festival in Brăila,

Romania (2024), for the piece Flamingo

– First Prize – Original Composition and the Beethoven Innovation Special Award for the piece Atardecer at the Beethoven International Music Competition UK (2025)


In 2024, he released his debut album as bandleader and composer, Flamingo – Carlo Alberto Proto feat. Giovanni Mazzarino, published by Jazzy Records. The album was selected by the editorial staff of the magazine JazzIt as one of the 100 Best Italian and International Jazz Albums of 2024 for the JazzIt Awards.


Since 2017, he has collaborated steadily with vocalist Giovanna Magro. Together, they have

brought their projects to prominent stages such as the Teatro Antico in Taormina, Real Teatro Santa Cecilia in Palermo for the Sicilia Jazz Festival, Clarence Jazz Club in Málaga, Gallo Rojo in Seville, Auditorium Basel in Switzerland, Torrefranca Jazz Festival in Vibo Valentia, Lune...di Jazz Festival in Messina, and Open Jazz Festival at Zo Centro Multiculturale in Catania.


He is also co-leader of the collective Varkes, alongside Fabio Tiralongo and Andrea Iurianello. With this group, he won the Best Composition Award at the Johnny Raducanu International Jazz Festival (2021) for the piece Raila. As an orchestral musician, he has served as solo guitarist with ensembles such as the Corelli Jazz Band, Clasijazz Bigband Pro, and PSJO, performing with world-class artists like Bobby Watson, Fabrizio Bosso, Matteo and Giovanni Cutello, and Ramón Cardo.


In 2025, he recorded the guitar parts for Giovanni Mazzarino’s harmony treatise Invenzioni non Inventate, published by Jazzy Books. In addition to his work as a composer and performer, he is also deeply involved in music education in Sicily.



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