CODY FRANCHETTI
HONORARY CHAIRMAN
Cody Franchetti is an independent scholar, writer, and philanthropist. Born in Rome, his musical studies took him to Paris, where he studied piano and composition with Margherita Parise, followed by vocal studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. He earned a BA in music from the Mannes College of Music in New York, where he trained extensively in music theory, harmony, counterpoint, music history, Schenkerian analysis, and singing, often taking part in operatic, oratorio, choral and Art Song performances. Cody also holds a MA in Modern European Studies from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Art and Sciences, where he also attended several seminars in European history, philosophy, and musicology. Earlier in his studies, he pursued several seminars in Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek theater, and Classical Latin texts in Rome’s Università La Sapienza.
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As an author, Cody has had numerous academic papers on philosophy, epistemology, history, literature, and music appear in publications that include the Open Journal of Philosophy, the Global Journal of Human Social Sciences, the International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Oxford University Press's Literary Imagination, and Art and Design Review. In addition, he has been a prolific contributor of Programme Notes for Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center over the past two decades. More recently, Cody wrote a collection of 14 lyrical poems set to music by contemporary composer Michael Linton. Comprised of 11 original poems by Franchetti and four of his translations from Ancient Greek, Latin and Italian, the two volumes of his “Franchetti Songs” were premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2014 and 2019, respectively. He is currently working on his first anthology of original poems in Italian.
Cody has served on various Boards and honorary positions. Since 2006, he has been Executive Co-Chair of Carnegie Hall’s “Notables”, a program specifically created for music patrons in their 20’s and 30’s, with the purpose of raising funds in support of bringing innovative music education programs to over 400 local public schools and classrooms in underserved communities, providing free music education resources to orchestras and schools across the United States, presenting free public concerts, and making musical experiences accessible to people in homeless shelters, the healthcare system, and the justice system. Since 2012, Cody also holds the position Executive Committee Co-Chair Emeritus with Carnegie Hall’s “Notables Japan”, the Halls first-ever overseas membership and philanthropic group.
For almost a decade (2006-2014), Cody created and funded The Mannes Theory Essay Award, and The Padre Martini Fugue Award, two annual music theory competitions comparable to those established for instrumental performance. Respectively, the awards reward the best essay on a theoretical or analytical topic dealing with tonal music written prior to 1914, and the best fugue written to a given subject.
Early in his life, Cody founded and hosted a music festival at his family’s estate in the Italian Alps, Castel Gardena, Fischburg, with performances and masterclasses by leading international soloists and music educators from the Juilliard School and various other conservatories. Currently, Cody Franchetti is Founding Honorary Chairman and main private patron of the Epicenter Venice Music Festival.