BIOGRAPHY

Seghizzi was born in Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy (then Austria-Hungary) on 5 September 1908 as the daughter of noted composer Cesare Augusto Seghizzi (1873 – 1933). She, with her family, spent the majority of World War I in exile at a refugee camp in Wagna, Styria, Austria, after her father was declared unfit for military service. She remembered the first plane over Gorizia that went on to drop a bomb over Via Duomo, adjacent to where she lived. In the refugee camp, Seghizzi would perform in the theatre and choir.

In 1919, Seghizzi returned to Gorizia with her family. She studied violin with Alfredo Lucarini and graduated with honors in Milan. She then began studying composition, following in her father’s footsteps, under the tutelage of Vito Levi. In her fifties, she devised and operated the Gorizia polyphonic, which enabled her to acquire first prize at the national polyphonic competition in Brescia. With this new-found recognition, she gained notoriety and began performing at concerts at both local and international venues.

More than 130 compositions adorned Seghizzi’s portfolio, many of which were choral music linked to neo-classicism. She was also a keen watercolour painter. Her selected works included:

• Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1963)
• By night flute, soprano and piano (1979)
• Concertino for horn and strings (1981)
• Divertimento for violin and piano (1982)
• Waltz for flute and piano (1984)

Seghizzi died on 22 November 2019 at the age of 111 years, 78 days.

RECOGNITION

Seghizzi was one of the oldest living people notable for a reason other than longevity, being a noted composer in her youth.

Seghizzi’s age was verified by Alessandro Delucchi and Paolo Scarabaggio, and was validated by the ESO on 16 August 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

• Cecilia Seghizzi (105 anni): «La mia Grande Guerra» Messaggero Veneto, 2 January 2014

• Domani i funerali di Cecilia Seghizzi Il Piccolo, 28 November 2019

GALLERY