Grandson of Italian president Luigi Einaudi, Ludovio Einaudi chose a route other than politics. Instead he began learning the piano at an early age. Studying at the Milan Conservatory, Einaudi began composing in the traditional style, but soon after began experimenting with modern composition. Known for his lovely minimalist piano compositions ideal for cinematic scores, Einaudi has been releasing recordings since 1988 and in the 1990s was signed to Sony's International Classical label.

Adapted for several on-stage and modern film productions, Shakespeare's original tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice, was adapted from an Italian short story that follows the character Othello, an African prince who works in Europe as a general. In Shakespeare's version, Othello is a general in the Venetian army who is persuaded into killing his wife before meeting his own tragic end. Themes of ambition, racism, jealousy and conspiracy run deep in this convoluted tale of love and desire.

Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a collaboration between classically trained musicians, that has been entrancing audiences since its humble beginnings in 1996. While the group started as a classical choir and music group, it slowly transitioned into a "rock choir," as the ensemble's composers began to arrange popular pop and rock songs for choir voices. The result is a collection of beautiful and sometimes haunting versions of songs like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and U2's "With or Without You." Scala & Kolacny Brothers gained international attention in 2010, when their take on Radiohead's "Creep" was featured prominently in the trailer for the award-winning film The Social Network.