Product Code Database
Antony (or Tony) Cicoria (born 1952), is a man who is famous for having developed an obsession for piano (listening and practicing) after being struck by lightning.Sacks, Oliver. "A Bolt From the Blue: Sudden Musicophilia", in Musicophilia. Knopf Books, 2007 He is a doctor specializing in orthopedic medicine, orthopedic surgery, orthotics, prosthetic supplies, and sports medicine. He was profiled in neurologist Oliver Sacks' book (2007).Anthony Gottlieb, Take Five, and Call Me, The New York Times, October 28, 2007
Cicoria is a practicing orthopedic surgeon, and is Chief of the Medical Staff and Chief of Orthopedics at Chenango Memorial Hospital, Norwich, New York. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at State University of New York Upstate Medical University, in Syracuse. Anthony Cicoria at Chenango Memorial Hospital
In 2004, Cicoria got divorced. During that same year, he had a serious motorcycle accident. Within two months he had completely recovered and returned to work.
At one time he lived in Oneonta, New York and has three children who went to college.
Cicoria suffered burns to his face and left foot where the electrical charge had entered and exited his body.
Several weeks after the accident Cicoria consulted a neurologist because he was having difficulties with his memory and was feeling sluggish. The neurological exam, including an EEG and an MRI, found nothing unusual. After a few weeks his energy returned and he went back to work. Two weeks later, his memory problems disappeared. His life had apparently returned to normal. Oliver Sacks, A Bolt from the Blue: Sudden Musicophilia (from Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain'')
Then Cicoria, over a period of two or three days, became struck with an insatiable desire to listen to piano music.Zaria Gorvett, The mystery of why some people become sudden geniuses: There’s mounting evidence that brain damage has the power to unlock extraordinary creative talents. What can this teach us about how geniuses are made?, BBC Future, 6th January 2018 He acquired a piano and started to teach himself to play. His head was flooded with music that seemed to come from nowhere. Although before his accident, he had had no particular interest in music, within three months of being struck by lightning Cicoria spent nearly all his time playing and composing. Electrifying Encounter Featured in The New Yorker Magazine,
In 2007, under the direction of Polly van der Linde, who runs an international piano camp for adults and children in Old Bennington, Vermont, Tony has given recitals at the Sonata Adult Piano Camp, in Bennington, Vermont, where he has played Chopin’s Military Polonaise, Op. 40 (in 2002), Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu (in 2003), Brahms’ Rhapsody, Op. 79, No. 2 (in 2005), Chopin's Scherzo in B-flat Minor, Op. 31 (in 2006) and an earlier version of his own composition, Lightning Sonata.
January 29, 2008 marked an important milestone in Cicoria's musical career. He publicly debuted at the Goodrich Theater in Oneonta, New York, presented by the Catskill Conservatory in association with the SUNY at Oneonta. The performance was assisted by a grant from the NYS Council on the Arts. This performance was recorded live by Granada plc, BBC One, and ZDF.
Cicoria is also working on several other solo piano pieces, including a 4-hand / 2-piano piece, a symphony based on Brahms' Variation, op. 9, and a concerto.
He is also writing a book detailing the origin of his musical experience.
He has appeared in numerous television presentations including: BBC One's documentary Imagine, Canada’s The Hour, Granada Media's documentary My Strange Brain, WSKG-TV Expressions and the NOVA episode Musical Minds.
|
|
