Giovanni Spinelli is a New York-based composer whose work spans film, documentary, and dance. Born in England and raised between London, New York, Stockholm, and Florence, his musical influences range from Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, and Wojciech Kilar to Joy Division, Jimi Hendrix, and Radiohead, including minimalist composers such as Philip Glass, David Lang, and John Adams, as well as artists like Brian Eno, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Giacinto Scelsi, Astor Piazzolla, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Sigur Rós.

His film scores cover a wide range of styles and formats. The short film Bis Gleich won 30 Best Film awards, including the AmPav Best Emerging Filmmaker award at Cannes 2015, and was shortlisted for the 2016 Academy Awards. The narrative feature Before El Finá incorporates flamenco and ambient elements, while his live composition for solo electric guitar for the silent film Sunrise by F.W. Murnau was described by the San Francisco Examiner as “an extraordinary blend of Hendrix, Badalamenti, Vaughan, and The Edge.” His documentary credits include The Last Pig, The Protestants, Blind Trust, and Pop Star on Ice for the Sundance Channel. He also composed the scores for the experimental films Raspberry Man and Come Shine by director Sławomir Milewski, works for which Giovanni won several Best Original Score awards, including at the Asolo Art Film Festival in 2025.

His work in dance includes compositions for the Martha Graham Dance Company, with choreography by Principal Dancer Xin Ying, as well as collaborations with the American Ballet Theatre and choreographer Zhongjing Fang. He is currently collaborating with Megumi Eda, principal dancer of Armitage Gone! Dance—an artistic partnership that confirms his role as a key interlocutor between contemporary music and major international dance institutions.
Website: www.giovannispinelli.com