Venezuelan composer Icli Zitella was born in Caracas in 1966. He studied composition at the National Conservatory of Music Juan José Landaeta under the guidance of the eminent composer, pianist, and musicologist Juan Francisco Sans. Prior to this, he studied Harmony with Tiero Pezzuti and Counterpoint with Francisco Rodrigo at the José Ángel Lamas School of Music. He also participated in the Composition Workshops of the "A Tempo" Festival in Caracas, led by Diógenes Rivas and Ninoska Rojas, and attended the International Composition Courses in Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain, with Cristóbal Halffter. In 2004, he received a scholarship from Spain's Ministry of Culture to study Electronic Music at the Laboratory of Computer and Electronic Music (LIEM) in Madrid, and in 2015, he earned a master’s degree in composition from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Additionally, he holds a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the Central University of Venezuela.
Throughout his career, Zitella has received various honors, including the Municipal Music Award of Caracas (2011), the UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries for Artists (1999), and first prize in the Moisés Moleiro Piano Composition Contest (1992). His works have been performed by notable soloists and international ensembles, including Ab Koster, William VerMeulen, Lucy Shelton, Dimitri Vassilakis, Spanish Brass Luur Metalls, Argenta Trio, and Alhelí Pimienta.
Zitella's compositions have been heard in over 27 countries and featured at major international festivals, such as the Latin American Music Festival of Caracas, the Music of the Americas Project (MUSA), the Latin American Music Initiative (LAMI), the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, and the 2021 "La Flauta Latinoamericana" International Competition. His piece Clamor premiered on October 9, 2021, at the National Library of France in Paris, performed by the Chœur Philharmonique International to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the abolition of the Death Penalty in France, and was performed again on October 26 at the Pantheon in Paris.
Known for his eclectic style, Zitella blends influences from Gregorian Chant to avant-garde elements, along with ethnic and popular music. His work navigates two contrasting approaches: one rooted in tradition and the other in experimentation, creating a unique artistic duality. In both, he seeks formal unity and clarity, balanced with simplicity and expressiveness. He occasionally employs extended techniques for traditional instruments and explores the rhetorical aspects of music.
Zitella has enriched his career as a composer through teaching and performance. He taught Music Theory for several years at the Mozarteum-Caracas School of Music in Venezuela and later at the Opportunity Music Project in New York. He also played as a violinist with the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Caracas for over 20 years. During his time with the orchestra, he led a nine-year reading program for emerging composers, actively promoting and supporting the careers of many new talents.
Since 2012, Zitella has lived in the United States, where he focuses on composition and teaching. His catalog spans a wide range of genres, including solo and duo pieces, chamber music, symphonic works, vocal and electronic music, as well as incidental music for dance, theater, installations, and film scores.