Draft:Mano Divina Giannone

Mano Divina Giannone (born 1967) is an American musician.

Early life and education

Born in 1967 outside of Philadelphia PA, Mano Divina Giannone has been surrounded by music his entire life. He was raised by an Italian-American family that included many musicians.

Giannone began taking guitar and bass lessons from his grandfather. He moved quickly to drums and percussion. He then studied music with Sun Ra from 1987-1993 and Tito Puente from 1993-1999.

Punk music and early bands

He helped form F.O.D. (Flag of Democracy) and played their first show with Minor Threat at Buff Hall in 1982, a show that was written about in Nancy Barile’s book on the early 80s hardcore scene "I’m Not Holding Your Coat: My Bruises-and-All Memoir of Punk Rock Rebellion".

He performed on F.O.D.’s debut album “Shatter Your Day “ as well as many singles, EPs and compilations from 1982-87.

For many years, he played drums and percussion for groups, including City Lights Orchestra and the Tito Puente Orchestra, as well as in the orchestra pit for The Rocky Horror Picture Show in New York and Philadelphia.

In 1990, he formed E Tribe, a 16-piece percussion-led funk band. They recorded The Street Parade in 1994.

Giannone and the theremin

In 1995, he heard French electronic composer and musician Jean-Michel Jarre playing a theremin and tried to hunt one down, which proved challenging. A friend directed him to Robert Moog, the American inventor of the synthesizer. Giannone bought a theremin from Moog in 1996 and taught himself to play it.

Giannone is the music ambassador for the Tesla Science Foundation and regularly gives presentations and lectures on Tesla and the history of the theremin. He has received several awards, including the prestigious Tesla White Dove Award presented to him in Serbia.

Although he never sings during the group’s concerts, Giannone trained with a voice coach to learn how to interpret arias through the theremin’s delicate and temperamental “singing” electromagnetic field.

Divine Hand Ensemble

In 2010, Giannone formed the Divine Hand Ensemble. The current group is comprised of Giannone on theremin backed by a string quartet, two harps, vibraphone, and accordion. Described as “hypnotic, breathtaking, and mesmerizing, an amalgamation of magic, science, and music”, the ensemble plays everything from Bowie to Beethoven, Mozart to Motörhead. Over the years, they've performed for diverse audiences including Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama, President of the UN, film directors M.Night Shyamalan and David Lynch, the DEA, and the Royal Family of Serbia.

Recordings

In 2022, the group recorded their debut album, Aria 51 at Morningstar Studios. Aria 51 is a sci-fi musical journey, the new sound of classical music that pushes the boundaries of the crossover genre. The release features songs from David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Queen, and The Specials as well as Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Edith Piaf, Rimsky-Korsakov and others. The record was on the ballot for Grammy consideration in 2023 for best contemporary instrumental album.

The group also recorded a musical score of funerary music for the Laurel Hill Cemetery walking tour app which includes several pieces written by composers buried there.