Goffredo Petrassi was 28 when his Partita (recorded on Naxos 8572411) propelled him to European fame. He fused neo-Classicism with more contemporary traits reinforced by his mastery of polyphony, qualities that can be found in his eight Concertos for Orchestra (nos. 1–3 are available on 8573702). Concertos nos. 4–6 were written in the mid-1950s and are striking examples of emotional turbulence and structural compression, fastidiously scored and imaginative in their formal conception. The soloistic writing of Invenzione concertata (Concerto no.6) adds another layer of sonic complexity to these gripping concertos.

Francesco La Vecchia was the permanent conductor and artistic director of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, born from his own project, for 14 years. He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Berliner Symphoniker for five years. He is an Honorary Academician of the Beijing Conservatory, emeritus professor of the University of Seoul and Ambassador of the UN and FAO for Culture in the World.

The orchestra also undertook a wide-ranging and well-received series of recordings, principally for Naxos, of important compositions by Italian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Busoni, Catalani, Ferrara, Ghedini, Malipiero, Mancinelli, Martucci, Mercadante, Petrassi, Sgambati and Wolf-Ferrari. Many of these are world-premiere recordings.