Composer and keyboard player Claudio Merlini was born in Milan, Italy in 1981. When he was just 10 years old, Claudio obtained his first electronic keyboard and from that moment, all he wanted to do was compose instrumental music. His passion for music lead him to prefer spending time composing rather than participating in other 'typical' childhood activities. This was hardly surprising though, because Claudio's father had a passion for new age music, so it was all around Claudio from an early age. Indeed, Claudio believes his father's interest in the genre helped develop his music style, so rich in harmonies and stylised musical arrangements. Claudio would soon be influenced by luminaries of the genre like Vangelis, Mike Oldfield and Jean Michel Jarre, as the cultural city of Milan itself experienced the birth of electronic and new age music. Over the years Claudio perfected his musical skills, clearly drawing on his influences, but retaining a clearly defined style of his own. In 2008, he released his first album 'Flight of Fantasy' which was published under the name 'Sound Experience'. The album gained a good response from audience and critics and Claudio's second album 'The Colours of Music' was released by AD Music in 2010. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.