IN MEMORIAM: PASQUALE “PAKY” QUADRI
8 September 2014
Pasquale Quadri, founder and chairman of show lighting company Clay Paky, passed away on 7 September at his home in Torre de’ Roveri in Italy. Quadri, 67, is survived by his wife Antonella, two daughters and two granddaughters.
From a statement released by Clay Paky:
Pasquale “Paky” Quadri was a highly successful entrepreneur, although very reserved. He preferred not to appear very much but every lighting professional, all over the world, knows that he was… the creative soul of Clay Paky, the Italian company that exports 97 per cent of its production and is present, with its sophisticated luminaires, on the stages of the most important events and shows in the world…
The story of Mr Quadri, truly passionate about technology and the culture of innovation, is closely intertwined with the history of show business, and is studded with great international successes: it was Quadri who conceived most of the Clay Paky products, from the very first lighting effects such as Astrodisco, which became an icon in the discotheques of the 70s and 80s, to the legendary automated lights used in rock concerts and TV, such as Golden Scan and Sharpy, up to today’s innovative B-EYE.
The company that Quadri founded in 1976 is one of the most brilliant examples of “made in Italy” that is successful in the world. Quadri never gave in to the temptation of moving the company to countries with lower costs and taxation, even though his most dangerous competitors came from those countries: Asian companies which for years have copied his ideas, despite the 80 and more patents held by Quadri. Thanks to him, Clay Paky has obtained a total of more than 50 of the most prestigious international awards in the sector of professional show lighting.
In March this year, Quadri was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the MIPA Awards held in Frankfurt during Musikmesse… Quadri was the first representative from the lighting industry to receive this prestigious prize. He had been preceded by figures who have written the history of the music industry in the world and these include, for example, the two Meyer brothers, founders of the famous loudspeaker company Meyer Sound, Fritz Sennheiser, inventor of the wireless microphone, and Jim Marshall, whose amplifiers for guitar are legendary.
At the beginning of August this year, Quadri signed an agreement to transfer the ownership of Clay Paky to Osram… with the objective of securing further expansion for the company.
The complete biography of Pasquale Quadri and the story of Clay Paky are available on the company website: www.claypaky.it
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