BIOGRAFY OF PAPPALARDO ANTONIO

Antonio Pappalardo (Palermo 25.06.1946) started his guitar studies at age of 14, then studied composition with great interest for sacral music. As teenager, he started writing texts and singing them on the local theaters.

The same texts, decades later become the basis of his symphonies.

His first opera “Missa militum”, in 1997, came to the execution with the participation and support from the studio of Sergio Rendine, famous artistic director from Chieti, and his musical assistants Taralli and Lucerini. Trough the precious encounter with Rendine, who understood Pappalardo’s music authenticity on the first sight, Pappalardo was encouraged to focus on large scale orchestral works. Since 1996 he has written 30 works for large orchestra.

Some of his performed works includes;

1. MISSA MILITUM

dedicated to the soldiers in the various peace missions, it was performed partially for the first time on 25.08.1996 in Abbazia di Farfa by Festival Orchestra from Farfa, conducted by Riccardo Giovannini, and for second time was performed entirely in Auditorium S. Domenico of Foligno on 2.02. 1997, with Orchestra of Accademia Strumentale Umbra of 300 elements conducted by Carlo Segoloni and modern choir “ BE BOP Chorus”with Domenico Ortolani, and as solist singer Franco Simone, known from San Remo Festival, Giorgio Albertazzi; The Opera was transmitted by TV Channels RAI 1, RAI 2 , RAI 3 and RAI International  and replicated on Festival Arteuropa Todi (PG) on 14.06.1997,on the  Festival delle Nazioni Gubbio 22.06.1997, Teleton 1997 Perugia, on 7.09.1997 in Teatro di Verdura Palermo, on 12.06.1998 in Basilica Santa Maria Archangeli Roma.

2. VITA NOVA (The New Life)

dedicated to Mother Teresa, with artists like tenor “most versatile voice in opera” Vitorio GRIGOLO, honoured russian bass Ildar ABDRAZAKOV, mezzo soprano Daniela Barcelona, modern voice of Antonella Ruggiero, Emanuela Lofreddo, choir and orchestra of Opera Theater from Rome; performed on 25.10. 2003 in Sala Nervi Vatican, replicated on 21.10.2004 in Tirana Albania, Cathedral of Sankt Pole and on 22.10.2004 in Scutari Albania , Chiesa di San Francesco with albanian orchestra and choir.

3. SOFFIO DI DIO

composed for the beatification of the hero Salvo D’Acquisto, performed in Basilica Santa Chiara di Napoli on 13 October 2004. The opera was executed by Choir and Orchestra Conservatorium Santa Cecilia directed by Ernesto Gordini and with participation of  Sal da Vinci, Ornella Pratesi, Jana Mrazova, Brunella Selo, Marco Lo Russo, Massimo Pizzinari, Emanuela Lofreddo and the actors  – Lina Sastri e Mariano Sigillo.  The opera was transmitted by Channel RAI 2 on 30.10.2004.

4. MISSA HUMILIS

Performed for the first time  on 09.12.1999 in Auditorium PIUM Rome with Paola Paolucci, orchestra of Accademia Strumentale Umbra, Symphonic lyric choir Cucci, conducted by Carlo Segoloni . Replicated  on 04.04.2000  in Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli, Roma with tenor Gianluca Terranova, Amarilli Nizza soprano, Alisa Zinovjeva mezzosporano and Roberto Tiranti.   Replicated in memory of Papa Giovanni Paolo II  by Tchaikovskij National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Domenico Virgili  in Castel Gandolfo 28.07. 2005 with

Rita Cammarano, Lucia Mastromarino, Giulio Liguori, Roberto Tiranti and Sergio Moschetti. The composition is made of Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei.

5. IL VENTO DI MYKONOS

executed in Auditorium PIUM ROME on 09.12.2005 ; text poetry of Corrado Calabro, Italian magistrate of the Council of State, writer and poet; orchestra conducted by Maurizio Dones  with extraordinary guitar part recalling the wind of Mykonos which inspired the composer,  with Rita Cammarano, Emanuela Loffredo, Fausta Vetere, Franco Simone.

6. PETROS ENI

has been commissioned by Francesco Marchisano, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church of Vatican for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the ST. Peter Basilic building; performed on 02.07.2006 in Basilica di San Pietro Rome, with  RAI Choir, sopran Maria Dragoni, Kattia Litting, Luca Cannonici, Paolo Pecchioli , Antonio Spagnolo, Orchestra Filarmonica Mediterranea, Ensamble Vocale di Napoli, orchestra RAI directed by Alberto Veronese, Artistic director Enrico Castiglione famous for his work on Bellini Festival, Teatro Parioli and Taormina Arte. Transmitted by TV Channel RAI TG “ Dossier” with support of Bayerischer Rundfunk.

7. BHAILPEVACO

is an opera based on 63 religious texts of Cristian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Pagan Religions ; it includes different musical references spanning from opera to rock and jazz ;performed on 18.12.2006 in Teatro Colosseo Rome, directed by Claudio Castellari;  replicated on 18.12.2008 in Town hall auditorium of Comacchio;

8. AVE MARIA

performed on 13.11. 2006 in Basilica di San Marco in Milan, replicated on 25.11.2006 in Duomo di San Nicola in Bari, directed by Elio Orchiuolo, on 14.12.2006 replicated on Gran Gala Theater Cairo Opera House Egypt.

9. LA TRABACCARA

made as movie in 2008, performed on 20.09.2014 in Piazza Chiesa Madre di Lampedusa replicated on 25.10.2014 in Santa Maria di Gesu Palermo¸made in sicilian dialect,  a love story between a sicilian boy and tunisian girl: sopran Maria Dragone, mezzosopran Lucia Mastromarino, Tenor Salvatore Ballia;

10. DIES IRAE /MESSA DA REQUIEM

performed on 21.04.2010 in Lampedusa with orchestra conducted by  Veronesi Alberto, Tenor Salvatore Bellia, basso Fabio di Fina in occasion of the Sicilian  Episcopal Conference   

11. NOLI QUAERERE REQUIEM

in the memory of the victims of the first world war, performed in Teatro Bellini Catania, with soprano Daniela Marabete, mezzosoprano Sonia Fortunato, tenore Antonino Interisano, bass Giuseppe Lo Turco, conducted by Francesco Vizioli on 21.11. 2015.

His ultimative work “Carthago Symfony” is dedicated to Tunesian people as expression of rich cultural heritage of ancient Carthago to present day Tunisia. Opera includes the poetry of Amal Musa,  which componist associated to the feelings of DIDO , the first Queen of the Phonician city state of Carthago , independent and powerfull leader but still a frail woman. Her mythic figure showing her fiercely determination, hospitality and fairness  stays an inspiration for the composer and for tunisian citizen.