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Presentation
The
association was created by a group of musicians with a passion for
culture. Its purpose is to promote classical music, especially music of
the twentieth century, through an internationally famous “spokesman”,
Vincent Persichetti.
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Vincent
Persichetti is a very important U.S. composer of the twentieth
century. He is an illustrious figure that produced a vast array of
instrumental and vocal works. He was also a remarkable teacher. He
taught composition at the Juilliard School in New York, and among
his pupils we find important composers.
But
why has the association been given the title of this composer,
almost unknown in Italy? How was he discovered?
Clearly,
Persichetti is of Italian origin. His father was Vincenzo Ruggero
Persichetti, who emigrated to the U.S. when he was twelve years old
from the region of Abruzzo, in particular from the little town of
Torricella Peligna in the province of Chieti. In many press
conferences, Persichetti lovingly recalled that the Bellini family
was from same town (Vincenzo Bellini Senior, grandfather of Vincenzo
Bellini, was born in Torricella Peligna).
As
you will have noted, the Association’s President and the composer
share the same last names. The President was born in the same little
town as was Persichetti’s father, but that’s not all……..their
genealogical trees intertwine. In
fact, one Sunday, skimming through a music encyclopedia, Rosanna
found the name “Vincent Persichetti”. Knowing that many distant
relatives had emigrated in the latter part of the nineteenth century,
she became curious and began researching both Vincent Persichetti
musical profile as well as his ancestral background. The research on
both levels brought positive results!
The
discovery of Persichetti as a musician, composer, teacher and
theorist has culturally buoyed and thrilled us; it has spurred us to
create this association. Moreover, since Rosanna and Vincent share
the same ancestral home, we feel the moral obligation to bring
Vincent “home”!
Therefore, the purpose of the association is to proudly bring
back to Italy a great musician, composer, teacher and theorist.
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The
association hopes to make Vincent Persichetti’s music better known,
offering courses and putting on recitals, contests, lectures and
more. Furthermore, his music leads us to the discovery of other
musicians in that he taught at the prestigious Juilliard School, and
many of his pupils became famous, such as Eino Rautavaara, Caran
Moore, Leo Brouwer, Philip Glass, and Darius Milhaud.
The
association has also committed itself to furthering the knowledge
and appreciation of classical music in general, organizing concerts
in its own center, collaborating with associations or corporations
that require musical “consultation”, and offering young and
aspiring students the possibility of performing, both within the
association and also outside it.
There
are two centers: one in the Marche, the Italian region on the
Adriatic sea, situated in the town of Falconara Marittima, in the
province of Ancona, and the other in the Italian region of Abruzzo,
situated in the town of Torricella Peligna, in the province of
Chieti, where Vincent’s father was born. In addition, the
association has established a rapport with others in the US, and in
time it hopes to work on projects with those on the other side of
the Atlantic. |
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Founding Members
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President
Rosanna
Persichitti
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Vice
president
Caterina Serpilli
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Artistic
director
Roberta Serpilli
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Treasurer
Gabriele M. Serpilli
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