Biography

Antonio Amenduni was born in 1962.
He started his musical studies at 11 years of age and obtained a diploma with full marks in 1981 at the State Music Conservatory “Niccolo’ Piccinni” in Bari, which at that time was under the direction of Maestro Nino Rota. Having already proven his talent as a soloist during his first years of study, he performed at the XLVI Levante Fair in Bari in the presence of the Honourable Aldo Moro. His musicality and virtuosity enabled him to play as soloist at numerous concerts with wind chamber groups and band ensembles. His formative studies were influenced by principal international flute performers and lecturers at Italian and foreign academies, all of which made him a virtuoso of great elegance. Among the best known on the scene at the time were Peter Lukas Graf and Aurèle Nicolet, who said “…he has given proof of excellent musical qualities: a beautiful sound, exceptional technical ability and personality and talent in artistically elaborating musical form”.

Being a multi talented musician and a person endowed with organisational ability, he is considerably appreciated internationally as flautist, lecturer and artistic director. At the age of 19, he commenced his orchestral activity with the “Teatro Petruzzelli” Orchestra in Bari and thereafter with the “Teatro Rendano” Orchestra in Cosenza and the “Teatro Comunale” Orchestra in Treviso where he played as principal flautist. At 23 he won a bursary offered by the CEE for orchestral formation in the “European Community Youth Orchestra” and the following year he played as Principal flute in the “Teatro dell’Opera Orchestra in Rome. Working in this prestigious role, Amenduni soon demonstrated his professional qualities in the creative field, by playing in 10 performances of Gaetano Donizetti’s opera “Lucia di Lammermoor” and performing a different cadenza during each performance in the famous “mad scene” with Edita Gruberova in Lucia rule, an achievement which made him very much talked-about in musical environments. In 1994 Antonio Amenduni was finalist in a competition in the “Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra” and was subsequently invited to play in the “International Chamber Orchestra” in Rome, the “Moscow Radio Orchestra”, the “London Symphonietta”, the “Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra”, the Abruzzese Symphony Orchestra” in l’Aquila and finally the “Philharmonic Orchestra of La Scala” in Milan, playing under prestigious conductors like Zubin Metha, Mstislav Rostropovic, Giuseppe Patane’, Pierre Dervaux and Valery Gergiev.

As soloist, he collaborated musically with orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestras of Bari, Lecce, Taranto and L’Aquila, I Solisti Aquilani, “Teatro dell’Opera Orchestra in Rome, “M.Jora” Bacau Symphony Orchestra (Rumania), the Kiev National, the Brest Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra (Belarus), the Collegium Musicum, the London Primavera Orchestra (Great Britain), the Madrid Siglo XXI Orchestra (Spain), the “Haifetz” Orchestra (Lithuania), the East European Philharmonic Orchestra (Russian), the Mokpo Flute Ensemble and Seoul Universal Flute Orchestra (South Corea), I Solisti del Teatro Regio di Parma, the Moldavian National Chamber Orchestra of Kishnev (Moldova), and the United European Chamber Orchestra, Gaia Philharmonic Orchestra (Purtugal), Arcangelo Corelli Orchestra, Friuli Venezia Giulia - Mitteleuropea Orchestra (Italy), Wiener Orchestra (Austria), Orquestra Sinfonica d'Elx, Barcellona Chamber Orchestra (Spain), Costantinescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Rumania) each of which appreciated the extensive versatility of his execution and the vastness of his repertoire, approached with such skill.

His qualities as soloist conquered the esteem of juries at a number of national and international competitions amongst the most important of which he won the “Nino Rota” in Bari and the “Citta’ di Stresa” prizes. He also distinguished himself at the “Francesco Cilea” of Palmi and at the “Pergolesi” of Naples competitions and was placed first at the “Citta’ di Caltanissetta” and at the “Citta’ di Trapani” competitions. Antonio Amenduni showed great versatility in musical expression performing in noteworthy chamber groups: from “I Solisti Dauni”, “I Fiati di Parma” and “Glotin Quintet” to the “Collegium Musicum” and “KreutzerTrio” (flute, alto and guitar). Thanks to the latter, the “Triplo Concerto degli Oleandri” by Raffaele Gervasio will be dedicated to him. His permanent duo with Russian pianist Konstantin Bogino and the collaboration with musicians like pianist Antonio Ballista, flautist and conductor Patrick Gallois and harpist Fabrice Pierre, esteem Amenduni’s experience as chamber musician so much, that his presence is regularly requested at important world flute conventions like “Flautissimo” - Rome, Flute Summit” - Perugia, Falaut Festival - Milan, (Italy) “Flute Festival” - Sydney (Australia) and National Future Association” - Kansas City (USA). He is regularly invited to perform at international festivals such as “Berlin Festwochen” and “Dresden Musikfestspiele” (Germany), “Toulouse Festival” (France), “Perugia Classico”, Festival Verdi of Parma (Italy), Martisor Festival (Moldova), and other institutions like “New York University” (USA) and “Ateneo de Madrid” (Spain). In October 2006 he was invited to start the season for the inauguration of the “Kodaly Auditorium” in Paris as well as perform in the DiCapo Opera Theatre in Manhattan-New York (USA) for the 2006 Columbus festival. He had a resounding success with an ovation at “Brest Classical Music Festival” (Belarus) in 2007, impressing not only the audience but the institutional representatives and the Orthodox Church Archbishop who said "...there is something angelic in his playing”. Invited again to play at Brest Festival in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014 he occupied the front pages of the Belarusian newspapers for his brilliant performances both as part of the Duo, as well as soloist with the orchestra, awarded best artist of the festival's history.

In June 2008 Amenduni leads to one of the sacred temples of classical music, the Carnegie Hall in New York, where he performs at the Perelmen Hall in Duo with pianist Vitalij Kuprij. United States discovers this Italian flute virtuoso and doesn’t want to let him go. Shortly after Carnegie Hall’s performance, in fact, Amenduni is invited to play at the United Nations: he performs as soloist with the “Solisti del Teatro Regio di Parma” in the General Assembly Hall playing an Italian program. His presence in the United States becomes a fixed appointment. After having played in August of the same year for the annual meeting of the National Flute Association in Kansas City, in March 2009 the Circolo Culturale Italiano at the United Nations invites him to perform in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium accompanied by the Solisti Aquilani and in Merkin Concert Hall - Lincoln Center with Ensemble du Monde. These are very intense years for Antonio Amenduni who performs as soloist, always in 2008, at the Enescu Museum in Bucarest (Rumania), at the Mozart Hall in Seoul (South Korea) and in March 2009 at the Sala cu Orga in Kishnev (Moldova). In 2010 with Abruzzo Musica- Symphony Orchestra he play to Beijing Concert Hall and Oriental Art Center in Shanghai (China). In the same year again in Carnegie Hall New York, Dal verme Theatre Milan with Mantova Symphony Orchestra and in South Korea in Seoul in Mozart Concert Hall. In September 2011 in the prestigius Golden Hall Musikverein of Wien as soloist with Wiener Moart Orchestra. In 2012 to Praha in Smetana Hall with Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra and to München in Orff Concert Hall - Gasteig and again in Praha in Wallenstein Palace. In January 2013 Antonio Amenduni it's in Germany in Grosser Konzertsaal Musikhochschule of München and in the wonderful Berlin Philharmonie with Berliner Symphoniker Orchestra. Amenduni’s repertoire extends from baroque compositions (which he plays on an ebony flute) to classical (a training which he maintains is indispensable for a profound knowledge of different styles), through to modern and contemporary compositions.

Active as lecturer at the conservatory from the age of 24, he now holds a permanent post at the “State Conservatory of Music and Institute of High Culture “Umberto Giordano” in Foggia as second level lecturer for the Biennial Specialisation in music and he also teaches at the Italian Flute Academy (Rome). Furthermore, Amenduni is often invited to hold Master Classes at Italian and foreign Music Associations and Academies, visiting cities like Cosenza, Barletta, Gallipoli, Bari, Lanciano, Foggia, Pescara, Matera, Naples, Rome, Salerno, Ancona, Perugia, Trani, Ascoli Piceno, Biella, Cagliari, Sassari, Iglesias, Taranto, Brindisi, Saluzzo, Brest (Belarus), Brussels (Belgium), Seoul and Mokpo (South Korea), combining his considerable orchestral experience with that didactic, as teacher in the Orchestral Formation courses in Lanciano, Foggia, Pescara, L’Aquila and Bari.He is a frequent guest as member of the commission for Flute and Music Competitions both national and international.

His virtuosity and musical conception, conscious but at the same time emotional, have inspired various contemporary composers to choose him as flautist for the Premier and to dedicate their works to him. As well as the already mentioned “Triplo Concerto degli Oleandri” by Raffaele Gervasio, Paolo Lepore dedicated “Lecce” a piece for solo flute to him; Mario Scarangella, the “Suite” for flute and strings; Vito Castaldi, a “Suite” for flute, viola and guitar; Claudio Campanelli the piece “Richiami” for solo flute and a “Concerto” for flute and orchestra and finally Francesco Santucci the “Habanera e Tango” for flute and guitar. His performances have been transmitted by RAI-Radiotre and he has recorded for Decca, Sony, Valdom, Rugginenti, Falaut, Sirynx, and Radio Slovenia, producing numerous CDs. Amenduni, already chosen as world testimonial for their instruments, first from Pearl and after by the American flute manufacturer Powell. Antonio Amenduni has fascinated his public and critics alike with the excellence of his playing and the elegance of his person. At the end of one of his concerts, a Franciscan father said ”...this young musician has given us moments of great music, which were at the same time sweet and rich in virtuosity, but a virtuosity that is elegant and studied, because it isn’t a means to an end”.

His noteworthy organisational skills and artistic competence have led him to assume roles of responsibility. From 1995 until 1998 he was Artistic Director of the National Competition in “Citta’ di Ruvo” in Puglia, Italy; from 1999 to 2002 he was artistic consultant in the same city for the programming of musical activities of the “Assessorato alla Cultura e Beni Culturali” and from 2003 till 2005, he served on the Artistic Committee of the International Flute Competition “Domenico Cimarosa” in Aversa. After having worked for several years as Artistic Secretary to the Artistic Director Prof. Walter Tortoreto in Lanciano for the “Associazione Amici della Musica ‘Fedele Fenaroli’”, he became Director of Musical Production. In 2007 he was Artistic Director of the Orchestral Proficiency Courses at the Pescara Music Academy and Pescara Symphony Orchestra and then on to the same role for the International Youth Orchestra. He is the Artistic Director for the “Associazione Abruzzese Amici della Musica” from 2008. From 2009 he is the organize of the China tour of the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra. He is music consultant of the Maggio Ginosino and Artistic Director of the Incontri Musicali of Sant'Antioco.

He dedicates his whole life and capacity to music with sincere passion. In recognition of this, in 2005, he gained a prestigious award for his person and career, viz. the citation in the updated DEUMM of the UTET encyclopaedia, where his biography was included and where his is work considered to be among the most profuse in Italian musical circles.