Artistic undertakings

Antonio Amenduni started as artistic organiser in 1995 when he was nominated Artistic Director for the National Competition “Citta" di Ruvo di Puglia”, a responsibility which he held four times. In those years the competition became a point of reference for southern Italy, thanks to the presence of famous jury members like Carlo Bruno, Konstantin Bogino, Franco Medori, Pierluigi Camicia, Mauro Maur, Roberto Hazon, Teresa Procaccini, Domenico Losavio and others. Several contestants in those years confirmed the national.artistic and musical level.

 

His contribution to cultural activities in the city continued, at the wish of the Assessor Prof.Pia Ulivieri, through the collaboration and programming of the musical activities with the Cultural Assessor. The musical activity, prodigious in this period, hosting orchestras like the Shumen Symphony Orchestra of Bulgaria, Conservatory Symphony Orchestra of Kiev (Ukraine), Bacau Symphony Orchestra of Rumania and groups like Strauss Konzert is noteworthy.

 

As flautist, Amenduni was invited twice to participate on the Artistic Commission of the Biennial International Competition “Domenico Cimarosa” in Aversa (Caserta). The presence of many Italians and especially foreigners is thanks to him: both times there were more than 100 candidates from all over the world.

 

After working several years as Artistic Secretary to Prof. Walter Tortoreto in Lanciano for the “Associazione Amici della Musica ‘F. Fenaroli’” and in recognition of what he did in those years, Amenduni became Director of Musical production under the Artistic Direction of Maestro Donato Renzetti in 2006. Never before was the musical activity of the association as successful in all the fields of their organisation. The 35th Concert Season attracted musicians on a European level, from the Berlin Quartet, composed of the leaders of the string sections of the Berlin Philharmonic, who inaugurated the season, to musicians like Flaksman, Mondelci, Mercelli, Muzumadar, Banerjee, and others from orchestras like Gruppo Spazio Musica, I Solisti Aquilani and the Abruzzese Symphony Orchestra. Added to the success of the quality of the performances, was the attention paid to the environmental activity on a musical level. At the four repeated performances of the morning concerts dedicated to the schools in Lanciano and the surroundings, there were more than 1,200 pupils present. A more pertinent testimony of the validity of the programming in its entirety, is the increase of the presence of the paying public as compared with the attendance in the past. The Frentana Estate Musicale, dedicated to Summer International Courses also bears fruit that isn’t evident to everyone. In 2006, in fact, a record number of registrations of young musicians attended, about 500, with the consequent rise in the artistic level of those selected.

 

Sempre nel 2006, Amenduni ottiene un prestigiosissimo riconoscimento. E' nominato Direttore Artistico della Stagione Concertistica per le celebrazioni del Columbus Day che si svolgono a New York nel mese di ottobre. Il Columbus Festival si svolge nella splendida cornice del DiCapo Opera Theatre ubicato nel cuore di Manhattan, dove si esibiscono affermati gruppi musicali italiani e stranieri.

 

In 2007 Antonio Amenduni was requested by the Pescara Symphony Orchestra of the Pescara Music Academy to serve as Artistic Director for the first Courses of Orchestral Profiency held there. It was an ambitious project which included the preparation of Verdi’s opera “La Traviata”, produced in scenes and entirely conceived as a didactic objective. The result was exceptional. There were about 400 registrations from all over Europe, selected and prepared by teachers of the Courses held in July, August and September. Among the noteworthy teachers and conductors invited by Amenduni, were Donato Renzetti, and Lior Shambadal, Mauro Trombetta, Wenzel Fucs, Raffaele Mallozzi, Michelangelo Mazza, Boris Baraz, Patrick De Ritis, Luca Vignali, Luca benucci, Otmar Gaiswinkler, David Short, Franco Campioni and others (many of whom were leaders of their sections in important European orchestras) for instrumental teaching. The Youth Orchestra played 10 performances of “La Traviata” and 6 symphony concerts in the territory of Abruzzo.

 

At the end of the same year, due to the experience of the formation of the youth orchestra in Lanciano, Pescara and successively San Gemini (Terni), the idea of establishing an International Youth Orchestra was born. By means of this orchestra and under his able artistic direction, Maestro Amenduni proposed creating a specialised centre to form orchestral teachers, in substance, a school that facilitates young musicians to meet any professional requirements with serenity and competence. The young musicians, originating in Russian, Poland, Rumania, Belgium, Peru’, Albania, South Korea and naturally Italy, after a period of intense individual study with teachers chosen from the most famous European orchestras, enrich their orchestral experience with intensive courses focussed on musical production and the preparation for concert tours, supported by well-known conductors enabling them to follow an extraordinarily formative course. The orchestra was immediately invited to play in various prestigious musical places, receiving unanimous consensus from the critics and public. On 18 December 2007, it participated at a charity evening in the Teatro Politeama in Vasto, where it offered a concert to collect funds for the Paediatric Hospital in Vasto. The evening, organised thanks to the interest of Dr. Angelo Allegrino, the newly appointed “Presidente della Confcommercio della provincia di Chieti, was a huge success with the public, besides reaching its objective to collect funds to purchase machines for the hospital. From 19 December 2007 to 5 January 2008, on invitation from the Chinese government, the International Youth Orchestra, in collaboration with the “Campus delle Arti di Sangemini”, embarked on a tour of 13 concerts on the Asian continent. The tour was hard work but culturally stimulating and enriching, sustained by the presence of an extraordinary public, completely sold out from auditoriums with a capacity of 2000 to 5000. The experience was crowned by the possibility of playing under the great conductor Maestro Lior Shambadal.

 

In 2008, Maestro Amenduni took on the responsibility of Artistic Director of the “Associazione Abruzzese Amici della Musica” with the aim of revitalising its activity promoting music throughout the Abruzzo territory. The spreading of musical education in the primary and middle schools in Abruzzo is the fundamental commitment of the association, guided by Amenduni. Besides the educational project, Amenduni organizes the firsts tours of guest orchestras. In the summer 2008, he directs the Italian Summer Tour of the Moldavian National Chamber Orchestra (Kishnev, Republic of Moldova), which holds 15 wonderful concerts. The second project with a guest orchestra takes place during the Christmas Holidays in 2008: the East European Philarmonic Orchestra, composed by musicians from Russia, Ukraine, Rumania and Bulgaria, holds 23 concerts, hailed by the public. Amenduni inaugurates 2009 organizing a great gala concert, on 7th January. The concert of the Russian Symphony orchestra, in fact, opens the 2009 Season of the Associazione Abruzzese Amici della Musica. The concert is totally supported by the Banca dell’Adriatico, and the higher echelons of the Abruzzo Region are invited.

 

In March 2009, collaborating with the Circolo Culturale Italiano at the United Nations, Amenduni is manager of the Italian Concert: a concert hold by the string ensemble “I Solisti Aquilani” at the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, at the United Nations Building (New York, USA). L’Italian Concert di New York si definisce come valore aggiunto nell’attività del gruppo aquilano in quanto fu l’ultima esibizione pubblica prima del sisma avvenuto il 6 aprile. Il Circolo Culturale alle Nazioni Unite istituì un foundraising in favore dell’attività de I Solisti Aquilani, donando, oltre al contributo economico raccolto, una rappresentanza internazionale al gruppo abruzzese.

 

Dal 2009 è Direttore Artistico del FlutEnsemble Day, manifestazione che si svolge a Iglesias (CI) in occasione della giornata dedicata alla Festa Europea della Musica nel mese di giugno. Nella cittadina sarda confluiscono centinaia di flautisti sardi, dai docenti dei Conservatori di Musica di Cagliari e Sassari, ai docenti delle Scuole Medie ad Indirizzo Musicale e delle Scuole Civiche di tutta la Regione. La presenza di allievi, autodidatti e simpatizzanti, danno vita a master-classes, seminari, stage orchestrali e concerti.

 

Sempre dal 2009, Amenduni è consulente artistico-organizzativo di una famosa agenzia artistica cinese la Beijing Victory Culture Development" di Pechino. Collaborazione che nasce nel 2007 con la presenza dell'Orchestra Sinfonica Giovanile Internazionale. Nel 2009 la collaborazione tra Amenduni e l'agenzia cinese si formalizza firmando un contratto quinquennale. Nel 2009 e nel 2010 è stata l'Orchestra Sinfonica - Abruzzo Musica a tenere complessivamente 34 concerti nelle città più grandi e più prestigiose della Cina. Sodalizio che è andato ben oltre il contratto quinquennale! In totale circa 150 concerti nel continente asiatico. Il China Tour si conferma tra gli appuntamenti più attesi dei cartelloni di alcuni dei più importanti teatri cinesi e sale avveniristiche come la Concert Hall di Shenzhen e Xuzhou, il celebre Shanghai Grand Theatre e Oriental Art Center, la bellissima Concert Hall di Beijing e di Guangzhou, e molti altri ancora.

 

Grazie all’esperienza maturata presso le compagini orchestrali giovanili e all’attività concertistico-orchestrale in Cina, Amenduni forma un gruppo stabile di musicisti professionisti con l’istituzione dell’Italian Philharmonic Orchestra e ne diviene responsabile artistico. L’Italian Philharmonic Orchestra, con Marchio Registrato, prosegue l’attività cinese e non disdegna di essere presente in manifestazioni nazionali.

 

 

Nel 2012 Amenduni è nominato Direttore Artistico degli Incontri Musicali - Vacanze Antiochensi che si svolgono nella bella cittadina sarda di Sant’Antioco. Il lavoro svolto ha permesso un record crescente di presenze di allievi e docenti. L’organico dei docenti ha rappresentato la più alta caratura internazionale e la massima affidabilità didattica ospitando le numerose discipline vocali e strumentali. La splendida cornice antiochense è stata impreziosita anche dalla cospicua attività concertistica con numerosi eventi concertistici dalla partecipazione di docenti e allievi. La mole straordinaria dell’impegno artistico e didattico degli Incontri Musicali di Sant’Antioco, ha avuto un riflesso tangibile nei giovani strumentisti partecipanti ai corsi, preparati ai compiti professionali e che, di conseguenza, sono preferiti ad altri strumentisti nelle chiamate nelle compagini orchestrali.

 

Nel 2013 Antonio Amenduni è referente artistico della proposta didattica all’interno delle manifestazioni del Maggio Ginosino di Ginosa (TA). Il Maggio Ginosino ha tra i suoi principali obiettivi quello di ospitare in loco esecutori ed interpreti di fama mondiale, con i quali i musicisti del territorio avranno la possibilità di confrontarsi senza la necessità di vere e proprie migrazioni. Al contrario, sarà il territorio tarantino ad attrarre studenti da regioni vicine e lontane. Le master classes di formazione sono state affidate ad esponenti di caratura internazionale come Francesco Manara, Federico Mondelci, Marco Pierobon, Gabriele Cassone, Anna Loro.