5 saxophone scholarships in memory of Giuseppe De Matola.
On March 29, 30 and 31, on the occasion of the first edition of the SAX WEEK dedicated to the memory of Giuseppe De Matola, the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory of Naples hosts the International Saxophone Masterclass of M. Otis Murpy, professor of saxophone at the Jacobs School of Music of the University of Indiana (USA).
The Masterclass, in collaboration with Yamaha, is promoted and supported by Dr. Ann Pizzorusso, partner of the historic Neapolitan saxophonist Giuseppe De Matola.
Participation is free but registration is required – by March 20 – at the following link:
At the end of the masterclass on March 31st at 18 pm, with free admission until all seats are taken, at the Sala Scarlatti of the Neapolitan conservatory, the concert entitled “New Italian music for sax and guitar” will take place – included in the program “Concerts at the Conservatory 2023” – with the live performance of Gianfranco Brundo on soprano sax and Nicola Oteri on ten-string guitar.
Before the concert there will be the award ceremony of 5 Scholarships for the sax “Ann Pizzorusso – Giuseppe De Matola” that will be assigned based on the origin of the students: 2 from Sicily, 1 from Calabria, 2 from Campania. The distinction is desired because the mission is to allow access to the conservatory to deserving students who come from outside Naples.
The three days dedicated to the Sax will begin with masterclasses by Otis Murphy, an American saxophonist who began teaching at just 28 years old, becoming the youngest teacher in the history of Indiana University.
Murphy has extensive international experience, having performed in over 25 countries and at such venues as Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium, Merkin Hall (New York City), Casals Hall (Tokyo), Palau de la Musica (Valencia), and the Muziekgebouw aan het Ij (Amsterdam). He is the recipient of numerous awards, including prizes at the Adolphe Sax International Saxophone Competition in Belgium and the Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition in France.
With many collaborations and four solo albums, Murphy’s performances and recordings have consistently received critical acclaim. His recent performance of Ellen Taafe Zwilich’s Quintet for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet with the renowned Pacifica Quartet garnered rave reviews around the world. Murphy’s small ensemble Pacifica’s album Contemporary Voices won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.
In addition to Indiana University, Murphy has taught and given masterclasses at music schools around the world, including the Paris Conservatory, the Amsterdam Conservatory, the Cologne Academy of Music, the Academy and Festival
Hamamatsu International Wind Instruments Institute, the Royal College of Music in London and many others.
Its students have received recognition in national and international competitions and are members of major bands and orchestras.
Sax Week in Naples was born from the will of Ann Pizzorusso in memory of her companion, Neapolitan rock 'n' roll saxophonist, Giuseppe De Matola.
De Matola was a natural talent and participated in international tours and was a backing musician for many famous Italian singers such as Nino Soprano.
He also studied physics and mathematics at the Federico II University and also undertook a technical career in TrenItalia and then became a consultant for a communications company. After retiring he devoted himself to cooking, becoming an excellent chef.
Always up to date with the latest technologies, he had a thousand passions until the end, from astrophysics to football, being a die-hard fan of the "Azzurri", his home team in Naples.
Before his death, it was his wish to help saxophone students with their studies, having suffered greatly after World War II to realize his own dreams as a musician.
Article published on March 14, 2023 - 12pm
