'Soli Deo Gloria', in Naples the homage to Maria Valeria Briganti and the Neapolitan Organ School

A 'musical journey' spanning a century and a half, through the pages of the organists and composers who have contributed to making the organ life of the Royal Conservatory of Music 'San Pietro a Majella' in Naples extraordinary.

A journey made of notes, emotions and spirituality, an intense musical itinerary that goes from Marco Enrico Bossi to Alessandro De Bonis, from Franco Michele Napolitano to Gennaro D'Onofrio, passing through Alfredo Cece: for the second consecutive year, the monumental Church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta in Naples will host - SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2024 at 20.00 pm - the concert/event "SOLI DEO GLORIA", a musical tribute dedicated to the organist Maria Valeria Briganti two years after her death.

Organist Cristina Brancato will be one of the figures involved in “Soli Deo Gloria”: “The pieces that have been selected for this tribute to Maria Valeria Briganti – explains Brancato – tell the story of her musical, human and spiritual journey”.

Organized with the collaboration of Grazia Gargiulo, Don Piero Milani (Parish Priest of the Church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta), the Abbot and Parish Priest Emeritus Don Giuseppe Cipolloni and with the support of the Community of the Canons Regular of the Lateran of Piedigrotta, the second concert “Soli Deo Gloria” will feature the two organists Cristina Brancato and Ferdinando Scarpato. The comments on the pieces and the presentation of the entire evening will be curated by the journalist Michelangelo Iossa.

The figure of Maria Valeria Briganti

Born in Naples in 1936 and lived in the Neapolitan capital for all her life, Briganti studied with the Masters A. Webb-James and Gennaro D'Onofrio, graduating with honors in Piano, Organ and Organ Composition at the Conservatory of Music "San Pietro a Majella" of Naples. An internationally renowned concert artist, the musician has performed programs that have often made it possible to trace the profile of a composer, as demonstrated by her executions of the 'completes' of Bach, Mozart, Franck and Brahms.

Briganti is considered one of the most appreciated and applauded ambassadors of the Neapolitan organ school, as well as being recognized as one of the most authoritative Italian teachers: Maria Valeria Briganti held the position of teacher of Organ and Organ Composition at the Naples Conservatory from 1973 to 2003.

During his career, the Neapolitan organist presented numerous contemporary compositions in first performance, as happened with the Organ Sonata by Aladino di Martino (Naples, 1976), with the Organ Sonata by Bruno Mazzotta (Paris, Notre Dame, 1980 or with Wolfango Dalla Vecchia's Adagiosissimo (1982).

Furthermore, Briganti presented at the Real Teatro San Carlo in Naples – in the first performance for Italy – the Concerto in D minor for organ and orchestra by JS Bach and a program dedicated to Mozart's organ music. For the Neapolitan Academy of Music he held the complete cycle of Cèsar Franck's organ works in the first performance for the city of Naples and participated in the complete execution of Bach's works, making recordings for Radio Svizzera Italiana and holding concerts in the scope of important organ festivals in Italy, Switzerland. Poland, Yugoslavia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Mexico and Spain.

Since 1986, the musician has held the position of titular organist of the Basilica of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta in Naples, the place that hosts the concert/event "Soli Deo Gloria" dedicated to her: the role of titular organist of the Neapolitan church has been April 2022, covered by the organist Cristina Brancato, a pupil of the Briganti.

Organists Cristina Brancato and Ferdinando Scarpato

Born in Naples in 1972 and graduated from the “San Pietro a Majella” Conservatory of Music in Naples under the guidance of Maria Valeria Briganti, Cristina Brancato began her concert career at a very young age, both as a soloist and in numerous chamber and orchestral groups.

In 1990 he held his first solo concert for the First Musical Review “Ekema” in the Church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta in Naples. In 1997, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of J. Brahms, he participated – in the spaces of the Conservatory of Naples – in the execution of his work.

Since 1996 she has been part of the Organ Quartet “Chant d'Oiseaux”, a unique formation of its kind, which included the performance of four organists on the same organ: with this formation, she has held concerts in Italy and abroad, participating in the 1998 Salzburg Organ Festival.

In 2000, in the Church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta in Naples, he participated in an organ review in homage to the 250th anniversary of the death of JS Bach. Since 2003 you have been part, together with M ° Maria Valeria Briganti, of the organ duo "L'Ensemble Soli Deo Gloria".

In 2015 he collaborated with the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, taking care of the musical direction of the performance "Travel notes and small miracles" of the Performative Techniques course of Professor Maria Cristina Antonini.

Since the beginning of the XNUMXs he has dedicated himself to concert activity, alongside his teaching activity, as well as to research and study of musical learning for children, from birth to pre-school age.

Born in Naples in 1983, Ferdinando Scarpato began studying piano and organ at the “San Pietro a Majella” Conservatory of Music in Naples at a very young age, in the Organ and Organ Composition class of Maria Valeria Briganti. In 1997 he took part in the XIV Concert "The pupils of the Conservatory meet the pupils of the secondary schools" and in the same year he took part in the complete performance for Organ of the Opera by Johannes Brahms.

He continued his studies with Roberto Canali, graduating in Organ and Organ Composition. In 2004 he attended the “Course of interpretation of the organ music of Johann Sebastian Bach” held by Pier Domenico Peretti in the church of Don Abbondio in Cremona. In 2005 and 2006 he participated in the First and Second “National Organ Day” on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach.

From 2008 to 2011 he was titular organist of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Francesca in Naples, he collaborated as organist at the Monastery of SS. Giovanni and Teresa Discalced Carmelites of the Arco Mirelli in Naples and followed a course in organ improvement with Prof. Maria Valeria Briganti, holding two solo concerts in 2010 and 2011.

He is currently organist at the Cathedral of San Pietro di Frascati in Rome.