Napoli – The San Pietro a Majella Conservatory is mourning the passing of Roberto De Simone, a legendary figure in Italian culture and the institution’s renowned director from 1995 to 2000.
With a note filled with "deep emotion and sincere condolences", the Conservatory pays homage to a man who has indelibly marked the musical, theatrical and intellectual history not only of Napoli, but of the entire country.
“Roberto De Simone was a Master in the highest and most authentic sense of the term,” said President Carla Ciccarelli. “A visionary intellectual capable of transforming memory into art and tradition into living and contemporary knowledge.
He led our Conservatory with rigor, passion and a boundless love for Naples and its roots. His work, which ranges from musicology to theater to composition, has illuminated an era and continues to inspire generations of artists and scholars.
His passing leaves an immense void in Italian culture, but his legacy is everywhere: in the folk songs he rescued from oblivion, in the stages he immortalized, in the books and scores he gave us. We salute him with gratitude and immense respect: Naples owes him a lot, we all owe him a great deal”.
Musicologist, director, composer and anthropologist, De Simone has dedicated his life to exploring and enhancing the cultural heritage of Naples, giving new life to popular tradition and intertwining it with an innovative artistic vision.
During his tenure at San Pietro a Majella, he left a deep mark, as recalled by director Gaetano Panariello: “His direction was an expression of genius and rigor, capable of giving voice to the complex soul of Naples. Among his most significant contributions, the Integrated Project for the reorganization and redevelopment of the Conservatory Library, started in 1998 under his guidance.
An ambitious initiative that, thanks to significant funds allocated, has allowed the cataloguing, restoration and digitalisation of a book and musical heritage of inestimable value”.
Panariello then added a personal memory: “In 2001, when I was director of the Avellino Conservatory, I asked the Maestro to take care of the direction and staging of
L'impresario in angustie by Domenico Cimarosa, an opera created exclusively with the students of the singing classes. For a whole month he followed the project with tireless dedication, leaving an indelible mark on all of us. The Naples Conservatory will be eternally grateful to him for his teaching and for the passion with which he has trained the new generations”.
The death of Roberto De Simone closes an extraordinary chapter of Italian culture, but his spirit lives on in the intangible heritage that he was able to preserve and pass on. Naples and the world of music mourn him, certain that his legacy will continue to resonate in theaters, classrooms and in the hearts of those who had the privilege of knowing him or studying his work.
Article published on 7 April 2025 - 14:47
It is a great loss for culture, Roberto De Simone has done so much for Naples and Italy. His passion for music and theater will remain in the memories of those who knew him. His work is important.