The"Coro Polifonico Universitario" of Naples- Italy
Pianist Antima Pepe
Director i Director artístic Antonio Spagnolo

The"Coro Polifonico Universitario" of Naples- Italy
The University Polyphonic Choir (UPC), a Neapolitan non-profit cultural association, was founded by professor at Federico II University Gennaro Luongo a choir Master, Joseph Grima, in 1992.
This choir consists of about 30 fellows, mainly students, but also including foreign participants of the ERASMUS project, teachers, professors and also non-teaching staff from the other five Neapolitan Universities, who share the same passion for music and song. Master Antonio Spagnolo has been its Artistic Director since November 1999. Since 1993, the CPU has held many sacred and profane concerts. It has sung in several entertainments with the orchestra Nuova Scarlatti and the orchestra Discantus Ensemble, both in Naples and in other Italian cities. The UPC recorded for the Sunday Concert of the ZDF (Germany), it performed the first modern version of F. Durante’s Missa Pastoralis.
It performed a concert, in Pope’s presence, on the Jubilee of the Universities, together with other university choirs coming from several foreign countries, in an Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter’s Square telecasted worldwide by RAI (2000) and it sang during the World Days of University Culture in 2001 and in 2007.
It took part in XI International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music with Petr Eben’s Prize in Prague in 2001, it won the bronze medal.
Since 1999 it has performed concerts on “Maggio dei Monumenti” organized by the Neapolitan municipal administration. In 2005 it took part in the II edition of “Voci nel Chiostro” organized by Association “A. Scarlatti” and in the “Ravello Festival”. It performed several concerts for the Pellegrini’s Archconfraternity. It performed on two occasions of the “Tutt’In Coro” show organized by The New Orchestra “A. Scarlatti” in the RAI Auditorium in Fuorigrotta (Naples).
The choir, among its institutive aims, promotes cultural activities with the student Association “MusiCanto” of the University of Naples “Federico II” and it was asked for performing concerts on several National and International Scientific Meetings.
It pursues also social activities with benefit concerts for several Neapolitan Organizations and Bodies.
Since some years its concerts are characterized by a careful search in the integration of the different forms of artistic expression, by combining, from time to time, with music a reflection about the Neapolitan cultural traditions and the story of the city, the knowledge of the historic artistic products of the places where the concerts are performed and the poetic references of the musical proposal.


Graduated from the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory in Naples with diplomas in Piano under the guidance of Annamaria Pennella and in Composition under the guidance of Lucio Maria Lo Gatto.
Some of her compositions were included in the ballet Te voglio bene assaje, directed by Roberto De Simone, performed at the Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro alla Scala, and Teatro Donizetti, and later revived in suite form at the Court Theatre of the Teatro San Carlo in 2002.
She served as rehearsal pianist for the performance Requiem in memory of Pier Paolo Pasolini by Roberto De Simone, staged at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
She participated as pianist and rehearsal pianist in the production Marechiaro waiting for the moon canzun e songs all'Osteria di Marechiaro by Mariano Bauduin with music by Roberto De Simone, performed at the Teatro Romano di Benevento on September 9, 2010.
She was rehearsal pianist for the production El Diego by Roberto De Simone, performed at the Teatro San Carlo on June 10, 2010.
She also worked as collaborator and rehearsal pianist in Roberto De Simone's production Voci e suoni per il Natale 2008, and as assistant conductor for his production Lo Vommaro. She performed as pianist in Cantata per il principe di San Severo (2008) by Alessandro De Simone at the Cappella Sansevero.
She composed music for the following productions:
Notte dei Ricercatori, premiered at the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory of Music (2006);
MpF (Musica per Fontane), part of the 'Natale in città' project promoted by the City of Naples in Piazza Monteoliveto (2003);
Serenata 'e Maggio, premiered at Villa Pignatelli during the 'Maggio dei Monumenti' festival in Naples (2002);
L'aiuto invocato, premiered at the Chiesa del Purgatorio ad Arco during 'Maggio dei Monumenti' in Naples (2001);
Arazzi in battaglia, premiered at the Museo di Capodimonte as part of the cultural initiatives promoted by the City of Naples and sponsored by the Campania Cultural Heritage Authority.
She has participated in several national and international competitions:
As a pianist:
First Absolute Prize at the Città di Messina Piano Competition (1984);
First Prize at the Pietro Napoli Piano Competition in Livorno (1985);
First Prize at the Città di Aversa Piano Competition (1990);
First Absolute Prize at the S. Cecilia Piano Competition (1993).
As a composer:
Concorso Diocesana Donna (1998);
Video Musica Competition (in trio with Vincenza Cardone and Nunzio Salierno).



He qualified in singing, he studied Composition and Choral Direction under the guidance of M° Enrico Buondonno.
He attended the direction courses “R. Goitre” and the seminars of the group “Pro Cantione Antiqua” in London.
Since 1984 he has directed the choir “Ensemble Vocale di Napoli” and in this role he won the XII International Competition “Guido D’Arezzo” and twice he won the International Choral Singing Exhibition in Alghero.
He was part of the Judging Commission of the International Festival of Choral Singing in Alghero, after being given a prize with the Silver Diapason in 1991.
He collaborated with R. De Simone, A. Florio, S. Accardo, R. Clemencic, P. Maag, M. Pradella, V. Spivakov. He took part in the concert seasons of RAI in Naples, of the Association “A. Scarlatti” in Naples and of “Sferisterio” in Macerata.
He collaborated to the realization of Mozart’s “Requiem” with the “Scala di Milano” orchestra.
In Novembre 1998 he directed D. Scarlatti’s “Messa di Santa Cecilia” for soloists, choir and orchestra in the first Neapolitan performance under the guidance of the Professors of the Scarlatti Orchestra.
Since November 1999 he has been the Artistic Director of the University Polyphonic Choir and since 2002 of the International Choral Festival “Napolifestival – Voci nel Sole”.
With the University Polyphonic Choir he performed, absolutely for the first time, A. Scarlatti’s “Passione secondo Giovanni”. In May 2003 he directed “Dixit Dominus” and “Laudate Pueri” by G. F. Haendel for the Scarlatti Association in the first performance in Naples.
He carries on an intense didactic and singing diffusion activity with the UPC and the choral group “Regesta Cantorum” in Piedimonte Matese.
In 2007 he took a tournèe to China with the pianist Michele Campanella. He took part in the Ravello Festival and in the two editions of “Tutt’in coro” organized with the collaboration of the New Scarlatti Orchestra.