L ‘Accademia Neapolitan Mandolin was created in 1929 on the initiative of Raffaele Calace; It’s legacy was continued in 1992 by those most sensitive to the need for a recovery of the Neapolitan mandolin as a cultured tradition tool. Since then the Neapolitan Mandolin Academy, with the help of the president mandolin player Mauro Squillante and artistic director cellist Leonardo Massa, has become an important and constant point of reference for enthusiasts, fans and lovers of the Neapolitan mandolin, offering educational support to those who want to start study of the instrument, through the teaching activities of the School of Mandolin Napoletana held by Mauro Squillante, and providing any kind of support to the professional with a mandolin want to exercise their artistic activities. The effective activity of promotion and diffusion of the Neapolitan mandolin played by the Neapolitan Mandolin Academy has had the natural outlet for the establishment of the mandolin at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella, an incredible gap filled precisely thanks to the direct engagement of the mandolin from ‘Academy. The experience of the Academy and its musicians also used the important musical strings Galli Neapolitan factory to create a specific line of strings for plectrum instruments.
The chamber ensembles and the orchestra, the NapoliMandolinOrchestra, is performing successfully all over the world. L ‘Accademia Neapolitan Mandolin has to its credit, in addition to various radio recordings for RAI and French radio broadcasters German and Japanese, recordings for the labels Felmay – Dunja Records, with whom it recorded the CD “Serenata Luntana” and ” Mandolins Opera” , and for the Japanese Respect Records with which has recorded “Neapolitan Café”,”Napoli love Songs” and “Masterpieces Eternals”. All records were welcomed in a way flattering by the public and critics.
L ‘Accademia Neapolitan Mandolin has prestigious collaborations with Neapolitan artists in music, including Roberto De Simone, which he composed for the Academy Neapolitan Mandolin an entire concert entitled “Neapolitan Ashes” as well as transcriptions of classical and traditional music that have often been performed with success; Also interesting collaborations are with members of other artistic fields as Gennaro Vallifuoco, professor at the ‘Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, author of the CD cover images. The Academy took part in 2007 to the “Music Festival” in Paris and in Italian events organized by the Institute of the Stockholm culture of La Paz in Bolivia, Morocco and others. The rich concert activity of its orchestral and chamber led the Neapolitan mandolin players to represent Italy at important locations (New York, Germany, France, Great Britain, Israel, South America), and in international festivals such as Les Allumiéres to Nantes (France) and Rudolstadt Folk Fest in Germany.
Some of the soloists of the Academy have collaborated with tenor Andrea Bocelli in a concert in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples, presenting the CD by the artist dedicated to the Neapolitan repertoire.
For years the Neapolitan Mandolin Academy in Naples is serving the city with its numerous concerts that are tourists attractions during major holidays like New Year, Christmas, Epiphany and Easter. From 2014, together with The House of mandolin in Naples, L ‘Accademia Neapolitan Mandolin offers regular concerts for tourists and lovers of the mandolin, like Summer in Naples organized by Culture and Tourism of the City of Naples and Mandolins Under the Stars, a yearly concert which takes place August 10. Finally, the Cultural Institute Suor Orsola Benincasa University partnered with L ‘Accademia Neapolitan Mandolin with regard to the scientific organization of the Master on the Neapolitan mandolin for the academic year. 2014/2015.
