Pina Napolitano

Biography and career

Napolitano was born in Caserta, Italy, and began studying piano at the age of four with Guisi Ambrifi. She later completed two Masters' degrees in piano performance and in 20th century piano music with Bruno Mezzena at the Music Academy of Pescara.

At the same time, Napolitano studied literature, and earned undergraduate degrees in Classics and Oriental European Culture and Languages at the University of Naples "L'Orientale," earning a Ph.D. in Foreign Languages and Literature from the Second University of Rome with a thesis on the poetry of Osip Mandelstam.

Napolitano has attended master classes with Tibor Égly, Bruno Canino, and Alexander Lonquich, and has studied musical analysis with Giacomo Manzoni and Hugh Collins Rice. She has also participated in master classes at the Ticino Musica Festival, Switzerland, where she has given recitals and served as a teacher.

As a performer, Napolitano has played in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, Switzerland and Italy, both in solo recitals and as soloist with orchestras performing works such as Liszt's second piano concerto and Bartók's third piano concerto.

Napolitano currently teaches upper level courses at the Alban Berg Academy (Pescara#.

Recordings

Napolitano has recorded the complete works for piano of Arnold Schönberg for Odradek Records.