Zitello, Vincenzo - Ave Maria

Vincenzo Zitello, composer, harpist, and concert artist, started studying music at a very early age, playing the transverse flute and the viola.

Having been the first one to spread and pioneer the Celtic harp in Italy since 1976, he dedicated himself to his musical studies, taking part in Breton cultural and musical seminars held at the “Ti Kendalc'h” with Dominig Bouchaud and Mariannig Larc’hantec.

In 1978 Zitello formed the harp and oboe duet with Roberto Mazza. In 1980 he got specialised in the bardic harp and Celtic singing with Alan Stivell. In 1985 he formed the duet “ASCIARA” with Saro Cosentino” and recorded a single produced by Franco Battiato and published by EMI, based on a traditional Irish piece sung in Gaelic. They won the “Vela D’Argento” prize in Riva Del Garda (Italy).

In 1987 “Stile Libero” Virgin published the first album of Vincenzo Zitello, “ET VICE VERSA”, entirely dedicated to compositions for the Celtic Harp with metal strings. In 1988 he began recording his second album, “KERIGMA”, published by Sony Music and presented at the “Premio Tenco” in Sanremo. In 1990, “Kerigma” was released also in the USA, Canada and Australia by the recording label NARADA (Sona Gaia), under the title “Euphonia”.

In 1994 his third album, “La Via”, was published by D.D.D./BMG Ariola. In 1995 Zitello wrote the music for the play “The Beat Generation”, bringing out a CD with the actor Massimo Arrigoni and, on the occasion of the tribute to Fernanda Pivano in Conegliano Veneto, he accompanied the poet Allen Ginsberg in his reading. In September 1995 he composed an ”Ave Maria” for the Edizioni Paoline and presented it live, together with the singer Rossana Casale, in Loreto, in front of the Pope. The Ave Maria is included in a compilation of sacred music - “Laudate Domini” – published by C.G.D./Ed. In January 1996, the album “La Via” was published in Europe by the record company Live Music, distributed by B.M.G. Ariola under the title “SERENADE”.

In 1998 Zitello created the CD entitled “AFORISMI D’ARPA”, published by R.T.I. MUSIC. On Easter 2000, the magazine Famiglia Cristiana published 200,000 copies of the CD “Musica Caeli Concerto per il Giubileo”, containing seven pieces of sacred music composed by Vincenzo Zitello, which, on various liturgical occasions, have been played in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome, in front of the Holy Father.

In April 2001, the record company FELMAY publisheg the live CD “CONCERTO” by the TRIO of Vincenzo Zitello. In April 2002, his first CD (from 1986) - “ET VICE VERSA” – was republished by the label FELMAY. In 2003 the Sound Library of Parma published a recording made in its studios in 1997 and entitled “Ottoarmonico”.

In 2004 in Monza, Vincenzo Zitello was awarded the status of Harpist Emeritus of Irish music, together with Stefano Corsi and the Breton Myrdhin, during the concert “A Tribute to Derek Bell, harpist of the Chieftains”. In the same year the label Fairyland published his sixth CD - “Solo” - played entirely on the Celtic and bardic harps.

In 2007 Vincenzo brought out his seventh album - “ATLAS” - distributed worldwide by the Apple iTunes Store. In 2008 he collaborated on Ivano Fossati's CD “Musica Moderna”. In September 2009 he was awarded a new prize, the "Premio Benessere for Music", by the City of Ischia. In 2010 he collaborated with the classical harp class of the Conservatory of Parma, with the teacher Emanuela Degli Esposti. In 2011 he published his eighth album, “TALISMANO”, which is entirely dedicated to the bardic harp and features twelve original compositions.