Gregorio Maria Paone

It’s indeed on Ernesto Cavallini’s composition, composer and clarinet virtuoso, that Gregorio Maria Paone is exalted and seems to have stolen the voice from the nightingales in the valley.
Luca Cianfoni, Fatto a Latina – July 20, 2019

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Gregorio posing for a picture outside the Music Building at James Madison University.

Gregorio Maria Paone is an Italian clarinetist, composer, musicologist and music theorist. Even though he started playing the keyboard on his own at the age of 6, he began his formal musical studies at the age of 10 when he started to get clarinet lessons from his first beloved teacher, Giacomo.

Gregorio and his first teacher, Giacomo Mazzoccoli.

Then he started to play in bands and he enrolled in the Conservatory at the age of 13. At this point, his passion for classical music exploded and he decided that this was the life he wanted to pursue.

After some conversations and a meeting in person in Imperia (Italy) and in Nizza (France) with Dr. Jim Colonna, Gregorio Maria decided that he wanted to explore the musical environment of the United States and he enrolled in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at James Madison University, where he graduated in December 2023 with Dr. Šarūnas Jankauskas. Gregorio’s doctoral document was The Reed-Above Embouchure: History, Geography and New Avenues for Clarinet Pedagogy.

Dr. Šarūnas Jankauskas hooding his pupil during the commencement ceremony, the 16th day of December, 2023.

Gregorio Maria is one of the founders of Accademia Filarmonica Mediterranea (Mediterranean Philarmonic Academia), along with Prof. Rosario De Luca and Prof. Canio Fidanza. Accademia Filarmonica Mediterranea is a no-profit organization involved in musical and academic publications, very open towards topics involving diversity and inclusion. AFM published, in this regard, the books written by Miracle Oromena Ogbor The prophetic facet of Nigerian Pentecostal Church music and Classical gospel folk music in Nigeria: Dr. Daniel Olukoya’s biography and compositions.

Tavole Palatine, dedicated to the Goddess Hera in Gregorio’s hometown. Pythagoras died in this place.

Gregorio Maria founded the Marsia Duo with Prof. Mario Piluso, an outstanding accordionist and friend. The duo performed in very important concert settings and national broadcasting institutions, such as RAI and Mediaset.

Gregorio Maria is a member of the International Clarinet Association, of the GATM (Group of Music Theory and Analysis), of the Associazione Alumni del Collegio dei Cavalieri del Lavoro (Association Alumni of the Knights of Labour), of the International Society for Music Education, and of the James Madison University Honor Council.

Gregorio Maria holds a master’s degree in Music Performance – Clarinet (St. Cecilia Conservatory – Rome, 2018), a master’s degree in Musicology -Concentration in Music Theory (University of Rome Tor Vergata – Rome, 2017), a Master’s degree in Composition and Conducting for Wind Orchestras (Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa Conservatory – Potenza, 2020); a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Heritage Studies (University of Rome Tor Vergata – Rome, 2015), and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance – Clarinet (Umberto Giordano Conservatory – Foggia, 2014).

Gregorio’s Graduation in Musicology wearing a Laurel Crown, with his committee: Prof. Giorgio Sanguinetti and Prof. Antonio Marcellino.

Strong influences in Gregorio’s view about music have been Vincenzo Mariozzi (principal clarinet of Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome) and Daniele Rossi (professor at Conservatorio St. Cecilia, Rome). He is grateful to Dr. Stefano Semplici as well, former president of the UNESCO Bioethics Committee and professor of Social Ethics at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and to Roberto Giuliani (Director of Conservatorio “St. Cecilia” – Rome).

Among his connections, Gregorio will be forever grateful to the Pole pianist and conductor Kasimierz Morski for playing with him and for how much he gave him in terms of musicianship and connection between the musical score and the human nature of the performer and the audience.

Gregorio Maria Paone and Kasimierz Morski after performing Carl Maria von Weber’s Grand Duo Concertante.

Gregorio Maria has many publications in his portfolio. One of the last is an article for the Clarinet Journal, the official publication of the International Clarinet Association, issued on March 2022 and entitled “The Reed-Above Embouchure, Then and Now”.

Gregorio wishes to complete his doctorate degree and pursue a career in Academia. Gregorio is a lover of Classical Latin language, of Greek and Romantic Philosophy, of English and Italian literature, and of the Scriptures, and can speak fluently Italian, English, French and Spanish.

If you want to read Gregorio’s extended CV, you can click here:

Gregorio Maria Paone Curriculum Vitae

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorio-maria-paone-a159b947/
https://www.instagram.com/gregoriomariapaone/

Laudate eum in sono tubae; laudate eum in psalterio et cithara.
Laudate eum in tympano et choro; laudate eum in chordis et organo.
Laudate eum in cymbalis bene sonantibus; laudate eum in cymbalis jubilationis.
Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum! Alleluja.
Psalmi 150: 3-6.