PINUCCIO FERRARA

Title: Lost Tapes Vol. 23 Pinuccio Ferrara
Group: Bandas of Conversano, Ceglie Messapica, Gioia del Colle, Squinzano
Year: 1974/97 © 2025
Graphics: 3Heads Agency
Notes: Pierfrancesco Galati and Livio Minafra
Recorders: Felice D’Alessandro/Archivio Michele Bozzi, Tonino Santese, Pasquale Mariella, Aldino Miceli, Domenico Spagnoli
Tapes: Livio Minafra, Pierfrancesco Galati
Digitalization, sound track selection, editing: Livio Minafra
Mastering and restoration sound engineer: Gianluca Caterina
Label: Angapp Music – It
Produced by: Livio Minafra

Giuseppe, “Pinuccio” Ferrara, was born in Corato on June 4, 1950. His interest in music manifested at an early age. These qualities did not escape the attention of his parents, but especially of his uncle Luigi, who took him to the Music School in his hometown. Directed by Maestro Raffaele Miglietta, winner of a public competition in 1952, the Municipal Music School in Corato was a point of reference and a valuable instrument of human, musical, and professional development, from which several talented musicians flourished. And Miglietta herself, after giving him the Bona method for solfeggio, entrusted him with an unusual instrument for what would later be his solo career: a piccolo in Eb. It belonged to a fellow countryman who had been in Venezuela and had left it at the Corato music school. It was purchased by Pinuccio’s family for 12,000 lire. Such was his commitment to this reed instrument, that he managed to quickly complete Ernesto Cavallini’s clarinet manual. Pinuccio was so eager to “join the band,” that he made his debut playing the horn at the famous Festival of the Trees in 1964. Throughout his artistic career, Ferrara always played the horn. However, during the season, Pinuccio realized that the horn wasn’t for him and decided to focus on the flugelhorn, much to the general amazement of his family and Maestro Miglietta, who, after hearing him perform at school, decided to promote him as principal flugelhorn soloist. A break was necessary due to military service, and upon his discharge in 1972, he was hired as a flugelhorn player by the Gran Concerto Bandistico “Mondial” of the city of Martina Franca under the direction of Maestro Antonio Reino. The following year, he remained in Martina Franca, supporting the principal flugelhorn player, Alfonso Toma from Avetrano. After the dissolution of Mondial, in 1974 he arrived in Gioia del Colle, still with Marmino, who insisted that the festival committees have his band play Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” every evening, precisely because of the vocal qualities of Ferrara on soprano and Vincenzo Ciliberti on flugelhorn. For the record, it should be noted that between one artistic season and another, Ferrara collaborated with the Orchestra of the Petruzzelli Theatre in Bari, in performances of Turandot, Aida, and more. From 1975 to 1981, Pinuccio began a long association that saw him as a concert flugelhorn player with Maestro Ligonzo in the band concerts of Conversano and Ceglie Messapica. With this latter band, Ferrara appeared as a concert flugelhorn player with maestros Pino Natale and Gerardo Garofalo in 1982, 1983, and 1984. His undoubted talents were now well-known among band members, so much so that in 1985 he succumbed to the enticement of President Candido Giangrande, who appointed him as concert flugelhorn player and organizer of the Gran Concerto Bandistico “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” Città di Squinzano, conducted by Spaniard Jorge Egea. He remained in Squinzano in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990, bringing to the podium a promising young conductor of Benevento origin, Maestro Claudio Ciampa. Ciampa then handed over the baton for the 1991 season to Mario Cananà from Salento, again with Pinuccio as concert flugelhorn player and organizer. In 1992, he returned to Gioia del Colle, which at the time was experiencing the antagonism and rivalry of a second band, again as a concert flugelhorn player and organizer. He was joined by maestro Gerardo Garofalo, who during that period produced his lengthy and captivating transcriptions, including Pagliacci, Il Trovatore, and La Forza del Destino. He remained in Gioia del Colle until 2002, with the presence of established conductors such as Giuseppe Carannante, during the 1993, 1994, and 1995 artistic seasons, then from 1996 to 1999 with Michele Marvulli, before seeing the return of Ciampa in 2000, Giovanni Guerrieri in 2001, and again in 2002 with Carannante.

Pierfrancesco Galati, musicologist

Giuseppe Ferrara and his collaborations with Bandas:

1968 Corato – Raffaele Miglietta (flicorno soprano)
1969 Corato – Raffaele Miglietta (flicorno soprano)
1972 Martina Franca “Mondial” – Antonio Reino (flicorno soprano)
1973 Martina Franca “Mondial” – Antonio Reino (secondo flicornino)
1974 Gioia del Colle – Pietro Marmino (flicorno soprano)
1975 Conversano – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1976 Conversano – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1977 Ceglie Messapica – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1978 Ceglie Messapica – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1979 Ceglie Messapica – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1980 Ceglie Messapica – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1981 Ceglie Messapica – Gioacchino Ligonzo
1982 Ceglie Messapica – Pino Natale
1983 Ceglie Messapica – Pino Natale
1984 Ceglie Messapica – Gerardo Garofalo
1985 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Jorge Egea
1986 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Claudio Ciampa
1987 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Claudio Ciampa
1988 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Claudio Ciampa
1989 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Claudio Ciampa
1990 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Claudio Ciampa
1991 Squinzano “Ernesto e Gennaro Abbate” – Mario Canana’
1992 Gioia Del Colle – Gerardo Garofalo
1993 Gioia Del Colle – Giuseppe Carannante
1994 Gioia Del Colle – Giuseppe Carannante
1995 Gioia Del Colle – Giuseppe Carannante
1996 Gioia Del Colle – Michele Marvulli
1997 Gioia Del Colle – Michele Marvulli
1998 Gioia Del Colle – Michele Marvulli
1999 Gioia Del Colle – Michele Marvulli
2000 Gioia Del Colle – Claudio Ciampa
2001 Gioia Del Colle – Giovanni Guerrieri
2002 Gioia Del Colle – Giuseppe Carrannante