De Barberi, Carmelo

Carmelo De Barberi was born in Palermo (Sicily) on 7 November 1863, the son of double bassist Francesco Paolo De Barberi and Anna D’Amico, and lived and worked in Palermo for most of his life . He studied double bass with his father, alongside violin and piano lessons with local musicians , and later studied composition at Palermo Conservatoire with Pietro Platania ( 1828-1907). He married Rosa Allegra in the city on 3 April 1884.

De Barberi was a double bassist at Teatro Bellini in Palermo and, following the death of his father, was promoted to Teatro Politeamo Garibaldi (Palermo). In 1882 he was appointed conductor at the Teatro Filarmonico in Tunis (Tunisia) and from 1885 until 1923 taught double bass at the Real Collegio do Musica in Palermo.

In 1894 De Barberi founded the Societa L’Arte Melodrammatica, to promote traditional Sicilian melodies and canzonettas, alongside composing a number of operas, songs, vocal and instrumental music, and composed at least two operatic fantasias for double bass and piano.

Carmelo De Barberi died in his home city on 25 February 1944.

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