‘A fascinatingly-detailed account of how a love affair with the mandolin became a love affair with Italy as well. It shows the lengths to which an excellent musician will go to become an even better one.’

Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

The mandolin lesson
A journey of self-discovery in Italy

Study in Italy

Short Courses

Carlo Aonzo heads up the International Italian Mandolin Academy which runs a summer course. Dorina Frati teaches a mandolin course at the Gubbio Summer Festival. Mauro Squillante directs an historical mandolin summer course in Naples, Accademia Internazionale dei Mandolini Antiche, and also gives a summer course in Urbino for the Fondazione Italiana per Musica Antica (Italian Foundation for Early Music). Links:

Long Courses

There are lots of full time courses at Italian conservatoires now. Ugo Orlandi now teaches at Milan, Maria Cleofe Miotti is at Padua, Dorina Frati at Brescia and Mauro Squillante at Bari and Salerno. These are just a few examples: