Ascanio Mayone

Ascanio Mayone
(b Naples, c1565; d Naples, 9 March 1627). Italian composer, organist and harpist. He studied in Naples with G.D.

da Nola; Camillo Lambardi was a fellow pupil. In 1593 he succeeded Scipione Stella as organist at the church of SS Annunziata with a salary of eight ducats per month. From 1595 he shared the duties of maestro di cappella with Lambardi. He remained at SS Annunziata until 1621 at the earliest, perhaps until his death. Scipione Cerreto listed him in 1601 among the excellent performers on the organ and the harp ‘a due ordini’ (a chromatic harp capable of playing sharps and flats). In 1602 he was appointed second organist of the royal chapel of the Spanish viceroys (the first organist was Trabaci). He probably performed in the houses of Marthos de Gorostiola and G.B. Suardo, Neapolitan noblemen to whom he dedicated his keyboard volumes. He became first organist of the royal chapel in September 1614 when Trabaci succeeded Macque as maestro di cappella. Among his pupils were Pietro Guarino and his own son Giulio, called ‘Ciullo dell’Arpa’, both of whom held major posts as organists in Naples.