BEPPE CANTARELLI, Founder, Composer, Music Director & Conductor of the MILLENNIUM CHOIR, is a native of Busseto, in the county of Parma, Italy. Birthplace of composer GIUSEPPE VERDI, this region is known for its rich musical heritage. It has given the world some of the most haunting and beautiful melodies, and provided inspiration for the young CANTARELLI, who now resides in Los Angeles. BEPPE came to America in 1982 when QUINCY JONES asked him to participate in his U.S. Tour as Lead Guitarist. He has established a successful career as a contemporary composer, arranger and producer with many "secular hit songs" and film scores to his credit. He has worked with prominent recording industry artists such as ARETHA FRANKLIN, for whom he composed the number one hit song, "Another Night", MARIAH CAREY and BRENDA K. STARR, for whom he composed the top 5 hit song,"I Still Believe", BONNIE TYLER ("Before This Night Is Through"), JOE COCKER ("Tell Me There's A Way"), LEATA GALLOWAY ("With Every Beat Of My Heart"), LAURA BRANIGAN ("Lonely Nights"), just to name a few. He has composed, arranged and produced 4 albums/LPs for legendary Italian singer MINA, 4 albums/LPs for world-reknowned Italian rock group BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, and singles and albums for many other major European artists (AMII STEWART, ANNA OXA, FIORELLA MANNOIA, LOREDANA BERTE`, ORNELLA VANONI, MARCELLA, FRANCO SIMONE, TOTO CUTUGNO, RENATO ZERO, ORIETTA BERTI, MARIO LAVEZZI, and others).
Beppe joined the Busseto Cathedral Choir "Il Coro della Collegiata di San Bartolomeo" at an early age which allowed him to further cultivate a richer musical background and experience. Beppe, while with the Choir, performed at the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council at Saint Peter's Basilica, in Rome, during a Mass celebrated by Pope Paul VI with over 3,500 Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops from around the world in attendance. The pinnacle of the Choir's performance was the presentation of "Veni Sancte Spiritus" in its original Gregorian version.

As fate would have it, this event and musical experience so impressed the youthful Cantarelli, that even after a brilliant career in the "secular world of pop music" that allowed him to sell over 30 million records around the world as a composer, arranger and producer, he once again came full circle back to writing new music for the ever beautiful words of "Veni Sante Spiritus."

In 1993, Maestro Cantarelli received a commission to compose music for the lyrics of the beautiful Christmas prayer by David Maria Turoldo. This two-part composition "Ecco Un'Aurora Mai Vista" (Prelude a cappella) and "Mentre Il Silenzio" (Main Theme / Pastorale for choir & strings) has been successfully performed by numerous choirs for many years throughout Rome and at the Vatican as well.

Following this successful piece, Maestro Cantarelli to write the music for "Veni Sante Spiritus" as well.

In 1997, Madre Luigia Aguzzi, Head of the "Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore" in Rome, asked Maestro Cantarelli to compose new music for the "Magnificat" in honor of the Sanctuary, often visited by his Holiness Pope John Paul II.

This commission at first intimidated Maestro Cantarelli, since scores of past Masters (including Mozart, Bach, Monteverdi and Vivaldi) have written music for the famous "Magnificat" by Saint Luke. Maestro Cantarelli, at the risk of maybe seeming arrogant to some, has composed a simple yet emotional rendition that has become one of the most requested items in our current catalog as well as one of the most popular selections at the Millennium Choir's concerts.

Beppe, in September 2000, has composed a new Mass that will be recorded & released soon by the Millennium Choir for a separate CD project. Only the Mass' "Sanctus" is featured in the current "Magnificat" Album/CD. 2 more selections from this Mass have been recorded ever since by Maestro Cantarelli and The Millennium Choir: a "Panis Angelicus" for Lead Tenor, Lead Soprano, Choir & Orchestra, and a "Kyrie" for Choir & Orchestra. Both these compositions are now part of the repertoire of The Millennium Choir but as of today, unfortunately, they can only be heard during the choir's concerts. We are looking forward to the exciting new addition of Beppe Cantarelli's complete Mass to our catalog. The Mass will also be available on this website in the very near future.

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