Dr. Antonella Di Giulio is an internationally recognized pianist, music scholar, and educator, known for her innovative contributions to music theory, performance, and pedagogy. With a PhD in Music Theory and Historical Musicology from the University at Buffalo, her academic and professional journey bridges the gap between rigorous scholarly inquiry and dynamic, real-world application in music education and performance.

Antonella’s musical journey began in Italy, where she earned her Diploma in Piano Performance from the Conservatorio Statale "Santa Cecilia" in Rome, one of the most prestigious institutions for music education in Europe. Her early training fostered a deep commitment to technical mastery and interpretative depth, qualities that continue to define her performances today. Further honing her expertise, she pursued advanced studies in Music Pedagogy at the Musikhochschule Aachen-Köln in Germany, followed by a Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University at Buffalo. She also completed her Suzuki teacher training with the European Suzuki Association Level 5, studying under concert pianist Lola Tavor in Milan and Geneva, further enhancing her approach to teaching young musicians.

Throughout her career, Antonella has worn many hats: performer, educator, researcher, and entrepreneur. As a concert pianist, she has performed internationally, both as a soloist and in collaboration with other artists. Her performance career includes a wide-ranging repertoire, from classical works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms to contemporary pieces, including commissioned works from living composers. Her performances have been praised for their emotional depth, intellectual rigor, and technical excellence, with reviewers often commenting on her ability to bring new life to both well-known and lesser-performed works.

One of the highlights of Antonella’s career is her involvement in unique, interdisciplinary projects. Her collaboration on Ultrasound, the Symphony of the Plants, for example, exemplifies her commitment to expanding the boundaries of what music can be. This project, which brought together composers, researchers, and performers, used the sounds of plants as the basis for a series of contemporary compositions, creating an immersive audio-visual experience for the audience. Projects like this reflect Antonella’s belief that music is not just an artistic practice but a means of exploring and understanding the world in new ways.

In addition to her performance work, Antonella is a dedicated educator with a passion for nurturing the next generation of musicians. She is the founder and CEO of Woom Talent Center, where she oversees a variety of programs aimed at helping students of all ages develop their musical abilities. At Woom, Antonella teaches piano and music theory, using her extensive knowledge of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to help students overcome performance anxiety, build confidence, and achieve their musical goals. NLP has become a cornerstone of her teaching philosophy, as she believes that understanding how the mind works is key to unlocking musical potential. By applying NLP techniques, she empowers students to reframe their challenges, develop positive practice habits, and cultivate a growth mindset, leading to more fulfilling and successful musical journeys.

Antonella’s interest in the intersection of music and psychology has also informed her research. Her PhD dissertation, titled "Mapping Contemporary Works: A Semiotic and Linguistic Approach to Music Analysis," explored how semiotic and linguistic frameworks can be applied to music analysis, offering new ways of understanding how musical meaning is constructed. This interdisciplinary approach to music theory reflects Antonella’s belief that music is not just a form of entertainment but a powerful form of communication that can convey complex ideas and emotions. Her research interests include music cognition, semiotics, contemporary music, and the role of imagery in music, and she has published widely on these topics in academic and non-academic settings.

Antonella has presented her research at numerous conferences, including the Society for Music Theory (SMT) and the American Musicological Society (AMS), where she has earned a reputation as an insightful and original thinker. Her conference presentations have covered a wide range of topics, from the role of form-meaning pairings in 20th-century compositions to the integration of structured and unstructured learning in early childhood music education. In addition, she has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to books on music education and performance, further establishing her as a leader in her field.

In recent years, Antonella has expanded her reach through digital platforms, sharing her knowledge with a global audience. She is the creator of the WebPiano Academy YouTube Channel, where she provides high-quality music instruction to over 19,000 subscribers. Her videos cover a wide range of topics, from piano technique and music theory to advice on how to approach performance and practice. The success of her channel speaks to her ability to communicate complex musical concepts in a clear and engaging way, making high-level music education accessible to a broad audience.

Antonella is the founder of Musica IQ, a platform aimed at bridging the gap between academia and the professional music world. Through Musica IQ, she seeks to create a platform where scholars, educators, and performers can share ideas, insights, and best practices. The platform covers a wide range of topics, from music pedagogy and psychology to semiotics and performance practice, and reflects Antonella’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive intellectual community in the music world.

In addition to her work in performance and education, Antonella is deeply committed to service within the music community. She has served as President of the Chromatic Club of Buffalo and has been involved in organizing conferences and symposiums, including the Sound and Sonorities Symposium at Buffalo State College. She is also a mentor to international students at the University at Buffalo and has served as a mentor, judge, coach to student-entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the challenges of academic and professional life in the U.S.

Throughout her career, Antonella has been guided by a deep belief in the transformative power of music. Whether through performance, teaching, research, or service, her goal is always to help others discover and develop their own musical voice. She continues to inspire musicians of all ages and backgrounds with her passion, creativity, and dedication to the art of music.