Education and Studies
Born in Palermo in 1973, he began his musical training at the “Open Jazz Music School,” also focusing on classical guitar under the guidance of teacher Maurizio Norrito. He completed the 5 year classical guitar program at V. Bellini Conservatory in Caltanissetta, while also studying humanities at the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy in Palermo.
In 1999, he moved to Boston to continue his studies of jazz guitar at the Berklee College of Music, with the help of a full scholarship. In Boston, he studied with prominent musicians such as Jon Damian and Mick Goodrick for jazz guitar, Ted Peace for arranging, and Hal Crook for improvisation techniques. He also took private lessons with renowned guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. During this period, he had the opportunity to collaborate with international artists such as Gary Burton, Bob Moses, Dayna Stephens, Ferenc Nemeth, and Paul Jeffrey.
Projects and Collaborations
After earning his jazz guitar diploma in Boston, he became part of the teaching staff at Berklee College of Music, working as a teaching assistant. He then moved to New York, where he explored the downtown music scene and had the chance to perform with his own band at prominent venues in the west coast, such as TUFTS University in Boston, the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), the Dante Alighieri Society in Cambridge, the Nublu Jazz Club in New York, and Duke University in North Carolina.
Upon returning to Italy, he earned a Master Diploma in Jazz Composition from the G. Martucci Conservatory in Salerno. He began an intense teaching and performing career, collaborating with various institutions, including the Traveling Jazz School based in Majorca, Spain, where he held jazz guitar seminars from 2008 to 2012.
Recognition and Publications
Throughout his career, he has received numerous recognitions, including the “GAI” (Young Italian Artists) award, which allowed him to receive a scholarship to attend the CESTA Art Festival in the Czech Republic, where he collaborated with Andrea Parkins (John Zorn’s band) and Matt Ostrowsky. He also took part in the theatrical production “La Scomparsa di Majorana”, directed by bassist Luca Lo Bianco, which was performed in Berlin at the Werkstatt der Kulturen on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of physicist Ettore Majorana. Additionally, with the project “Hector Mann Music Crew”, he won the “Strade del Cinema” silent movie scoring competition in Aosta, performing in Turin, Aosta, and Palermo, as well as at the National Cinema Museum in Turin.
International Artist Residency Experiences
In 2008, he was selected to participate in the ‘Recollets Artist in Residence Program’ in France, where he received a scholarship and performed at the Jazz Festival ‘Cité Européenne des Recollets’. The following year, in 2009, he was invited by the ‘Zicht Foundation’ as a resident artist in Amsterdam, where he performed at the famous Ysbreeker, a hub for Dutch jazz music, and created several commissioned compositions inspired by the city’s North District. In 2013, he was selected to participate in the ‘Music Omi International Artist in Residence Program’ in Ghent (New York), where he performed with the MUSIC OMI IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA, conducted by renowned composer Karl Berger.
Participation in Festivals and Events
He has participated in numerous international jazz festivals and events, including Ozmotic in Turin, CESTA Art Festival in the Czech Republic, Upload in Bolzano, Sapobla Jazz Festival in Spain, Hamburg Jazz Tage in Germany, Jazz Under the Castel in Slovakia, Shapeshifter Lab Season in New York, Music Omi Festival in the United States, Espace Jemmapes in France, and Opus Jazz in Budapest.
Recordings and Masterclasses
Throughout his career, he has recorded several albums, both as a leader and as a sideman, including the recent album ‘Bandha’ for Dodicilune Records. Additionally, he has held numerous jazz guitar masterclasses at prestigious international institutions, such as the ESML in Lisbon, the University of Rzeszów in Poland, the Birmingham Conservatory in the United Kingdom, the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, the F. Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Academy of Music in Lithuania, the Conservatorio Superior de Musica J. Rodrigo in Valencia and the ‘Institut Supérieur de Musique de Sousse (Tunisia)’
Teaching Activities and Current Position
He has taught at various music conservatories in Italy, including those in Sassari, Messina, Campobasso, and Trapani, and he is currently a jazz guitar professor at the A. Scarlatti Conservatory in Palermo.