Biography

Originally from the picturesque city of Catania, Sicily, I started playing guitar at the age of 10. My first musical influences came from my father, a music enthusiast, who regularly attended classical music programs at the “Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini”, the local opera house dedicated to the famous composer.

My dad also had a small collection of records, which he played while working in his studio or after a long day at the office, but it wasn’t until I started taking private lessons at a local music school that I became engrossed in learning to play the instrument, spending countless hours practicing after school.

Under my first guitar teacher Enrico Scandurra, I studied fingerstyle guitar and blues. However, I was quickly drawn to jazz after listening to some of the teachers at the school, in particular pianist virtuoso and composer Camillo Balcone, and, of course, all the jazz masters who would play in my hometown at the local jazz festivals.

In my 20s, after spending a couple of years under guitarist Mimmo La Mantia, I managed to persuade Mimmo Sferro (one of the most brillant jazz educators in the local scene) to become his student and, while performing opportunities were limited, I was lucky enough to be introduced to some of the most outstanding musicians in the local music scene. In the meantime, I also took music theory and notation reading classes from classical pianist Francesca Schiliro’ and ear training from jazz pianist and composer Alberto Alibrandi, who relentlessly worked with me, week after week, to strengthen my basic music skills.

In 2000, I moved to Dublin to continue my studies in Neuroscience at Trinity College. Dublin’s eclectic and diverse music scene proved to be the perfect backdrop for my musical evolution, offering me the chance to explore different musical contexts and expand my horizons. I also started taking private lessons from guitarist Mike Nielsen and enrolled as a part-time student at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), where I took lessons on contemporary composition from American composer/pianist Jane O’Leary. Her mentorship really enriched my understanding of musical craftsmanship and allowed me to explore new avenues of artistic expression. In 2003, I was awarded an IMRO/Newpark scholarship to study with composer Ronan Guilfoyle, where I finally started to challenge my need and ability to write new music.