PIANIST,COMPOSER,MUSICOLOGIST

Born in Wuppertal (Germany) march 14th 1969 from italian parents.

EDUCATION:
2001 Bologna University, graduation in afroamericam musicology with a theses on J.P. Johnson ‘music.
Siena 1996 Master in afroamerican musicology.

1990-93 private studies with Steve Grossman
1997-99 private studies with Barry Harrys
1998-99 private studies with Jaki Byard

PERFORMACE EXPERIENCE

present Antonio Ciacca quartet, leader and pianist
1998-present founder and music director of the Detroit Gospel Singers
1997-present pianist of the Steve Lacy quartet
1999-present pianist of the Craig Bailey quintet
1993-present pianist of the Larry Smith quartet
1996-present pianist with Benny Golson quartet-sextet
1997-99 pianist with the Art Farmer quartet
1997-1998 pianist with Lee Konitz
1999-present pianist with the Keith Copeland trio
1998-present pianist with the Damon Brown quintet
1997-present fre lance pianist with Johnny Griffin, Eliot Zigmund New York quartet,
James Moody, Dave LiebmanPaul Jeffrey, Gary Smulyan,
Michelle Hendriks, Mark Murphy, Darren Barrett,
Steve Slagle, Jessy Davis,
1993-96 performace with James Carter, Marcus Bellgrave, Rodney Withaker,
Dwight Adams

MAJOR TOURS AND FESTIVALS
July-September 2003 Tour with Benny Golson
Jan 2002 Poland with David Murray
2001 european tour with Steve Lacy and Benny Golson
dec. 2000 20 european towns with the Detroit Gospel Singers
dec. 2000 with the Benny Golson quartet tour of Spain
nov. 2000 with the Don Braden quartet tour of Spain
nov. 2000 with the Damon Brown quintet tour of Italy
nov. 2000 with the Steve Lacy quartet tour of Italy
oct. 2000 with the Damon Brown quintet at Ronnie’s Scott London
august 2000 with the Gary Smulyan quintet : The Music of Thad Jones tour of Italy
august 2000 Dennis Jeter quartet tour of Italy
july 2000 Peter King quartet (Spain), Benny Golson (Italy)
June 2000 Damon Brown quintet (Scotland), Antonio Ciacca quartet Vignola Jazz Festival)
march 2000 Derren Barrett quartet (Spain)
Jan. 2000 Dave Liebman sextet (Italy)
dec. 1999 Steve Lacy , Italy ; Steve Slagle, Spain
sept. 1999 Johnny Griffin ,Italy Paul Jeffrey ,Italy
July-august summer festivals with Benny Golson, Steve Lacy in Italy and France
march 1999 Bill Smith quintet in Italy
feb. 1999 Steve Lacy quartet european tour: Poland ,Germany, Italy, Switzerland.
dec. 1998 Gospel tour as pianist for the Nickerson Sisters of Los Angeles
nov 1998 Antonio Ciacca quartet Japan tour
july-august summer tours with Art Farmer, James Moody, Steve Grossman in Italy
spring 1998 Italian tour with Johnny Griffin and east europe tour with Larry Smith quartet
1996-98 Italian tour with my own quartet and with the Larry smith quartet

LECTURES & WORKSHOPS

2003 Lectures A week Workshop on Music Business in Villa Real (Spain) Bologna (Italy)
2001 Sant’ Elpidio Jazz(Italy) A week workshop on the music business
2000 Terni (Italy) Assistent to Steve Lacy ‘s workshop “the Music of thelonious Monk”
1999 Bologna Italy assistent to Benny Golson’s master class
1998 Castelfranco Veneto (Italy) assistent to james Moody ‘s master class

AWARDS

FOGGIA FESTIVAL 2000: Jazzman of the year

DISCOGRAPHY

2002 CD new release”Autumn in Ne York” SPLASH

2001 CD Craig Bailey Sextet “Brooklyn” Evidence

2000 CD Detroit Gospel Singers “Gospel Jubilee” Aura Music

1999 CD Eliot Zigmund “New York Quartet” Label Blue


1998 CD Antonio Ciacca Quartet ”Hollis Avenue” Yvp record


1998 CD Larry Smith quartet “Estate” Label Blue

1998 TV Show Larry Smith Quartet TMC


1997 TV Show Steve Lacy Antonio Ciacca Duo TMC


1996 CD Antonio Ciacca Quartet: Driemoty C-Jam Records


1995 CD Lary Smith& Co: Live at Slovak Philarmonic Ali Record

PRODUCER EXPERIENCE

1996-present

Founder of C-Jam Music Italy - a non profit organization born with the goal of spred the jazz all over the World.
As artistic director and executive producer of the company, Mr. Ciacca has brought C-Jam in four years from the local jazz club to the major festival and music istitutiions of europe.Today C-Jam provides artists for the Lago maggiore Festival, the Roma JVC Festival, the Espoo Int:.Jazz Festival in Finland, Madrid, Paris, Lugano, Bucarest, Wien,and many more.
One of Mr Ciacca’s main intrests is jazz education and one of his projects , “The Voice of Jazz” was highly supported from the European Union’s education program.
In august 2001 will take place the first edition of the Appennino Music Festival created by Mr. Ciacca in partnership with JazzWorld.Com.
Ray Charles, Manhattan Transfer, Elvin Jones, B.B. King, Benny Golson are some of the Artists brought to Europe by Mr.Ciacca through C-Jam.
Mr. Ciacca’s knowledge in the field of the afroamerican music is well known in the music industry, that is why he is higly requested as consultant for Jazz Festivals and radio shows. His gospel production “ The Detroit Gospel Singers “ has experienced enormous success performing the classic gospel repertoire of Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams under Mr Ciacca’s directorship.
At moment Mr Ciacca is looking for a positions were he can develop at the highst level possible his ability to make happen projects, regarding the Jazz music as the ultimate contemporary art form.