Biography
He graduated with honors as a classical accordionist from Grenoble Conservatory (France) in 1992. He has studied accordion with Jean Luc Manca, Mogens Ellegaard and Vladimir Zubitsky. He was graduated as Alexander Technnique teacher from the ATCA of Amsterdam in 2000. In 1997-1999 he studied Contemporary Music through Non-Western Techniques at Amsterdam Conservatory.
He has premiered a number of new works, also collaborating with composers such as Luciano Berio, Franco Donatoni, György Kurtág, Salvatore Sciarrino, Louis Andriessen, Egberto Gismonti, Gerard Pesson, Yannis Kyriakides, Claudio F. Baroni, Luis De Pablo, Oliver Schneller, Aspasia Nasopoulou, Mario Pagliarani, Ned McGowan, Gabriele Manca, Nicola Sani, Giorgio Tedde, Carlo Crivelli, Lucio Garau, Francesco Lalicata, Francoise Barrière (who often dedicated their work to him) and as a composer himself.
He has collaborated and performed with Terry Riley, Stefano Scodanibbio, Michel Godard, David Moss, Joel Rubin, Dario Calderone, Naomi Sato, Francesco Dillon, Gareth Davis, Simone Spinaci, Daniele Roccato, Kálmán Balogh; with Asko|Schönberg Ensemble (NL), Quartetto Prometeo, AlterEgo, FontanaMix (IT), L'Instant Donné, ONCEIM (F), and as a soloist with the Orchestra of “La Scala” Milan, Orchestra Haydn Bolzano, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Sinfonietta del Teatro Lirico Cagliari, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
He has been performing in Europe, USA, China, Mexico, Russia in many venues and festival such as Berlin Philharmonic, Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Teatro alla Scala Milan, Cornell University, Syracuse University NY, Salle Messiaen RadioFrance, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Vredenburg/Tivoli Utrecht, Tonhalle Zurich, Gaudeamus Foundation Amsterdam, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Teatro dell’Opera, Rome; Holland Festival Amsterdam, Festival de Musique Sacrees Fribourg, Synthese Festival Bourges, Rassegna di Nuova Musica Macerata, Angelica Festival Bologna, Festival Rumlingen, Festival La Via Lattea Ticino, Les Amplitudes Festival La Chaux des Fonds, Festival Internacional Franco Donatoni Mexico City, Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna, Nuova Consonanza Rome, Accordion Festivals of Vilnius, Moscow, Kiev, Castelfidardo.
He has given masterclasses at Paris Conservatory, Royal Academy of Music of London, Sibelius University Helsinki, Danish Royal Academy of Music Copenhagen, Chopin University Warsaw, Amsterdam Conservatory, Hochschule für Musik Würzburg and Detmold, Folkwang University Essen, Musikene San Sebastian, UNAM Mexico, Tianjin Conservatory. He has taught accordion at the Luisa D’Annunzio Conservatory in Pescara from 2011 to 2014. He has been accordion guest teacher at HEAR Académie Supérieure de Musique in 2017-2019. He’s currently accordion professor at G.B.Pergolesi Conservatory in Fermo (Italy) where he’s also teaching Body-mind awareness techniques and Konnakol - Indian rhythmic system. He is the founder of the Italian Accordion Academy project .
He has cooperated with choreographer and dancer Kathleen Delaney, poets Mariangela Gualtieri, Alberto Nessi, actors Daria Deflorian, Marco Balbi, Lucia Ferrati, Marcello Sambati, photographer Serafino Amato, artists Lucia Romualdi and Michelangelo Pistoletto.
His CDs are published by Schott Wergo, W & B Music, Bridge Records, Stradivarius, Da Vinci Classic, Rivoalto, StileLibero, Ema Records, Adatto, Blowout Records, Bandcamp. His performances were broadcasted by Radio3 RAI, ORF, DeutschlandRadio, RNE2, Vatican Radio, SFB, RSI, Radio Unam-Mexico, RadioFrance.
He was the winner of international accordion contests such as Grand Prix International d’Accordéon in St. Etienne (1988), Trofeo Mundial de acordeón (C.M.A.) in Cuenca (1990), Premio Città di Castelfidardo (1990) and Arrasate Hiria (1994).
He is regularly invited as a jury member by international accordion competition in Castelfidardo, Klingenthal, Arrasate, Moscow, Pula, Valtidone, Vilnius, Premion Nazionale delle Arti (MIUR).
His book Technique I for button accordion about the modern accordion technique is published by Bèrben.
The book Mastering Accordion Technique: a new approach to accordion playing based on the Alexander Technique written together with Kathleen Delaney has been recently released.
He has edited the publications of Modern Accordion Perspectives, coordinating an international expert panel of the leading classical accordion performers and teachers.
His work as a composer was supported by Fonds Podiumkunsten (NL) in 2020 and 2022. His latest work was commissioned by Asko|Schönberg/Holland Festival.
He is currently based in Amsterdam.
