2019: Andrea Centazzo

Andrea Centazzo blends his percussion playing on a set of over 200 instruments, with electronics, computer sequencing and digital sampling, bringing to the listener the emotion of a new sonic adventure in jazz, world and contemporary avant-garde music. His quirky playing along with his ostinato patterns and his mastery of percussion improvising create a music beyond any expectation. Improvisations are presented in a spectacular way where the sound is also supported by a great visual of the multitude of gongs, drums, keyboard, cymbals and much more.

During his artistic career that spans over 40 years, percussionist, composer, author, conductor, multimedia artist Andrea Centazzo has given more than 1000 concerts and live performances in Europe, Asia and the United States, as well as appeared and performed on numerous radio and television broadcasts worldwide. In 2011, his alma mater, the University of Bologna (Italy) honored him by establishing the “Fondo Centazzo” section of the University Library, where all his musical works are housed and made available to students, scholars and musicians.In 2012 he presented 24 concerts in N.Y. for the 35th anniversary of Ictus label performing as percussionist with top US improvisers including John Zorn. In 2009 he conducted the John Cage Concerto for Piano and Orchestra featuring Stephen Drury at the Williamsburg Center in NY City in a triple bill featuring also John Zorn and Philip Glass. He has recorded over 160 LP's, CD's and DVD’s, and he has authored 400 compositions mostly published by Warner Chappell (ranging from opera and symphony to solo works), 2 drum methods and four musicology books. He is also the author of his operas' librettos and he is the director of more than 20 video films presented in all the festivals and venues around the world based on his percussion music. He has performed at festivals, concert seasons, and theaters as percussion soloist and conductor of his compositions, conducting members of the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra, the TINA Contemporary Orchestra, the Mitteleuropa Orchestra, the ER Youth Symphonic Orchestra and many other ensembles. His opera Tina was highly acclaimed in Italy (1996) as well in California (1998) where it was staged with an English libretto translation by Paul Vangelisti. In 2002 Centazzo composed Sacred Shadows, a multimediawork scored for Balinese Gamelan and Western Ensemble.Centazzo was one of the “game changers” (Drum Magazine, 2013) that started the soloimprovised percussion concert movement back in the 70s. In 1972 he performed the first solo concert followed in the years by performances all over the world.For 20 years now, Centazzo has been working to create multi-media experiences, combining live music with video images, blending traditional instrumentation with the latest music digital technology.

Andrea Centazzo (photo by Peter B Kaars)