Oct. 30 – Concerts, awards and a lot of approval for Davide Santorsola, pianist and composer from Puglia. Davide was able to make his talent known and receive positive praise from critics and public alike, who are now excited about the November release of “Horizon” on iTunes and other digital stores. In fact, “Horizon” is the first album by the pianist containing songs written solely by him. “The ten tracks for piano solo on the album were written this year, in the hope of finding consistence in the details, routines, and constant packing and unpacking.” Santorsola, born in 1961, is a self-learnt pianist and composer; he began experimenting with rock and blues, to later focus more and more on jazz. In the ‘90s, he started cooperating in studio and on stage with various artists, including Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Urbie Green, Benny Golson and Dave Liebman. His fame increased as the number of apparitions in festivals and on radio did: in 1996, he held his first piano solo concert in the USA, at the Steinway & Sons Hall, and at New York University. He also performed in Ellington’s House, after being awarded the “First Prize Jazz Section G. Gershwin Award,”
received during the International Piano Competition Ibla Grand Prize, for which Ruth Ellington (sister of the Duke) and Alan Gershwin (son of composer George) were jury members. Since 2004, Santorsola has been cooperating with the Japanese contrabass player Kiyoto Fujiwara, with whom he toured the Far East in iconic concerts at the Fukuoka Blue Note and Nagoya Blue Note. Santorsola has recorded 20 albums, 8 of which as leader and author. Today, he teaches jazz piano at the Cosenza State Conservatory “S. Giacomantonio,” and piano and jazz harmony teacher in other Italian conservatories.
