Talent, when supported by study and listening, finds paths that cross borders. This is the case of Marcello Conti, a pianist from Messina born in 1997, who won the 12th edition of the Johnny Răducanu International Jazz Festival in Brăila, Romania, one of the most authoritative competition events in the Eastern European jazz scene, dedicated to the memory of a symbolic figure of Romanian jazz.
A recognition that rewards expressive maturity, the solidity of improvisation and a personal narrative style, capable of communicating with different traditions and languages. Behind the international success there is a path built with coherence. The love for music was born as a child in Messina and consolidated in the musical middle schools of Verona Trento, followed by Professor Giovanni Santangelo.
After graduating from high school in Archimede, Conti chose an unexpected path, graduating in Law with a thesis that intertwined international law and jazz, without ever interrupting his musical training with masters such as Giovanni Mazzarino, the late Melo Mafali and Fred Hersh at his side; in 2021 he leaves the city to continue his studies first in Ferrara with Fabrizio Puglisi, and then in Brussels, where he delves into the jazz language. He is currently attending a master’s degree under the guidance of Diederik Wissels. Among the most significant works is Water Dance, an album dedicated to Wayne Shorter, which has also garnered acclaim outside national borders. Despite the international scope, the link with Messina remains strong.
On 8 January Marcello Conti will return to perform at the Palacultura Antonello with the Filarmonica Laudamo Creative Orchestra, as part of the Accordiacorde review of the Filarmonica Laudamo season: an event that marks a new chapter in a constantly evolving path, capable of keeping roots, research and vision together.