Biography

Pierpaolo Principato musician and teacher graduated in jazz at the L. Refice Conservatory in Frosinone (I and II level). Teacher and didactic coordinator of the courses of Harmony, Jazz Piano, Piano and keyboards at Saint Louis College of Music, of which he is a member of the Academic Council.

Alongside the didactic activity, he combines the concert activity. Since 1988, the ten-year collaboration with the guitarist Francesco Bruno, with whom in addition to performing live on Italian and foreign tours, in 1992 he created "El Lugar", the album also published abroad by "Prestige", which sees the presence of the American rock star Richie Havens; in 1997 as pianist, keyboardist and co-arranger the album "Ouarzazat" recorded with Agostino Marangolo and Gigi De Rienzo; in 1999 "Matarièh"; in 2002 “Jamila” with the collaboration of “Agricantus” in favor of the Emergency project by Gino Strada, in 2003 “Huacapù”, in 2008 “Le Parole Altre. The Long Journey of Tiziano Terzani "CD + DVD, with Enzo Pietropaoli and Javier Girotto, inspired by the life of Tiziano Terzani, in 2014" Witam ", with the participation of Piotr Vojtasik and Sylwester Ostrowski and in 2020" Blue Sky Above the Dreamer " for the Helvetia label.

Pierpaolo Principato in the autumn of 1996 collaborated in the creation (arrangements and performance) of the soundtrack of the musical "Tano da Morire" by Roberta Torre (foreign critics prize for music).

It is also important to recall the wide experience with the "world music" of the French Bohé Combo with whom he performed, alongside accordionist Antonello Salis and Richard Bona (Zawinul Synd. Pat Metheny group and Steps Ahead), on an Italian tour for the presentation of the album "Follow the Trace".
In Italy, the fun collaboration with the singer Paolo Belli, with whom he also recorded, in '93, the homonymous album and participated in some tours.
In the winter between '93/'94 he took part in the tour of the trumpeter Nini Rosso, with whom he performs in theaters in the major cities of Japan.

Pierpaolo Principato in 1998 joins the jazz big band M.J. Urkestra directed by Roberto Spadoni, with whom he recorded the album "Dances" in 2002.
In 2001 he began his collaboration with Agostino Marangolo, joining his group that performed live in the major Italian clubs and jazz-festivals, and with whom he recorded in 2001 the album "Day by day" and in 2004 "Avant le desert".
Some interesting theatrical experiences such as "Al Tabou de Saint Germain de Prés" by G. Clementi with Daniela Giordano should be highlighted; "The Nights of Kabiria" with Chiara Noschese; Show of Songs ("Spettacolo di Canzoni") by Alessandro Haber, with whom he participated in the "Premio Luigi Tenco" in 2004.

At the end of 2005 he collaborated with violinist Nino Cannavacciuolo for a series of concerts.
In autumn 2006 he collaborated on the film "Piano solo" by Riccardo Milani, about the life of pianist Luca Flores, as a trainer for the main actor Kim Rossi Stuart and as a musical consultant regarding to piano and group performances.
In September 2008 he recorded the music of the musical "Hairspray" that was later performed in September 30, 2008 at the Sistine Theater in Rome.

During his career Pierpaolo Principato has cultivated his deep passion for jazz, holding concerts in numerous Italian and foreign Festivals and Jazz Clubs with different formations also in his name.
Also important the numerous live performances in television broadcasts including "D.O.C." and "Segnali di fumo" with Francesco Bruno, "Roxy Bar" with Jovanotti and Paolo Belli, "Ieri Goggi e domani" with Sergio Caputo and others.
From 2001 to 2006 he played continuously on the summer tours of the vocal group "Neri Per Caso".

In 2006 he began his collaboration with the group "Mediares" of G. Savelli with whom he performed in many Jazz Festivals and recorded the album "Que la Fete Commence". In 2014 he recorded the CD "Zeno" with F. De Palma Trio.
Among the most recent projects the new quartet by Fabrizio Cucco with whom he recorded the CD “For a Brief Moment” together with R. Gatto on drums and M. Giammarco on Sax; the trio / quartet "La Terza Via" with C. Sanchietti, M. Siniscalco and N. Kummert with whom he recorded the CD "The Third Side of the Coin" for Blue Jazz and plays in Italian and European Clubs and Jazz festivals ; the quintet with saxophonist Enrico Ghelardi with whom he recorded the CDs "Like the Wind" released in 2010, "That's Time" released in 2012; "Om Namaha" of 2017 and the very recent "Peace for Heart" for Alfa Music; the quartet with the Norwegian singer Nina Jori Pedersen with whom he recorded “So Far So Good”, “Eyes Wide Open” and the very recent “Time is a Restless Thief” for the Norwegian Losen Records; Francesco Bruno's new jazz quartet with whom he recorded the albums “Witam” and “Blue Sky Above the Dreamers; the quartet of saxophonist Stefano Preziosi, with Ettore Fioravanti and Stefano Cantarano, with whom he recorded the CD “Climbing Up”.

He is also part of the Latin Big Band “Mambo Puente Orquesta” by Elvio Ghigliordini. Numerous appearances in the juries of international Jazz Contests such as those organized in 2010-2011 and 2012 by Saint Louis or the "International Piano Competition" of Roland Italy organized in Milan in September 2007. The tour continues Italian Jazz on The Road, Special guest: Noora Salmi, Northern Lines concert lesson .