STUDIES:

Degree in Jazz Composition, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, 2011.

Degree in Jazz Music, “A. Corelli” Conservatory of Music, Messina, Italy, 2008.

Diploma in Jazz Music, “A. Corelli” Conservatory of Music, Messina, Italy, 2006.

Master: Special Didactic II, University of Messina, Messina, Italy, 2008.

Master: Special Didactic I, University of Messina, Messina, Italy, 2006.

Degree in Social Psychology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy, 2004.

PHD in Musical Didactic, “A. Corelli” Conservatory of Music, Messina, Italy, 2003.

Degree in Classical Piano, “F. Cilea” Conservatory of Music, Reggio Calabria, Italy, 1999.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES:

Jazz Composition Teacher: “A. Corelli” Conservatory of Music, Messina, Italy.

Jazz Piano Teacher: “A. Vivaldi” Conservatory of Music, Alessandira, Italy.

Jazz Piano Teacher: “P. Mascagni” Conservatory of Music, Livorno, Italy.

Composer, arranger and conductor: Bari Symphony Orchestra (Italy), Messina Symphony Orchestra (Italy), Youth Symphony Orchestra of Molfetta (Italy), New Talents Jazz Orchestra (Italy), Late Night Jazz Orchestra (CA, USA), Cettina Donato Jazz Orchestra (MA, USA).

Piano accompanist: Boston Ballet, Boston, MA, USA.

Piano Accompanist: Berklee College of Music, Berklee On The Road, Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia, Italy, from 2010 to 2013.

Composer and Arranger for Pam Rosenblatt Writing and Editing Company, Boston, MA, USA. International Music Schools, Piano Teacher, Hyde Park, MA, USA.

Tutor: Berklee College of Music (Teacher for Harmony, Ear Training, Traditional Harmony and Counterpoint, Conducting, Arranging, Composition’s courses), Boston, MA, USA.

 

CONCERTS: Concerts in Italy, Europe, United States of America and Canada as conductor, bandleader, composer, arranger. It's important to mention:

 

MUSIC FESTIVALS

Lucca Jazz Donna, Lucca, Italy, 2016. King Music Collective, Toronto, Canada, 2016. Sounds of Italy Festival, Boston, MA, USA, 2016. Filarmonica Laudamo Festival, Messina, Italy, 2016. JazzIt Festival, Italy, 2015. Messina Sea Jazz Festival, Italy, 2015. SXSW Festival, Austin, Texas, USA, 2014. Sounds Of Italy Festival, Boston, USA, 2014. JazzIt Festival, Italy, 2013. Messina Sea Jazz, Italy, 2013. Festival Note D’Estate, Messina, Italy, 2011. European Music Festival, Messina, Italy, 2010. Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia, Italy, 2010. Piazza Jazz Festival, Piazza Armerina, EN, Italy, 2009. Women In Jazz Festival, Rome, Italy, 2008. Piacenza Jazz Festival, finalist at Note di Donna Contest, Piacenza, Italy, 2008. Non Solo Jazz Festival, Agrigento, Italy, 2008. Mantova Music Festival, Mantova, Italy, 2007.

 

CONCERTS AS JAZZ PIANO SOLOIST

SXSW Festival 2014, Austin, Texas, USA, 2014. Italian Cultural Institute, New York City, USA, 2014. Piano at The Plaza, Boston Common, Boston MA, USA, July 2014. Piano at The Plaza, Boston Common, Boston, MA, USA, August 2012. Piano at the Plaza, Boston Common, Boston, MA, USA, April-May 2012. 

  

CONCERTS AS BANDLEADER (from small jazz ensembles to Symphony Orchestras):

Blue Note, New York City, NY, USA, 2016. El Plaza Jazz Club, Madrid, ES, 2016. Petruzzelli Teather, Bari, IT, 2016. King Music Collective, Toronto, Canada, 2016. Rockwood Music Hall, New York City, USA, 2016. Sounds Of Italy Festival, Boston, MA, USA, 2016. Palacultura Theater, Messina, IT, 2016. Casa del Jazz, Rome, IT, 2015. Teatro Trifiletti, Milazzo, IT, 2015. Spazio Teatro 89, Milan, IT, 2015. Torino Jazz Club, Turin, IT, 2015. Greek Theater, Taormina, IT, 2015. Teatro Verdura, Palermo, IT, 2015. Arena Vittorio Emanuele, Messina, IT, 2015. Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, Messina, IT, 2015. Teatro Showville, Bari, IT, 2015. Los Angeles, LA, USA, 2013. ShapeShifter Lab., Brooklyn, NY, USA, 2013. Regattabar, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2013. Lilypad, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2013. SomethinJazz Club, NY, USA, 2013. Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2012. Boston Common, Boston, MA, USA, 2012. Steve Heck Music Series, Boston, MA, USA, 2012. Spectacle Island, MA, USA, 2011. Bellini Association, Messina, Italy, 2011. Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, USA, 2011. Berklee College of Music, The Best of Jazz Composition Concert, Boston, MA, 2011. European Music Fest, Messina, Italy, 2009. Women in Jazz, Rome, Italy, 2009. Ferrara Theater, Novara di Sicilia, ME, Italy, 2008. Roman Symphonic Choir, Coro Sinfonico Romano, Rome, Italy, 2007. A.R.C.I., Messina, Italy, 2006.

​

CONCERTS AS SIDEMAN (from small jazz band ensembles to Big Bands with String Quartet): Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra, Jordan Hall, Boston, MA, USA, 2011. Berklee Faculty and Assistant Concert, Umbria Jazz Festival 2010, Perugia, Italy, 2010. Jazz Pianist, Big Band, A. Gi. Mus., Modica, Italy, 2007. Jazz Pianist, Big Band, Vatican Radio, City of Vatican, 2007. Jazz Pianist, Big Band, Musical The Aristocats, Vittorio Emanuele Theater, Messina, Italy, 2006.

 

PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS

CD: Persistency –The New York Project- feat. Eliot Zigmund, AlfaMusic, USA-ITA, 2017. Workshop: Duke Ellington’s compositions, Lucca Jazz Donna, Lucca, Italy, 2016.

JazzIt Award 2016: Best Italian Arranger.

JazzIt Award 2016: “Third” by Cettina Donato Trio, one of the Best Albums of Year 2015.

JazzIt Award 2014: CRESCENDO by Cettina Donato Orchestra, one of the best album of 2013, Italy.

CD: Women In Jazz Composers 3rd Volume, Fort Lauderdale (FL), United States of America, 2013.

Workshop: Jazz Composition and Arranging, Berklee at Umbria Jazz 2012, Perugia, Italy, 2012.

CD: Cettina Donato Trio, THIRD, Italy, 2015 (Blue Art label).

Workshop: The Music of George Gershwin, University of Messina, 2013.

CD: Cettina Donato Orchestra, Crescendo, Boston, MA, USA-Italy, 2013.

CD: Jazz Revelation Record, Octave, Boston, MA, USA, 2011.

Carla Bley Award, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA, 2011.

CD: Cettina Donato Quintet, Pristine, Wide Sound label, Italy, 2008.

Book: Bill Evans: The Paris Concert, The Conservatory Books, Messina, Italy, 2008.

Second placement as best new jazz Italian musician, Luca Flores Jazz Award, Genova, Italy, 2008.

Giovani Esecutori Contest, First Prize Jazz, Messina, Italy, 2005.

 

REVIEWS

Italia Magazine, (2016, IT), Orecchio di Dioniso (2016, IT), Anima Jazz (2016, IT), Il Gattopardo (2016, IT), Gazzetta Del Sud (2016, IT), JazzIt (2016, IT), Jaymag (2016, IT), A Proposito di Jazz (2016, IT), Jazz Agenda (2016, IT), Toronto Newspaper, 2016, Toronto, Canada), Bostoniano (2014, MA), JazzIt (2014, IT). The Boston Globe (USA), 2012. Keep Swinging (USA), 2011. Jazzwise Magazine (UK), 2011, JazzTimes (USA), 2010. Metronome (Italy), 2011. A Proposito di Jazz (Italy), 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008. Sound Contest (Italy), 2010, 2008. Jazz Italia (Italy), 2009, 2008. All About Jazz (Italy), 2011, 2008. JazzIt (Italy), 2008, 2013 Musica Jazz (Italy), 2008. Jazz Magazine (Italy), 2008. Sentire Ascoltare (Italy), 2008. L’Isola che non c’era (Italy), 2008.