biography

      Born in Germany, raised in Italy and educated in the United States, Ciacca is able to move as fluidly among those varied cultural environments as he does between his life as a performer, composer, father of five, and top-tier arts presenter.  Notably, Ciacca has served as artistic director for the Italian cultural agency, C-Jam, and in 2007, landed a plum job as the Director of Programming for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the impetus for his move that year from Bologna, Italy to New York City.

Ciacca began his career as a sideman for such acclaimed jazz artists as Art Farmer, James Moody, Lee Konitz, Jonny Griffin, Mark Murphy, Dave Liebman, and Steve Grossman, who he cites as his mentor, and with whom he studied for three years beginning in 1990.

In 1993, he visited Detroit to attend a master class at Wayne State University with Kenny Barron and meet musicians, after which he studied privately with Jackie Byard in New York. While living in Detroit, he was first exposed to gospel music, which so impressed him with its passion and energy that he soon integrated it into his own developing style as a composer and performer; he eventually went on to produce a CD for the Detroit Gospel Singers.

One of the most important events in Ciacca’s career was an invitation to join the legendary saxophonist Steve Lacy’s quartet in 1997; he continued to perform with Lacy for seven years. Another key encounter that would have long lasting musical and professional repercussions for Ciacca took place in 1997. “Wynton Marsalis was performing in Italy with Elvin Jones, who is my son’s godfather. I’d first seen him at the Bologna Jazz Festival in 1989, and he really first opened my eyes to jazz then. But when I first saw him, I had no idea we’d ever work together.” Ciacca first performed with Wynton in Wess Anderson sextet at New York’s Village Vanguard in 2004.

In 1998 he also began to perform with saxophonist Benny Golson, with whom he continues to collaborate. In 1995, Ciacca recorded his first CD as a leader, Driemoty, released on C-Jam Records. In 1999 he recorded in New York City Hollis Avenue for the German label YVP. In 2002, he recorded Autumn in New York for the Italian label Splas(h).

Ciacca performed throughout Europe, including an intense series of performances in London in 2003, which included appearances at Ronnie Scott's, the Royal Festival Hall Foyer, the National Theatre and the London Jazz Festival, with “The Monk Liberation Front” project, a six hour-long performance that involved thirteen musicians alternately playing Monk's unedited music; The Guardian called out Ciacca’s performance as “terrific.” After opening for Wynton Marsalis’ concerts in Italy, in 2004 Ciacca returned to New York to again perform at the Village Vanguard with his own quartet, featuring renowned saxophonist Wess Anderson, subsequently touring with them throughout the US, UK, and Italy until 2005.

In Italy in 2004, Ciacca recorded a trio project, Ugly Beauty with the late Dennis Irwin and Detroit mate Ali Jackson for the legendary Italian label Soul Note which he supported with a European tour.

In 2007, Ciacca’s extensive music industry experience and comprehensive artistic vision led to his being tapped to take on the position of Director of Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he works closely with JALC Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis.

That same year, he met Jana Herzen, founder of Motéma Music, at a performance at the Historic Langston Hughes House in Harlem. Herzen took so well to Ciacca’s playing and compositions that she began a recording deal with him: Rush Life in 2008 and Lagos Blues in 2010.

The CD Rush Life represents the label’s first digital only release in the US; the project is available at download services throughout the world as well as via Motema’s own jazz portal in the US, motema.com. It also is one of the first Motema projects to be sold in Europe-wide through Motéma’s new distribution partner, the German-based Membran.

The CD’s title track, Ciacca’s own composition inspired by Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” is indeed a lush showcase for the pianist’s strong yet subtle stylings. His prowess as a distinctive composer is evident on such originals as the catchy opener, the great “Squazeene”, (an insider nod to Wynton Marsalis) and “Prince of Newark” a tribute to Wayne Shorter. Ciacca’s substantial appreciation of his jazz forerunners is evidenced in both in the influences on his original work and can further be understood in the context of his unique reinterpretation of the classics “Green Dolphin Street” and the poignant version of Benny Golson’s, “I Remember Clifford” which showcases trumpeter Joe Magnarelli.

Ciacca’s Quintet, hand-picked by the pianist and producer Todd Barkan for the date, exude a great uplifting chemistry, adding loads of charm of the recording and resulting in a loyal new ‘working band’ for Ciacca.

In 2009 Ciacca turned 40. His year long celebrations included: appearance at New York Blue Note, one week engagement at Dizzy’s, performances at the Rochester and Detroit International Jazz Festivals, European tour with George Garzone and Joe Locke special guests, release of his first Music Book, The Music of Antonio Ciacca Vol. 1 , an invitation to teach "Business of Jazz" at Julliard.

The participation at the Detroit International Jazz Festival has been for him the climax of a fantastic journey started in Detroit in 1993 when Antonio first touched the Usa soil.  In the same year Antonio was invited to celebrate Art Tatum Centennial and he got in his band the historic voice of  Jon Hendricks.

The 2010 the release of the second Album with Motema Lagos Blues, in two month this album became s rare gift to the jazz world, documenting for the first time the pure joy of be-bop, gospel, and blues influenced pianist/composer Antonio Ciacca’s powerful long-term musical relationship with sax legend Steve Grossman. Grossman, who rose to fame in the 1970s through incendiary and groundbreaking sessions with Miles Davis, joins Ciacca’s deft ensemble (Stacy Dillard, Kengo Nakamura & Ulisses Owens) to swing with impeccable style on this historic disc.

Nowadays the New York based pianist and composer Ciacca enjoys his work as Director of Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center, his family of wife and 5 kids and his beloved jazz piano playing the city jazz clubs.