Marco Pignataro is a multi-talented saxophonist, composer, educator, and jazz columnist. A native of Bologna, Italy, Marco has performed extensively across Europe and the Americas in jazz festivals and international music venues, sharing stages and clinics with artists such as Eddie Gomez, Oscar Stagnaro, Danilo Perez, Arturo Sandoval, Ray Vega, Kenwood Dennard, Antonio Sanchez, Paquito D’Rivera, Billy Drummond, Clark Terry, Billy Hart and Jon Faddis, among others.
Marco’s latest CD release “Homesick” was produced by jazz legend Eddie Gomez and features Marco’s compositions and arrangements. Soon to be released is the CD “Per Sempre” by the Eddie Gomez Quintet featuring Marco Pignataro, recorded in Italy on December 2009. Marco Pignataro is currently the Managing Director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) a new program designed to foster creativity and musicianship through a variety of musical disciplines.
Together with Danilo Perez as Artistic Director, Marco leads the BGJI as a center of musical creativity that emphasizes personalized goal-setting and directed study, experiential and service learning with a special emphasis on nature and the environment, business acumen, and intensive access to world-class visiting artists Marco has, until recently, been the director of the Jazz and Caribbean Music Department and Jazz Saxophone Chair at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. At the Conservatory, he developed the jazz saxophone curriculum, co-founded the bachelor of music in jazz and Caribbean music studies and founded and directed the CMPR Jazz Faculty Ensemble and the CMPR Jazz Festival. As a sought-after clinician, Marco participates in the University of Veracruz International Summer Jazz Seminars and in international jazz festivals and schools around the world. Marco’s column, Style & Influence, was regularly featured in the quarterly magazine Jazz Improv. As a reviewer and columnist, Marco has also conducted interviews with Branford Marsalis, Jerry Bergonzi, Danilo Perez, David Sánchez, and Miguel Zenón. Marco Pignataro was elected as an IAJE Executive Board Member of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) where he served as the first IAJE Latin America Representative and Founder and President of the IAJE Chapter of Puerto Rico, the IAJE Latin American Ensemble and the IAJE Puerto Rico Big Band. Marco Pignataro is a RICO Performing Artist, Endorser for Mauriat saxophones and for the Applied Microphone Technology Wireless System. Marco is currently member of the EDDIE GOMEZ QUINTET.
