Italian drummer Roberto Giaquinto started out his musical journey with his older brother in Naples, Italy, playing with different local bands around the city while still in middle school.
Thanks to the support of his family he was able to keep developing his passion for music throughout high school. After he moved to Rome he graduated in jazz arranging at the conservatory Licino Refice. In 2009 he was awarded a scholarship for Berklee College of Music and after moving to Boston in 2010 he was selected to be part of the Global Jazz Institute, an intensive honorary program directed by Danilo Perez, and with Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Terri Lyne Carrington, John Patitucci, Dave Liebman, Adam Cruz and Ben Street.
Since coming to the States, Giaquinto has performed in many festival and clubs such as the Blue Note NYC, Birdland, Kimmel Center, Detroit Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, Nancy Jazz Pulsation, Kennedy Center, Au Grès du Jazz, Sunside Paris, The Blue Whale, Beantown Jazz Festival, Jazz en Comminges, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Zinc Bar, The Bitter End, Bregen Jazz Fest among many others.
Giaquinto has collaborated with musicians such as George Garzone, Chris Cheek, Donny McCaslin, Aaron Parks, Seamus Blake, Dayna Stephens, Gilad Hekselman, Joe Sanders, Jason Lindner, Leo Genovese, Troy Roberts, Miguel-Atwood Ferguson, Michael Mayo, Philip Dizack, Jason Palmer, Steve Wilson and many more.
He is currently based in New York City and he is involved in a lot of projects such as the Jesse and Forever, Leandro Pellegrino Trio, Yakir Arbib Trio, Daniel Rotem Group, Mike Bono Trio, Adison Evans Quintet, Silvano Monasterios Group etc. With pianist Yakir Arbib he has formed the band Radio Intro, a duo of improvised music that also has recorded a very acclaimed album “Sketches on the Radio” live in Canada. Encouraged by his mentor Hal Crook, Giaquinto gave life to his own project in which he plays his original compositions. He recently discussed a thesis on “How to Improve Yor Time Feel and Sense of Rhythm”, for his Master Degree in Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music of NYC, a program directed by Antonio Hart and with Dennis Mackrel. Also very passionate about education, besides teaching regularly in NYC and in masterclasses around the world, he is the founder and director of the In Motion Beat Fest, a very progressive music workshop and concert series in Naples, Italy.
Here you can find more info about the international music program In Motion Beat Fest, taking place in Naples every year focusing on rhythm and improvisation with some of the best musicians from all over the world.
