I grew up in a family of musicians. My dad is a classical composer and an orchestra conductor, while mom is a classical singer and singing teacher. Music was always very normal part of my life; it was not separated from the “normal things”. When I was 4 or 5, I would play with my friends and play on the piano with equal happiness, without that “fear of the piano lesson” that many children experience from their first approach to music, and for that I’m very grateful.

I began studying classical piano at the age of 6 (and there the fear began a little!), and I wrote my first little arrangement when I was 10. At that point, I knew nothing about the technical names, harmony rules and stuff like that, but I used to give names to the chords and progressions that I would find. I remember Gsus being the chord to hit on girls with…Yeah, I know. 

I then continued writing whatever I could come up with, and eventually ended up initially studying classical composition at the conservatory of Genoa, followed by jazz arranging.