The idea of uniqueness in each one’s path in music, as in every other aspect of life, is a value that has had tremendous importance for me and has influenced my choices. I believe it is through difference in perception that man has looked for terms, gestures, languages in order to explain oneself to others. The urge of telling about oneself and oneself’s idea-feeling, of using oneself as a metaphor for the known and unknown universe, the responsibility of ‘being part’ of research through one’s perception and through asking oneself questions: these are the values I’m interested in developing through Art as this, I believe, is Art’s role. How to get there is part of the uniqueness I was mentioning before. The more interesting the path, the more interesting the result (if ever one is acheived). I think I want to tell my version of the story and outline my character through study and respect of all those who have preceded me, are contemporary to me and will follow. This is the principle my research has led me to: a principle of uniqueness related to the honesty with which one decides to express oneself and the constant effort to recreate it in studying and in the setup of performances. Having said this, the encounter with Anthony Braxton has been to me the revelation of an ancient magic formula, like a long and convoluted equation for which a solution is found, like a breath of pure vital energy. His life an infinite lesson, his music a precious testament, as precious as that of all those who have been able to ’see’ and synthesize, theorize and apply their own vision of the universe, their own idea of Art.

Drummer and percussionist, Cristiano Calcagnile is mainly involved in experimental music and interested in connections among arts and musical languages. He has studied at the Milano Civic School with professors David Searcy, Jonathan Sculli, Mike Quinn and jazz drumming with teacher Enrico Lucchini. Awarded an European Community founded scholarship, he has studied with Ettore Fioravanti, Furio DiCastri, Stefano Zenni, Bruno Tommaso, Franco D’Andrea in Italian prestigious “Siena Jazz ” seminars. He has also studied Djembè with Lamine N’diaye Rose and attended stages with Andrew Cyrill, Francesco Sotgiu, Peter Kowald, Sabine Vogel.

He is a member of Bologna ( Italy) based Bassesfere collective (www.bassesfere.com) and involved in musical partnerships with creative musicians from different areas as: Xabier Iriondo; Massimo Falascone; Damo Suzuky; Edoardo Marraffa; Monica Demuru; Tristan Honsinger; Daniele D’Agaro; Rova Saxophone Quartet; Gianluca Petrella; Stefano Bollani; Paolo Angeli; Cristina Zavalloni; Michael Thieke; Alberto Braida among the others.

He founded and composes for Chant, his own trio with Libero Mureddu (piano; clavichord; harmonium; pipe organ; electronics); Antonio Borghini (acustic & electric bass). He also played with: Wu Fei; Carla Kihlstedt; Sean Bergin; Tobias Delius; Ernst Glerum; Mark Feldman; ZU; Butch Morris; Mats Gustaffson; Ernst Reijseger; Steve Piccolo; Cristina Donà. Much more on Cristiano Calcagnile can be found here…