Biography of Tommaso Starace

Tommaso Starace was born in Milan in 1975 from an Italian father and Australian mother. He started playing the alto saxophone at the age of 18. In 1994 he took part in a weekly jazz seminar organised by Berklee College of Music, taking place in Perugia as part of the 'Umbria Jazz Festival' and in that same year he was accepted at the Birmingham Conservatoire where he graduated with a Bmus First Class Honours Degree.

During those 4 years of college he studied with saxophonists Andrew Tweed, Chris Gumbley and Nigel Wood, both classical and jazz repertoire. He also started studying the flute. In the summer of 1996 he took part in the Jamey Aebersold Summer Camp in Kentucky and studied with saxophonist Don Braden and Jazz educator David Baker. Between the years 1999/2000 he completed the Postgraduate Jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. While attending the course he studied with ex-Jazz Messengers saxophonist Jean Toussaint, and saxophonists Stan Sulzmann and Martin Hathaway.

He performed in small combos and big bands with Billy Cobham, Stan Sulzmann, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone. He took part in several master classes with Tim Garland, John Patitucci and Iain Ballamy. He has performed in many venues in London, UK including the 'Vortex' Jazz Club, the 100 Club and 'Pizza on the Park' In the year 2002 he recorded his first CD with his quartet at the 606 Jazz Club, London.