Angelo Mastronardi
ARTIST / JAZZ PIANIST / COMPOSER / ARRANGER / PRODUCER
Angelo Mastronardi is an Italian pianist, composer, producer and artistic director.
His work spans performance, composition, record production and music publishing, with a particular focus on the preservation of jazz heritage and the development of new artistic projects.
He earned a First-Level Academic Diploma in Jazz Composition from the Conservatory of Music “Niccolò Piccinni” in Bari, with a research project focused on motivic development in contemporary jazz. He subsequently obtained a Second-Level Academic Diploma in Jazz Composition from the same institution, exploring the relationships between contemporary compositional languages and jazz writing.
Alongside his academic studies, he further refined his musical education through seminars and masterclasses with some of the most respected figures in the national and international jazz scene.
Over the years, he has developed a diverse artistic career as both a leader and sideman, collaborating with musicians from a wide range of jazz and contemporary music backgrounds. His musical research is characterized by a strong interest in the balance between composition and improvisation, the narrative potential of musical form, and an ongoing dialogue between tradition and contemporary languages.
As a composer, he has written music for jazz ensembles, chamber groups and multidisciplinary projects. His output includes original works, arrangements, editorial publications and compositions intended for both the concert stage and audiovisual productions. In recent years, his interests have increasingly expanded toward orchestral writing, the development of music catalogs for synchronization, and projects that integrate music, visual media and new forms of cultural engagement.
In 2017, he founded GleAM Records, an independent record label dedicated to contemporary jazz, original productions and the recovery of historically significant recordings. Under his artistic direction, the label has built an internationally recognized catalog, collaborating with musicians from different countries and developing a distribution and promotional network spanning Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Japan.
A significant part of his work as a producer is devoted to the research, recovery, restoration and enhancement of historical jazz archives. Through a process that combines documentary research, editorial curation and supervision of audio restoration projects, he contributes to the rediscovery and dissemination of recordings of particular historical and artistic importance, making them accessible to contemporary audiences.
Among the most significant projects he has produced is More Than You Know, a previously unreleased 1981 live recording by American saxophonist Dexter Gordon, published in collaboration with the Dexter Gordon Estate as part of the Jazz Giants series. The project received widespread international critical acclaim, helping to strengthen GleAM Records’ profile within the independent jazz production landscape.
Alongside his recording activities, Mastronardi has long been involved in editorial projects dedicated to music education and dissemination. He is the author of methods, collections of compositions, fake books and educational materials focused on jazz piano, improvisation and contemporary composition.
Teaching represents a further area of research and professional development. Through educational design, teaching and the creation of learning resources, he promotes an approach that integrates theoretical knowledge, musical practice and creative awareness, viewing music as a powerful tool for expression, communication and personal growth.
Convinced that music represents a privileged space for dialogue between tradition and innovation, he continues to develop projects that bring together artistic research, cultural production and the dissemination of musical heritage for new generations of listeners and musicians.
