Giovanni Nardiello

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Born in 1995, he approached music at an early age thanks to his father, who was also a musician. Initially drawn to rock, he began formal music studies at age 11 in the Classical Percussion Department of the Cimarosa Conservatory in Avellino, where he developed a solid technical and theoretical foundation.

At 16, he began his professional career performing in various projects ranging from indie rock to pop, appearing in some of the most important clubs and festivals in Southern Italy. During this period, he opened concerts for renowned Italian artists such as Marlene Kuntz, Thegiornalisti, Giorgio Ciccarelli (Afterhours), and Cesare Malfatti (Afterhours).

In 2018, he recorded as drummer on “Sotto casa tua”, the debut album by Italian songwriter Zerella, released by Seahorse Recordings. At age 20, he decided to dedicate himself to jazz, enrolling in the Jazz Drums and Percussion program at the D. Cimarosa Conservatory, where he graduated with top honors. During these years, he co-founded the Alessandro Pennino Trio, performing at major national festivals such as the Fara Music Festival, Barga Jazz Festival, and Think Orta Jazz.

In 2019, the trio won the Best Group award at the Val d’Agri Jazz Festival, leading to the release of their debut album “Memento” (WoW Records). That same year, he attended the Umbria Jazz Clinics, where he was awarded a scholarship by Berklee College of Music.

In 2019, he moved to Siena to pursue a two-year master’s degree in Instrumental Performance at the Siena Jazz University, graduating with a thesis on the relationship between composition and improvisation. There, he studied with leading jazz figures such as Gregory Hutchinson, Ziv Ravitz, Demian Cabaud, Ralph Alessi, and Jim Black, while developing a deep focus on improvisation under the guidance of Stefano Battaglia.

In October 2021, he attended the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn, joining the Contemporary Improvisation Department. He participated in numerous masterclasses with artists including Marc Ribot, Le Quan Ninh, Alistair MacDonald, and Christoph Baumann.

During this time, he also became involved in the Estonian improvisational scene, releasing “Grounding”—a fully improvised album—with Common Ground, a trio featuring violinist Maja Marta Prill and Argentine guitarist Gon Muruaga.

He is currently active as both leader and sideman in numerous projects, including De Origine, Esmeralda Sella – Magma, and Liliana Sommariva – No Other Universe, Federica Colangelo – Acquaphonica performing at major European jazz festivals such as Fano Jazz by the Sea, Jazz in Sardegna, Mittlefest, Il Jazz Italiano per le Terre del Sisma, Sounds Jazz Club, and Young Jazz Festival.

In 2022, he released “Kairi”, the debut album of Triologic (with Attilio Sepe and Riccardo Gola), featuring Ralph Alessi on trumpet. Among his most notable collaborations is his work with Stefano Battaglia, both in the Tabula Rasa Ensemble and Silent Ways, a project dedicated to the music of Miles Davis and Joe Zawinul, alongside Fulvio Sigurtà (trumpet) and Antonio Caggiano (percussions). In 2025, he will appear alongside Indian percussionist B.C. Manjunath on “Forward”, an album by Italian pianist Federica Colangelo. He is also working on his debut album with his trio, Perspectives. The record will be out in 2026.

Since 2022, he has been teaching drums and ensemble performance in the pre-academic courses at Siena Jazz University.