soprano alto & sopranino saxophones 

Born in Palermo - Italy- May 1st - 1961

STUDIES

Mainly selftaught.  In in 1979-80 frequented the sessions at the University of the Streets in NYC lower east side guided by  the charismatic sax player and social animator Muhameed Salahudeen. He also followed  briefly some courses at C.I.M in Paris under the guidance of Jean Claude Forenbach.

FREELANCE COLLABORATIONS 

Ernst Reijsiger,  Heiner Goebbels, Zabuski Lucien,Miya Masaoka, Evan Parker,Fred Frith, Louis Sclavis, Gianluigi Trovesi, Lindsay Cooper, Lars Hollmer, Sakis Papadimitriou,  André Jaume, Steve Buchanan,Yves Romain, Dominique Regef, Jean Pierre Drouet, Sergey Kuriokhin, Vladimir Tarasov, Anatoly Vapirov, Petras Visnaiuskas,Jerome Savary, Fred Giuliani, Vitas Labutis, Tadashi Endo, Masaki Iwana, Motoharu Yoshizawa, Julie Stanzak, Keiki Miridokawa, Heiner Goebbels, David Moss, Claudio Lo Cascio, Otomo Yoshihide, Antonio Carallo, Raul Ruiz, Noel Akchoté, Benoit Delbeq, Paul Rogers, Thierry Madiot, Guillaume Orti, Christophe Marguet, Hubert Dupont, Ernst Reijsiger, Henri Kaiser, Mari Kimura, Damon Smith, Garth Powell, Phil Gelb, Tim Perkis, Gino Robair, Tom Nunn, William Hooker, Lee Ranaldo, Jim O’ Rourke, Mimmo Cuticchio Toti Garraffa, Floros Floridis, Lefteris Agouridakis, Antonello Salis, , Italian Instabile Orchestra, Peter Kowald, Gunther Sommer, Oliver Lake, Glen Velez, Enzo Rao, Tiziano Popoli, Miriam Palma, Lelio Giannetto, Vittorio Villa, Francesco Cusa, Massimo Simonini, Jim Meneses, Jean Marc Montera, Roy Paci, Francesco Cusa, Lukas Ligeti, Xavier Garcia, Nils Wogram, Michael Manring, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Carl Stone, Shinichi Isohata, Ramon Lopez, Jon Raskin, Weasel Walter, Wu Ming 1, Ishibashi Eiko, Yamamoto Tatsuhisa, Yoshihide Otomo, Daniele Camarda, Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, Charles Hayward, Zeena Parkins, Suga Dairo, Isobe Jun, Carl Stone, Barre Phillips, Frank Gratkowski, Koyano Tetsuro, Satoko Fuji, Mederic Collignon, Camille Emaille, Nicolas Perrin, Cecile Lartigau, Jerome Fouquet, Giovanni Verga, Zeno De Rossi, Massimo Pupillo, Vincenzo Vasi, William Winant, Tony Buck, Bob Rutman, Aurelien Bory.

FESTIVALS

Imola Jazz at the Rock, International Jazz festival Sofia Bulgaria, Palermo Fusion Time, Gibellina Etnojazz, Varna Jazz festival Bulgaria, Roccella Ionica Rumori Mediterranei, Total Music Meeting Berlin FMP 1990, Sibiu International Jazz Festival Romania, Wuppertal Jazzspektakel, B.I.D; Berlin, The importance of return tickets-Podewil Berlin, Faenza Folkfestival, S.Arcangelo dei Teatri, Noci Europa Jazz festival, Clusone Jazz, BolzanoJazz Summer, Metastasio Jazz 99, Mulhouse Jazz festival 96-98, Rive De Gier, Angelica Bologna, Jazz Bo-Bologna, Ayler Festival Roma, Concentus Musicus Firenze, Verona Jazzitalia, Macchina dei Rumori Palermo, Curva Minore 97-98, Dreamin' California Palermo 98, Suoni del 900 Teatro Massimo-Palermo, Festival Internazionale sul Novecento Palermo 98, Sord- Nud-Palermo 96, Palermo di Scena 96-97-98, Sicilia Jazzestate Catania, Festival Ibleo del Jazz Ragusa 93-94-95-96, Jazz aux Pyramides Welkenraedt- Belgium, Obiettivo Giappone Roma Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Europa Jazz Festival Le Mans-France, Jazz e interferenze Schio, Link Bologna, Druga Godba Lubjana-Slovenia, Ring Ring Beograd 98, Butoh Festial London 96, Theater X Tokyo, Contemporary Sicily-The New School New York, The Red RoomBaltimore,TimeFlies-Vancouver-Canada, Brooklyn College N.Y. Beanbender's Berkeley-California, Fimav 97 Victoriaville Quebéc- Canada, Les Inaccottoumés Paris- Menagerie de verre, International Jazz festival Saalfelden 1999, Controindicazioni 99 Rome, Icebreaker festival Wien 99. Japan tour March 2000, Usa West Coast April 2000 Portland, Munchen 2000, Noci fest. 2000, Womad in Palermo, Rive De Gier October 2000,Groningen Zomer Jazz festival, Butoh festival Palermo 2000, Curva Minore 2000 pa, Akut Mainz 2000, Rive De Gier 2001, Dansem Marseille 2001. Northsea Jazz Festival 2003. Le trois Jours Groningen. Jazz Nomades Paris,Mulhouse jazz 2004, Beyond the Innocence 2005-2006- Osaka, Mediawave Gyior Hungary 2007, Klara festival 2008 Bruxelles, Yokohama Impro Meeting 2008,Castellammare Jazz 2012,Jazz on Bike Groningen 2014,Ruhr Triennale 2014- Essen, Siracusa Jazz Festival 2014, Angelica 2015 Bologna, Novara Jazz 2015.Manchester Festival 2018, Ruhr Triennale 2019, Acireale Jazz Festival 2019, Huddersfield Festival UK 2019, Wall of Sounds Palermo 2019-2020, Ortigia Sound System 2021, Jazz is Dead Torino 2021, Unehorth Zurich Festival, Magdeburg Jazz Festival 2022, Improdimensija Vilnius 2023, Tempo Reale Festival Firenze.

AWARDS (premi e riconoscimenti):

4rth place 1988 Top Jazz poll " Musica Jazz " magazine 3rd place 1989 Top Jazz poll " Musica Jazz " magazine 1st place 1990 Top Jazz poll " Musica Jazz "6th place best italian sax player Top jazz Musica Jazz 2008. Premio Enzo Randisi alla carriera 2022 Enzo Randisi Price for the career in jazz.

SOUNDTRACKS (colonne sonore per video, performances e film): 

" Solo " video by Salvo Cuccia Avalon prod. 1993

" Shiki " video by Salvo Cuccia Avalon prod. 1993

" Thriller ", " Dr;Jekyll and Mister Hyde ", " Una mosca in città " cartoons produced by Grafimated Palermo.

" Il viaggio clandestino. Vite di Santi e Peccatori " movie by Raul Ruiz 1993

" Un sogno di lumaca" short movie by Salvo Cuccia Avalon prod. 1995

" Terra Madre " short movie by Salvo Cuccia - Avalon prod. 1995

" Diario senza date " movie by Roberto Andò feat. Bruno Ganz 1995

" Angeli Migranti " theatre piece with Vanessa Redgrave (Angeli Migranti, Napoli ed Ercolano 1996)

" Festino Di S.Rosalia " by Jerome Savary City of Palermo.

" Peppino Impastato: storia di un siciliano libero " video by A. Bellia published by Il Manifesto

" Ce ne ricorderemo di questo pianeta " a movie by Salvo Cuccia 2000

" Oltre Selinunte" by Salvo Cuccia 2007

" Lavorare con lentezza " a movie by Guido Chiesa - Fandango productions-2004

" L'Estate Breve " (from Midsummer Night Dream) a movie by Raul Ruiz - produced by Teatro Garibaldi -2010

" Camera della morte " installation in the Ex Tonnara Florio - Favignana Trapani 2011

" La Pesca del Tonno " video and dvd produced by Regione Sicilia - Ex Tonnara Florio Favignana 2011

" Comiso Landscape 1.0 " by Nello La Marca - Filmworks production 2011-documentary

" Nanbanjin " a movie by Gianni Gebbia 2011- Objet a productions

" O'Tama Monogatari " a movie by Gianni Gebbia - Objet a poductions 2012

" Il mio nome è Tony Scott " by Franco Maresco : live appearance with Miya Masaoka: Cinico Cinema 2012.

" TRAPANI/ TUNIS a/r " by Rosario Riginella e Renato Alongi  documentary 2014.

" Le acque segrete di Palermo" by Stefania Casini:  documentary Bizef & Sicilian Film Commission 2014.

" The Sum of Many " by Daniel Derro Regan Cannes short film festival award best history. 2022

INVISIBILI by Aurelien Bory Cie 111 Teatro Biondo Palermo - Thetre de La Ville Paris 2023 -24

TEACHING 

(esperienze di insegnamento):

1984-85- Saxophone at Django Reinhardt Music school palermo Saxophone

1992 - Open jazz school Palermo

1998- Lectures and workshops at Institute of History of Music, University of Palermo

- Fondazione Orestiadi di Gibellina

2000 - Sonoma State College Music department

2000 - Time Flies Vancouver Canada

- Fondazione Orestiadi di Gibellina

- Mill's College Oakland California

- Accademia di Belle Arti Palermo - Masterclass. 

2010 workshop at CAL ARTS California

2016 Lecture at Nagoya University -electronic music dept. directed by Carl Stone.

2023 Workshop at Vilnius Conservatory

PAINTING EXHIBITIONS & VISUAL WORKS

1979 - 20 soluzioni pittoriche - Discoteca dell'Opera Universitaria Palermo.

1990 "Le idi di Marzo" with Peter Kowald - Associazione Garraffello Palermo. curators: P.Falcone, N.Bramante

1997 Tavoli d'autore - collective exhibition Palermo

1997 Il migliore amico di Cheryl- Galleria l'Altro Palermo. Curator: Nicola Bravo.

2002 Arcana Maior 2.0 Palermo Micromuseum.

2003 Arcana Maior 2.0 Belluard Bollwerk Festival, Fribourg CH.

ARTISTIC DIRECTION & CURATORSHIP

1985 Director of the festival " Musica EuroAraba " Palermo Palazzo Steri, University of Palermo- Italy in collaboration with Unesco. 8 days of ethnical and traditional music.

1994 Music curator for the Palermo Summer Program directed by Mimmo Cuticchio.

1993 Music curator of the Festival S.Arcangelo dei Teatri  S. Arcangelo di Romagna Director Leo De Berardinis.

1995 Curator for the music section of the festival La Macchina Dei Sogni- Palermo

1996 artistic curator for Palermo Summer program directed by Mimmo Cuticchio - City of Palermo.

1997-98 Music curator for dance and music of the City of Palermo in 1997-1998. Director of the Summer Festival 

Palermo di Scena 98 and 99 promoted the first Womad in Palermo, plus hundreds of concerts and dance performances. etc.

1998 Organizes in Palermo the festival California Dreamin' with artists from California

1997-98-2000 Curator of the international festival of contemporary and improvised music Curva Minore 

2001 -2002 Curator of the music section of Micromuseum  (exhibitions by G. Toderi, M.Creed, F.Gonzales-Torres etc).

Art direction and producer for Objet-a label in collaboration with the label Stereo Supremo Milano- Italy.

2002 Art direction for Belluard Bollwerk international festival 2002 in Fribourg Switzerland.

2014- Art direction fro OOT'ON cantieri musicali di Palermo - Cantieri culturali alla Zisa.

2015 - Carte blanche for Angelica Festival - Bologna.

2010-2017 Artistic director of Anassimandro festival di musicofilosofia / Palermo.

2021- to now Artistic Director of Organica festival Palermo Oratorio di San Mercurio.

PERFORMANCES ,INSTALLATIONS, MUSIC THEATRE, DANCE 

Cane Capovolto (Macchina dis-organizzata)

Arcana Maior 1.0 ( Palermo Micromuseum a cura di P.Falcone)

Arcana Maior 2.0 ( Fribourg Festival Belluard Bollwerk)

Rosae et Lilyum music theater piece by Gianni Gebbia featuring: Miriam Palma, La

Banda di Palermo, Ilaria Casarubea- Fribourg Belluard Bollwerk festival).

Lasciami music reading featuring: Franco La Cecla, Oreste Valente, Giorgia Meli e Diego Spitaleri. Mantova festival della Letteratura 2009.

Magika : magic and musical piece with Marco Zoppi, Diego Spitaleri, Alice Sparti, Teatro Nuovo Montevergini Palermo.

New Thing with Switters and Wu Ming 1, based on the book by Wu Ming 1.

Live soundtrack for " Theda " a video by Georgina Starr. Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa- Palermo 2014

Musical performance  creator and director at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento for Google Camp international 2016

Musical Collaboration for the new Heiner Goebbels piece " What happened and what will happen " Essen 2018, Mif Manchester 2018, Ruhr Triennale Bochum, New York Armory Hall, St.Petersburg  Theatre Olympics Festival, Budapest Theatre Olympics 2023.

Music for " Bianca " by Sabino Civilleri, Manuela Lo Sicco - 2019.

Music for "La Battaglia di Lepanto " audio and video installation on G. Serpotta Sculpture by G.Gebbia, Dario Andriolo B. Tortorici di Monataperto  -

Oratorio di Santa Cita Palermo 2022.

Perfumum olfactive and musical performance - Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti Palermo 2022.

Music for " Invisibili " by Aurelien Bory - Produced by Teatro Biondo, Cie 111, Theatre de la Ville Paris 2023-24.

MOVIES & VIDEOS

2010 Identik -it ( A self portrait attempt ) documentary - Production Objet-a

2011 Asakusa no Brecht -director- film production: Objet-a (1st prize at Zen Trailer film festival - Kamakura - Japan )

2011 Nanbanjin ( I Barbari del Sud ) soundtrack and direction Production :Objet-a

2011 Three Ghosts from Tokyo - short movie-direction, production objet-a

2012 O’Tama Monogatari - 2013 -soundtrack and direction - Production :Objet-a

2012 Aldo ...for you regia - production objet-a

2013 Videoclip for the band Gentless 3 - production objet-a

2013 Rue de la Roquette - videoclip of the music band Le Zouave Jacob- prod. Objet-a

2015.  "Plaza Real " videoclip on the music by Joraku 5. Prod.objet-a

ARTICLES & BOOKS 

" L'Uomo, questa macchina desiderante " (Man: this desiring machine)

Review of "L'Anti Oedipe" by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari in "Giornale di Sicilia " May 1982

" Sakis Papadimitriou " in Jazz not Jazz n.0 December 1993

" Heiner Goebbels " in Jazz not Jazz, trimestrale di cultura del 900 Palermo n°1 March 1991

" Gunther Baby Sommer " in Jazz not Jazz n°2 June 1994

" Chris Cutler - Notizie da Babele " in Jazz Not Jazz n°3 September 1994 Palermo

" Jean Marc Montera "in Jazz not Jazz n° 4 December 1994 Palermo

" Un mondo a 108 grani. Il rosario e la preghiera nel Buddismo giapponese "(A world of 108 grains, Rosaries and prayers in    japanese Buddhism )

" La Mente che prega. Studi scientifici sulla preghiera " ( The Praying Mind,scientific studies about prayer ) 

in " Pregare,un'esperienza umana "( Praying, an human experience) Edizioni Vita e Pensiero 2015.

" Concierto para Raul Ruiz " Palermo 2017 Raul Ruiz commemoration and honourary citizenship of Palermo.

Articles, interwiews and rewiews also appeared on: Musica Jazz, La Repubblica, L'Ora, Giornale di Sicilia, Panorama, Linea D'Ombra, Blu Jazz, Jazz, Improjazz, Jazz Magazine, Jazzthetik, Jazz Podium, Rubberneck, Jazz Hopt, Il Mucchio Selvaggio, Fare Musica, The New York Times (inter. by Ben Rattlif), Coda, The Wire, Jazziz (int.by S. Prestianni) Dec.98 issue, Il Manifesto, Frankfurter Rundschau, Penguin Guide of Jazz, Grove Dictionary of Music, European Free Improvisation web site, Margen Spain 2002.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

He has been practising since 1985 Katsugen Undo under the guidance of Gippi Vezzoso and Keiko Tsuda wife of Itsuo Tsuda sensei.

Since 2000 has practised Kyudo (Japanese zen archery) with mr.Santo Elici and he got the Kyudo 1st Dan from the Zen Kyudo Nihon renmei in 2002. During the early 2000 studied Rinzai Zen with Taikan Jyoji Daiosho in the South of France. Since 2003 he has been regularly studying Zen in Japan with Shodo Harada Roshi abbot of Sogenji temple in Okayama from the Myoshinji lineage of Rinzai Zen.

In 2005 he started along with Ilaria Ekin Casarubea the One Drop Zen group in Palermo - Italy the first Zen group in Sicily and part of the International One Drop community. In 2005 G.G. has been ordained as a lay monk by Shodo Harada Roshi with the dharma name of Jòraku.

He's currently studying Bansuri Flute and Hindustani Music with Acharya Suchismita Chatterjee one of the  two renown Flute Sisters  assistants and disciples of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.