BIOGRAPHY

GIUSEPPE “JOE” SANTORO

Drummer • Composer • Arranger • Producer

Giuseppe “Joe” Santoro is an Italian drummer, composer, arranger, and producer born in Erice, Sicily, on August 21st, 1993. He began studying drums at the age of five and soon became active on the Sicilian music scene, performing with a wide variety of bands spanning multiple genres.

At nineteen, after finishing high school, he moved to London, where he had the opportunity to immerse himself in the city’s vibrant musical landscape and perform with musicians from across the UK and abroad. Upon returning to Italy, he pursued his formal musical education at the Antonio Scontrino Conservatory of Music in Trapani. There he earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Jazz Drums and Percussion—graduating with full marks and honorable mention—as well as a Master’s Degree in Pop/Rock Drums and Percussion, also with full marks.

Shortly afterwards, he was selected as a participant of the prestigious New York Jazz Master Program at the Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen (Netherlands). In parallel with his conservatory studies, he attended numerous international masterclasses and seminars, including sessions with Ron Carter, Gunter Sommer, Han Bennink & The Instant Composers Pool Orchestra (ICP), Indrikis Veitners, Manfred Bründl, and Salvatore Bonafede, as well as programs such as the City College of New York / La Spezia Jazz Workshop.

He is the winner of the Sicily Jazz Academy Contest 2020, the Ethnos Festival 2021, and the Marettimo Jazz Festival 2016, and he was a finalist in both the National Arts Award 2019 and the National and European Festival of Music Conservatories 2019. His work has been featured in several Italian and international media outlets, including La Repubblica, Balarm, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Italoeuropeo.com, and MadreInItaly.

He is currently a faculty member at the Conservatory of Music in Adria (Italy), where he teaches Jazz Drums and History of Jazz. Alongside his academic work, he maintains an active international performing career, appearing with numerous ensembles across the United States, the Netherlands, England, South Korea, Colombia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Estonia, Bahrain, and beyond.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with an extensive roster of internationally renowned artists, including Seamus Blake, Peter Bernstein, Aaron Goldberg, Kevin Hays, Francesco Cafiso, Bill Carrothers, Vicente Archer, Chico Pinheiro, Dario Deidda, Matt Penman, Flavio Boltro, Salvatore Bonafede, Alessandro Lanzoni, Freddie Bryant, Jasper Soffers, Joy Garrison, Nico Gori, Dado Moroni, Paul Berner, Joris Teepe, Pietro Leveratto, Alessandro Presti, Lino Patruno, Franck Amsallem, Alfredo Paixao, Frank Wingold, Raul Reyes, Paulus Schäfer, Lello Panico, Mauro Schiavone, Pietro Ciancaglini, Pietro Lussu, Fabio Zeppetella, Kevin Yosua, Stefano D’Anna, Nicola Caminiti, Orazio Maugeri, Fabrizio Mocata, Jim Hunt, Francesca Tandoi, Lello Analfino, Mario Biondi, among many others.