MEDIA Maurice Minichino
Nanette Garcia
Uly Millan
Italian born pianist-composer Maurice Minichino formed his first jazz ensembles in the practice rooms of the G. Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan where he received a Masters degree. In 1981, he relocated to NY to study conducting at the Juilliard School of Music. That same year he met and began collaborating with percussionist Nanette Garcia. Moving from NY to Milan, Maurice wrote jingles for Italian TV & radio while composing for experimental theatre and film in NY. In 1991, the pianist began deep exploration of Afro-Cuban sacred music, and after working with bata drummer Felipe Garcia Villamil and field work in Cuba, co-authored the instructional book The Sacred Music of Cuba: Bata Drumming Matanzas Style, published in 2000 by Melantone Music. In 2005, Maurice and Nanette released the CD Alchemy: A Tribute to Frankie Malabe, a 55 minute suite that brings the unique Afro-Cuban conga style of Mr. Malabe into a contemporary classical context. Shortly after this release, the pianist co-founded Skin Against Metal, an ensemble that performs the works of this CD. In 2006, Maurice became involved in the development of the Talk n Drum Language and Music Program for Preschoolers and composed a special repertoire of songs for the program. Maurice currently directs the group Skin Against Metal at his studio in Westchester NY.
Guitarist/vocalist, studied composition and arranging at the Maria Eugenia School of Music in Caracas, Venezuela and attended The Valencia Symphonic Orchestra in Valencia, Venezuela. Uly is a seasoned session player who has recorded for CBS-Columbia of Venezuela, Sonographica, and Sonorodven record label. Among his credits are three nationwide tours and several albums recorded with top selling pop group Pentagono. Since relocating to the US in 1990, Uly has studied with such New York guitar gurus as Mitch Stein and Alex Adrian. In 2010, the guitarist composed and produced commercial soundtracks for such corporate clients as Coca Cola, Proctor & Gamble and Knorr. In addition to running his own recording studio known as Hey Studio located in Ossining, New York, Uly continues working as a session player, producer, and guitar teacher.
The afro-cuban percussionist-vocalist-composer-educator was born and raised in the Bronx NY. Nanette began her career as a member of her middle school choir, and with a three-year scholarship to attend the Turtle Bay Music School in NY to study opera and music theory. In 1981, she met and began composing and performing with Italian pianist Maurice Minichino. The percussionist dedicated over 12 years to the study of the Afro-Cuban drumming tradition with conguero Frankie Malabe and master bata drummer Felipe Garcia Villamil. And after field work in Cuba, she co-authored the instructional book The Sacred Music of Cuba: Bata Drumming Matanzas Style, published in 2000 by Melantone Publishing. Nanette received a Masters in contemporary music (composition & performance) under the tutelage of Tania Leon and Ralph Blauvelt. In 2005, Nanette and Maurice released a CD that paid tribute to her teacher entitled Alchemy: A Tribute to Frankie Malabe . The group Skin Against Metal was founded by Nanette and Maurice shortly after the CD, in order to perform the works of the recording. In 2006, Nanette co-developed the Talk n Drum Language and Music Program for Preschoolers which is currently being offered in schools throughout Westchester, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Nanette teaches drumming and forms smaller percussion ensembles at her studio in Westchester NY.
RELEASES Performance Archive:
2011
2010
Falcon Club, Marlboro NYPeekskill Coffee House, Peekskill NYCasa Abierta, Yorktown Heights NYBeanrunner Café, Peekskill NYPuppets’s Jazz, Brooklyn NY
Falcon Club, Marlboro NYBeanrunner Cafe, Peekskill NYGlobal Fusion Weekend at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, White Plains NYPeekskill Coffee House, Peekskill NYUnitarian Church, Mt. Kisco NYCornerstone Café, Newburgh, NYBackstage Café, Hopewell Junction NYCasa Abierta, Yorktown Heights NY
Future performance schedule coming soon...
