Stefano Sciascia was born in Turin, on 7th September, 1960.
He began studying double bass at the age of sixteen.
He soon began playing with various orchestras, including Turin Orchestra
della RAI,Claudio Scimone’s Solisti Veneti and
“Orchestra da
Camera di Padova e del Veneto”,
performing throughout Europe and North America .
At the Edinburgh Festival, Wien Musikverein, Amsterdam Concertgebouw,
Milano Teatro La Scala,
and in Boston, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco,....
At the same time he devoted himself to researching new music and
transcribing it for double bass, enriching thus his instrument’s solo
repertoire.
In 1994 he recorded his first CD for the record label Rivo Alto:
1994 Opere per contrabbasso e pianoforte G.
Bottesini.
In the
few following years more records were released:
1996 Rivo Alto – Gran Quintetto in do minore e Sonate a
Quattro
G.Bottesini,
G.Rossini
1998 Rivo Alto – Quella Fiamma
G.B. Pergolesi, A. Vivaldi, N.A. Porpora, B.
Marcello
Arie del ‘700 per contrabbasso e pianoforte
1999 Rivo Alto – Concerto
D.Dragonetti, S.Koussevitzky ,G.Bottesini
2000 Rivo Alto – Elegie
E. Bloch, G.
Faurè, F. Poulanc, C. Debussy, …
2002
Rivo Alto – Songs of the World
Canzoni
tradizionali da tutto il mondo
2004 Stefano Sciascia Production – Mantra
22.22
Meditazione per
contrabbasso solo.
In 1999 King Records Japan includes
two tracks from “Quella Fiamma” in the compilation” King of Bass”.
In January 2003 the same record label releases a Japanese version of
“Songs of the World” with the title “Contrabbasso!”.
The record is distributed internationally through multinational
companies such as Virgin Megastore and Tower Records.
In June 2003 double bassist Yoshihiro Utsumi founded the S.E.J.
(Sciascia Ensemble Japan) in Kobe. This ensemble of musicians bearing
Sciascia’s name is very active and performs
throughout Japan.
In June 2001 Stefano Sciascia
made his debut in the USA: he performed a recital at the Butler University of
Indianaplis during the I.S.B. (International Society of Bassist) Convention.
Two years later he received a standing ovation at the university of
Richmond –Virginia-, during the I.S.B. Convention of 2003.
On June 2005 he performed at the Big Hall of Western Michigan University
in Kalamazoo, I.S.B Convention .
In fall 2004 the magazine “Double Bassist” dedicated a long article to
him. The article consists of an interview by editor Maggie Williams and deals
with his career, concentrating
especially on his release: Mantra 22.22.
In September 2004 he was invited in Japan where he taught master classes
and played concerts in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe.
He recorded in
playing with Sciascia ever since their first recording together, ten
years ago.
The Sciascia-Leonardi duo has been performing in Italy and abroad since
1994.
On January 2007 they recorded a
Tale : The Kingdom of Ibbi Obbi .
Double Bass and piano with a narrator and a 32 pages booklet with 16 oil
paintings .
Music by Rachmaninov Chopin Tchaikovsky Mussorgsky Scriabin Saint Saens
Popper Jenkinson .
He has played at the Oklahoma U.S.A. ISB Convention,June 2007 , a
program of Hebrew , Klezmer and Classical Music .
He taught Master Classes in Italy , Norway Oslo Academy , Finland
Helsinki Sibelius Academy , Japan .
Sciascia performed his Mantra 22.22 at the Penn State University ISB
Convention 2009 .
His last release is Lux ex Tenebris the 10th cd of his
discography .
Stefano Sciascia is head teacher of the double bass class at the
Conservatorio di Musica “G. Tartini” in Trieste.
He plays an eighteenth century Italian instrument of the Brescian
school.