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Having spent twenty years of study at the renowned Conservatory of Rome “Santa Cecilia” and then pivoting to pursue the idiom of jazz, classically trained Jazz pianist Marco Apicella is no stranger to a growth mindset. Now after graduating from USC’s prestigious master’s program, he is putting himself to the test again, breaking onto the Los Angeles music scene. The master of music theory and formal technique is collaborating with established artists on pop and electronic productions.
From festivals to composition to teaching and back again, we sat down with Marco and asked him where his vision was taking him.
“I want to build bridges,” Apicella noted in an interview. “What drew me to music was emotion, and the way sound can create an experience. Why wouldn’t we use all the resources we have even if it breaks some rules?”
It’s no surprise why his work caught the attention of Capitol Records, who wasted no time in hiring him up for the production of acoustic renditions of hit songs. He is currently working with Peter Manos, who’s 2017 debut single “In My Head” reached more than 300 million streams. Apicella will be featured on the tune, which stars only his piano playing and Manos’ sensual voice. The new release is highly anticipated and, lucky for listeners, will be followed by Apicella’s long-awaited solo album The Green on the Hills, a production expected to be featured on Spotify playlists for its ethereal marriage of catchy beats and minimalist piano.
While long seen as disconnected genres, Apicella is working on projects that fuse the refinement of classical music, improvisation of jazz with the pleasurable sounds of pop. And Apicella comes by his diverse skill set rightfully as he has a wide breadth of critically acclaimed experience. To mention a few: in 2015, Bernard Fowler, historic member of the band The Rolling Stones, chose Marco Apicella to perform as pianist for his exclusive one time European concert in Schiedam (Rotterdam), Holland. Dutch percussion star Martin Verdonk, who worked with Prince, Donna Summers, Lionel Richie, George Benson, invited Apicella for a live recording session in which Apicella was featured on 2 keyboard solos and has been streamed well over 100.000 times on YouTube and other streaming services. Last but not least, together with the collective “Dutch Music Community”, Apicella performed with the world-famous bass player Marcus Miller (2 times Grammy Award Winner) and collaborated with the 3 times Grammy Award winner band “Snarky Puppy.”
Where will he go from here? It’s hard to know, according to Apicella, who likely will be returning to the University of Southern California for a Doctorate in Musical Arts. He is also currently working with visionary producer Gen Polansky, a Hollywood Music In Media Award winner, who collaborated with Quincy Jones and Sting, among others. You can find Marco’s music on Spotify, Bandcamp or connect with him on Instagram, where he regularly engages with followers on impromptu music projects since live music experiences have currently been curbed. “We have to work with what we have and where we are. That’s what music is about,” Apicella commented. “Bringing life to the moment.”
