Biography

ENGLISH:

Rising voice of clarinet in Europe, Matteo Pastorino was born in Sardinia, Italy in 1989.

Pastorino has collaborated with great names such Gilad Hekselman, Joe Sanders, Shay Maestro, Jason Palmer, David Linx, Guillaume De Chassy, Paolo Fresu, Antonello Salis, Francesco Ciniglio, Raphael Imbert, Thomas Savy, Nicolas Folmer, Bruno Micheli, Mauro Gargano, Francesco Bearzatti, Nicola Andrioli to name a few. He has toured the US, Europe and Asia. In 2016 he created the San Teodoro Jazz Festival in Sardinia, Italy. 

“Matteo Pastorino’s bass clarinet from Sardegna engulfs us with probing and searing emotion, making even more impressive the calm clarity of his ensemble playing and his ability to ladle helpings of gravy on the lower frequency countermelodies.WYNTON MARSALIS

Very soon, his passion turned to jazz thanks to his bass player father. The young self-taught man then received his first educational supervision from Nuoro Jazz workshops led by trompetist Paolo Fresu.
At 19, he moved to Paris to pursue his jazz education at the Music Conservatory of Paris where he graduated with top marks.

Summer 2009 was marked by the Siena jazz, where he had the chance to study with Kenny Werner, Clarence Penn, Aaron Goldberg, Miguel Zenon, Jim Snidero.
The ‘best musician’ scholarship also allowed him to study with Chris Potter the follow year.
In 2011 he assembled his quartet and the year after, in 2012, at the Saint Germain des Près jazz festival (Paris) not only his quartet won the spring- board 1st award in bands contest but Matteo, himself, received the Selmer prize for best soloist with a endorsement from the prestigious brand.
Still in 2012, he was awarded the public choice prize and the 2nd prize at the International Jazz Soloist Competition of Monaco. In 2015 he was awarded the press prize at the International Competition “Premio Massimo Urbani”.

On November 2017 he will release a new album on CHALLENGE RECORDS with his quartet and the rising star of the guitar, GILAD HEKSELMAN, as a guest : Suite For Modigliani, a musical journey through Amedeo Modigliani’s world.
He has released his 1st bandleader album “V” in 2015 to critical acclaim.

He played in several festivals and venues through France, Italie, Belgium, Spain, UK, USA, Asian Middle-East, Senegal…
Besides working with his quartet, Matteo Pastorino appears in several other projects: David Linx/Guillaume De Chassy Trio, Francesco Ciniglio Sextet, Compagnie La Tempete, Sobre-Sordos, Claxxx, Mauro Gargano Quartet, Eshareh, Le Salon Ideal…

Awards:
SOLOIST PRIZE SELMER 2012
WINNER OF TREMPLIN ‘‘JAZZ À SAINT GERMAIN DES PRÉS 2012’’
PRESS PRIZE AT INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ‘‘PREMIO MASSIMO URBANI’’ 2015
ON FINAL PHASES AT THE COMPETITION LA DÉFENSE 2012
PRIX BEST MUSICIAN NUORO JAZZ 2007
PRIX MUSICIAN SIENA JAZZ 2009
2nd PRIZE ET PUBLIC CHOICE PRIZE AT THE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ SOLOIST COMPETITON OF MONACO 2012

Discography:
Leader :
Suite For Modigliani – Challenge Records 2017
V – Absilone/Socadisc 2014

Sideman :

David Linx, Guillaume De Chassy et Matteo Pastorino – Enja Records – release announced in 2022
Hypnos – La Tempete – Alpha Classic – release announced in 2022
Le Miroir Deserté – Ensemble Eshareh – World Plaza Music – release announced in 2022
The Locomotive Suite – Francesco Ciniglio – Whirlwind Records – 2021
Nuages – Mauro Gargano – Diggin’ Music – 2020
Claxxx – Claudio Miotti – AUAND – 2018 
Nicola Andrioli Fourth Stream Ensemble – Les Montgolfières – Dodicilune – 2014
Francesca Palamidessi – In other words I am three – Ragtime Distribution – 2015
Talmest – Talmest – Quart de lune – 2014
Julian Getreau 4tet – Paper Plane – Must Record – 2011
Bruno Micheli & Matteo Pastorino – Le Déserteur – Socadisc – 2011
Viento Rojo – Nuoro Jazz Produzioni – 2009

Quotes:
“Matteo Pastorino : a new name of the clarinet”  Libero Farné allaboutjazz.com 2015

‘‘Outre un phrasé redoutable, un lyrisme «naturel», un sens des nuances suffisamment rare pour être applaudi, Pastorino possède la qualité supreme: un son, subtil, aérien, puissant lorsqu’il le faut, et flirtant le plus souvent avec le clair-obscur.
(…) son premier disque…marque l’arrivée d’un clarinettiste qui va compter.’’
Ludovic Florin, jazz magazine jazzman, n°667 nov 2014, p.78

‘En parfaite connivence avec une rythmique très souvent mise en évidence, il survole toute une partie de l’histoire du jazz pour en montrer la totale contemporanéité.
Une vraie découverte.’’ Claude Loxhay – jazzhalo.be / jazzaraoundmag.com

‘‘…la musique du quartet : une ligne épurée qui évoque le flux et le reflux et revendique une modernité sans rupture. Une musique qui a sans doute encore beacoup à nous dire’’
Franpì Barriaux – citizenjazz.com

‘‘Matteo pastorino, improvisateur fonceur, amateur de discontinuités rageuses, flatteur de chalumeau…’’ Frank Bergerot, jazz magazine jazzman, n°629 sept 2011, p.64

‘Pastorino…fait preuve d’une fantaisie de chaque mesure telle que l’on fonde tous les espoirs en la suite.’’ Christian Larréde, jazz news, n°38 jan-fev 2015, p.73

‘‘Grâce à sa clarinette, Matteo Pastorino, nous embarque dans une exploration d’un genre nouveau, (…) Il nous place face à de nouvelles et étonnantes rencontres sonores.’’
Jean Jacques Dikongué – tribune2lartiste.com

Ⓒ Photos by Andrea Mignogna, 2021 - Ⓒ Matteo Pastorino 2022, All rights reserved