Gene Bertoncini
Over decades, Gene Bertoncini has firmly
established himself as one of the most eloquent and versatile masters of
the guitar. With elegance and ease, he bridges jazz, classical, pop, and
bossa nova styles, integrating his own spontaneous and tasteful
improvisations along the way. He has earned highest critical acclaim for
his artistry on both the classical and electric guitar.
Bertoncini’s musical roots go back to his early years in the Bronx where
he grew up in a house filled with music. His love affair with the guitar
began when he was seven, and by the time he was sixteen, he was appearing
on New York television.
His career took an unusual turn when he decided to fulfill another
long-standing interest, and took a degree in architecture at Notre Dame.
He was quickly swept into the musical scene at the university, and the
first thing he did after picking up his degree was to work opposite Carmen
McRae in Chicago. He returned to New York to work with vibraphonist Mike
Manieri, and then with a quintet led by drummer Buddy Rich.
He describes his architectural experience as something which gives his
music its finely-wrought form and style. He wins continual praise for the
superb structure of his arrangements and improvisations which serve as a
vehicle for his virtuosic technique.
Gene Bertoncini has worked with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, the
Benny Goodman Sextet; singers Tony Bennett, Morgana King, Lena Horne, Vic
Damone and Edye Gorme; jazzmen Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws,
Clark Terry, Paul Desmond, and Paul Winter; and arranger/composers Burt
Bacharach, Lalo Schifrin and Michel LeGrand, among others. He performed
regularly on the Merve Griffin and Johnny Carson shows, and has been one
of the most prolific and popular studio musicians in New York City. For
the past eight years Bertoncini has performed with bassist Michael Moore
in a duo which The New York Times describes as “...one of the finest
pairings of jazz strings....”
Mr. Bertoncini’s teaching credits include the Eastman School of Music
where he regularly performs and conducts summer workshops for jazz
guitarists, the New England Conservatory, New York University, and the
Banff School of Fine Arts. He has been a highly sought-after guest
clinician in colleges and universities throughout the country. |
