Biography
He is the italian rising star of the accordion, with a remarkable technique, a deep blues and swing feeling and plays with talent any kind of musical genres (Italian Jazz Dictonary, 2014). Richard Galliano, speaking about young accordionists in an interview, said: “The person that really impressed me is a young Italian from Puglia, Italy: his name is Vincenzo Abbracciante. In every song he embarks on a story which touches me.”(Jazzman, 2005) Born in Ostuni in 1983. At the age of eight years old he studied music with his father Franco. He attended masterclasses with Franco D’Andrea, Bruno Tommaso, Richard Galliano, Joelle Leandre, Steve Potts, Roberto Gatto, Dado Moroni, Jacques Mornet, Rosario Giuliani. Graduated in jazz music at the “Nino Rota” Conservatory in Monopoli with Maestro Gianni Lenoci and in Classic Accordion at the “E. R. Duni” Conservatory in Matera with Maestro Gian Vito Tannoia. In October 2000, he won the 25th Iternational Prize and Award in Castelfidardo and in 2003 won the 53rd World Trophy. Since 2000, he has been the Artist of the Borsini Accordion factory in Castelfidardo. Vince Abbracciante has performed and toured in various parts of the world including: Germany, Brazil, USA, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, England, Austria, France, Spain, South Africa, Egypt, China, India, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Lebanon, Denmark , Russia, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania and Canada, performing in festivals and prestigious jazz clubs: Virada Cultural (San Paolo), Melbourne Jazz Festival (Melbourne), Queen’s Birthday Jazz & Blues Festival (Wellington), Java Jazz Festival (Jakarta), Esplanade Hall (Singapore), Montreal Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, TerniJazzFest, Bari in Jazz, FIF (Castelfidardo), National Arts Festival (Grahamstown), Hong Kong Jazz Festival. Some of the great musicians that Vince has worked with include: Javier Girotto, Gabriele Mirabassi, Fabrizio Bosso, Juini Booth, Peppe Servillo, John Medeski, Richard Galliano, Marc Ribot, Flavio Boltro, Carlo Actis Dato, Bruno Tommaso, Giovanni Amato, The Bumps (Davide Penta & Antonio Di Lorenzo), Roberto Ottaviano, Paola Arnesano, Maria Mazzotta, Cesare Dell’Anna, Luca Ciarla, Lucio Dalla, Ornella Vanoni, Heidi Vogel, Francesco Lotoro. In 2006, he opened up his repertoire to include performances on vintage keyboards such as the organs (Hammond, Farfisa, Elka) and the electric pianos (Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer). This has given his creative and musical mind additional freedoms to venture deeper into the enigmas of psychedelic jazz music. In 2009, along with Carlo Borsini of the Borsini Acccordion factory, Vince helped to design a new system for accordion registers which allows the player to widen the range of sound coming from the instrument. After more than a year of construction, testing, and design, this Signature accordion was officially presented at the Frankfurt fair in April 2011. In the same year, he was awarded with the prestigious “VOCE D’ORO” (GOLD REED) by the International Accordion Festival in Castelfidardo, the prize is historically attributed to those with their music promote the image of the accordion. In 2012 is first debut album “Introducing…” features the legendary bass player Juini Booth. In 2013 he was awarded as “Best Musician 2013′′ by the ARGOJAZZ Festival. Since 2017 the cast of his right hand is kept at the “International Museum of Accordionist Fingerprints” in Recoaro Terme (VI). In 2018 he won the “Bucharest International Jazz Competition” with his trio. In 2021 he won the Orpheus Award in Jazz Music with his album “Terranima”.
