Alberto Santamaria (*1998) is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and composer based in Bern, Switzerland. His music encompasses a wide range of sounds and influences, drawing from jazz, classical music, and Mediterranean rhythms.
After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Guitar from the "Conservatorio Alessandro Scarlatti" of Palermo in 2022, he decided to move to Switzerland to pursue a Master’s degree in Music Performance - Jazz and Contemporary Music at the Bern University of the Arts (HKB). During his bachelor’s studies, between 2018 and 2020 he spent a period in London, where he worked as a sideman for several artists, further enriching his musical experience. His career, which began at the early age of 12, has led him to collaborate with a diverse range of musicians and composers, including Ralph Alessi, Tineke Postma, Django Bates, Jungstötter, Sagi Rei, Modena City Ramblers, Daria Mykolenko, Michele Tardini, Alexandra Grimal, Roberto Gatto, Jean Marc Montera, Alberto Profeta, Alessandra Salerno, Michelangelo Mazzari, Jean François Pauvros, Pamela Barone and Alessandra Ponente.
He has performed in various jazz clubs and theaters, such as Teatro Massimo, Tatum Art Jazz Club, and Blue Brass Jazz Club in Palermo, The Hat Bar in Berlin, Moods in Zurich, BeJazz and Bee-Flat in Bern, Bird's Eye in Basel, and Mau Mau in London. Additionally, he has collaborated with various artists and institutions, including Domenico Pellegrino (light and visual artist), I Soldi Spicci (comedians), Raizes Teatro (a theater company focused on human rights), and La Biddina - Innesti (a silent film and theater festival). Among his recent projects is a collaboration with the Urban Planning Department of the University of Palermo, where he developed an experimental study that manipulates real recordings of the city's soundscape to translate an urban regeneration project into music.
As a performer and composer, his work spans a broad range of genres, from jazz with the Ceco Quartet and the Alberto Santamaria Quartet, to traditional Mediterranean music with the ERCTA collective, to contemporary classical music through projects with violinist and composer Aline Müller and opera singer Daria Mykolenko. He also collaborates with artist Domenico Pellegrino as the music director for his performative installations, including "Al centro sei tu" in 2021 and "Luce Rosalia" in 2024.
- 2023 Winner with a Performative Composition “Eco Eden City Bridge” for Ammann-Falb Scholarship
- 2023 Selected from HKB for being a part of the tour: “DKSJ All Stars Band feat. Tineke Postma”
- 2022 Winner of “Firenze Suona” with Ercta Collective
- 2022 Winner of Premio Larione10 with Ercta Collective
- 2021 Nominated as a best jazz student at summer festival “Nuoro Jazz”