Salvatore Ciccota

Salvatore Ciccotta – Clarinetist

After graduating in 1989, Salvatore Ciccotta continued his studies with major clarinet and chamber-music masters, including Ciro Scarponi (Accademia “Piano Nobile” – Perugia), Richard Stoltzman (Accademia Chigiana – Siena), Werner Seltmann, Lya De Barberiis, Vincenzo Mariozzi and Karl Leister of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Karl Leister described him as “extremely gifted both musically and technically, with remarkable determination” and selected him for an important RAI competition in 1993.

Since 1988, he has maintained an intense concert activity as a soloist, in duo with piano, and in various chamber ensembles, including the trio Art-Kalispéra and the Igor Stravinskij Clarinet Quartet.
He has performed in major Italian cities (Rome, Milan, Bologna, Perugia, Bolzano, Verona, Naples, etc.) and internationally (Germany, France, Belgium, Mexico City, Cuba, USA, Slovenia, Spain, Poland, UK, Russia), earning recognition for his refined musical style.

Ciccotta has collaborated with several orchestras, including the Orchestra of Teatro La Fenice in Venice, performing the complete symphonies of Gustav Mahler and major works by Alban Berg. He has worked under conductors such as Gabriele Ferro, Dennis Russell Davies, Marc Minkowski, Antony Pay, Giuseppe Garbarino and Peter Fender.

He is the winner of numerous national and international competitions, including:
• 1st Prize – Taranto Festival (1991)
• 1st Prize – A.M.A. Calabria (1992)
• 1st Prize – Stresa (1993)
• 1st Prize – Krotone (1996)
• 1st Prize – Gravina in Puglia (1997)

His artistic activity includes radio and television recordings (TF1, MDR, Radio Vaticana, German Radio Nuremberg). He recorded the soundtrack for G. Maimone’s film Un Fiore di Gauguin for the Taormina International Film Festival.

With the trio Art-Kalispéra he recorded “Lieder e poesia nel salotto mitteleuropeo” for EditOpera.
He has also released two CDs with the Mediterranea Clarinet Orchestra and several recordings with the Sicily Denner Clarinet Ensemble, which he founded in 2010 and for which he serves as Artistic and Music Director.
Their project Clarinet Film Choir (2018), dedicated to iconic film music, was presented in London at St. Silas Church under the direction of Peter Fender. The ensemble’s album Clarinetterie, released after a long restoration process, features world-renowned clarinetist Milan Rericha.

He has appeared at prestigious venues, including Heldburg Castle (Germany) in the historic hall once frequented by Johannes Brahms, and has toured internationally, including Mexico and the UK (South London Sinfonietta, 2018).

For 23 years, Ciccotta served as Artistic Director and President of the Igor Strawinskij Music Association in Campobello di Licata.
From 1998 to 2019 he taught clarinet at the V. Bellini Conservatory in Catania, and since 2019 he has held the clarinet professorship at the State Conservatory “Antonio Scontrino” in Trapani.

He is the founder and Artistic Director of the National Clarinet Festival in Campobello di Licata, now in its tenth edition.

Salvatore currently plays on the RZ Solo Bb and A clarinet.