Peter Cassino, Conservatory Chair of Modern American Music; jazz/improvisation faculty
Email: peter.cassino@longy.edu
Born and raised in Kew Gardens, New York, Peter Cassino began studying the piano at age 7. When he was 12, a family friend gave him a boxed set of The Hot Club of France recordings, which featured Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. This music had a profound effect on him, and shortly after hearing these recordings, he changed his musical concentration from classical to jazz piano. His primary jazz teacher was pianist and vibraphonist Eddie Costa.
From the age of 15, Peter played with various bands during the summer months at several hotels in the Catskill Mountains. At this young age, he knew that he wanted to be a professional musician. Upon graduating from a high school in Manhattan, he spent the next two years taking extension courses at Julliard School of Music while playing gigs and jam sessions locally.
In 1961 at the young age of 21, Peter was one of a growing number of American jazz players who relocated to Europe. During that time, Peter had the opportunity to play with a number of prominent players who were also living in Europe. Among them were trumpeter Benny Baily, alto saxophonist Leo Wright, and drummer Joe Harris. His life as a full-time jazz musician really started in West Berlin during this time. In 1969 Peter returned to the United States and completed his formal music studies. As an undergraduate piano major at the School for the Arts at Boston University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, he had the good fortune to study piano with Leon Tumarkin and Anthony di Bonaventura. He received a Master of Music in jazz piano from the New England Conservatory where he studied piano with Jaki Byard and composition with George Russell.
Peter made Boston his permanent home. He has performed with Marty Ehrlich, Andrew D’Angelo, Matt Wilson, Oscar Noriega, Bob Moses, Ed Schuller, George Schuller, Stan Strickland, Charlie Kohlhase, Joe Morris, Paquito D’Rivera, and others. He’s been awarded two performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and was part of the touring roster of the New England Foundation for the Arts for over 10 years. He has also performed in Japan, Moscow, and Armenia.
Peter has taught at Dean Junior College in Franklin, Massachusetts, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, The All Newton Music School, The Community Music Center in Boston, and other institutions.
Peter began teaching at the Longy School of Music in 1979 and initiated Longy’s jazz department. In 1996 he started Longy’s innovative Modern American Music department, and he continues to serve as its chair.
B.M., Boston University; M.M., New England Conservatory; studies at Juilliard. Piano with Eddie Costa, Jaki Byard, Anthony di Bonaventura; jazz theory and composition with George Russell. Recipient: NEA grants. Performances in New York, Boston, Germany, former Soviet Union, and Japan. Faculty: Longy School of Music.
Website:
www.petercassino.com
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