Michael Mayo at Saint Louis in Rome. On November 5, a masterclass with one of the most influential jazz vocalists on the international scene.

On November 5, 2026 , the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome will host a master class with Michael Mayo, a vocalist, composer, and arranger whose voice is among the most recognizable and original in international jazz. The event, scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the venue located at Via Baccina 47, offers a premier opportunity for vocal students, professional musicians, and jazz enthusiasts to deepen their knowledge.

Michael Mayo brings to Saint Louis and its students his artistic journey, built on the balance between creative instinct and rigorous training, between his family roots in African American music and a high-level academic education. Its presence in the Italian capital is part of the Saint Louis tradition of opening its stages to the most prominent international artists on the jazz scene.

The Masterclass at Saint Louis

The event on November 5 at Saint Louis College of Music will offer participants the opportunity to engage directly with Michael Mayo’s artistic methodology: the relationship between instinct and technique, the use of the voice as a multi-layered harmonic instrument, and the role of beatboxing and layered harmonies in building a recognizable vocal identity. These are themes that Mayo has explored throughout his career, and the masterclass provides the ideal setting for them to be shared and discussed openly.

For the voice and jazz students at Saint Louis, as well as for the musicians and enthusiasts who will be participating, this is an opportunity for direct interaction with an international artist who stands out for his ongoing exploration of the relationship between improvisation and composition.

Michael Mayo, biography

Raised in Los Angeles in a family of professional musicians, Michael Mayo absorbed the language of music even before he began studying it systematically. His mother worked as a backup singer with Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston; his father played the saxophone with Earth, Wind & Fire and collaborated with Sérgio Mendes. This family background made a professional career in music his natural path from childhood onward. “The first job I ever knew existed was that of a professional musician. That really made a huge impression on me!“, the artist recalls.

This background was then complemented by a high-level academic education: Mayo studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and the Thelonious Monk Institute at UCLA (now the Hancock Institute of Jazz), two leading institutions for jazz music education in the United States. The result is an artist who moves fluidly between jazz, neo-soul, and R&B, developing a distinctive vocal style that draws as much from tradition as it does from experimentation.

His debut album, *Bones* (2021), cemented his international reputation. The album, which received a four-star rating from Jazzwise and was described by JAZZIZ as an expression of a rich neo-soul style that showcases his clear tenor voice, has amassed millions of streams, driven in particular by the tracks “The Way ” and “You and You.” During the same period, Mayo embarked on international tours as a headliner and performed alongside Herbie Hancock, and he also received the German Jazz Pride Award.

Her second album, *Fly* (2024), recorded in just two days at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn with pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Nate Smith, delved deeper into her exploration of spontaneous vocal improvisation.“I decided to follow my first instinct and see where it would take me,” the artist said. “There were various emotional nuances I wanted to explore, but many of the sounds came from improvisation, and I simply followed that thread without overanalyzing it.” This approach results in music that captures the power of the creative moment without losing the harmonic sophistication that defines his style.

Saint Louis, a leading institution for advanced music education in Rome and Milan, reaffirms with this event its commitment to building bridges between the international jazz scene and the educational journey of music students.

Registration fee: €30 for Saint Louis students; €45 non-students

Training credits for academic courses.: 0.5 CFA

The Masterclass is open by reservation To students, Saint Louis alumni and outsiders. To participate, fill out the form.