Interview with Elisabetta Antonini

How and when did your journey at Saint Louis begin?

Edda Dell’Orso, Ennio Morricone’s iconic voice, suggested that I study with Cinzia Spata, an excellent singer and jazz teacher. I didn’t know what this music was, and I waited months before I could sign up, taking a job to save up money for this experience that I knew would be important. My encounter with jazz—the music that resonated deep within me—and my serious, meticulous study with Cinzia were decisive: they ignited a deep desire within me to devote myself to this music and become a professional singer.

What did it mean to you to study at Saint Louis and see it grow as an academy?

At that time, the Academy consisted of a single small campus that was already capable of providing serious and professional training. I felt privileged; I knew I was studying with incredibly talented and skilled musicians who, right from the start, showed me the right path: knowing how to play an instrument, being curious and open to different styles, having a broad and deep understanding of jazz, and dedicating all my energy to studying as best as I could. Today, the school has four campuses and an incredible range of educational programs—a powerhouse built by those who understand that today, just as back then, at Saint Louis, “Playing is not a Game!”

What are the most vivid memories you have of being part of and experiencing the Saint Louis world?

My time as a student was filled with so many wonderful moments spent with my classmates, who are all successful professionals today. We spent hours and hours playing, singing, and listening; we went to countless concerts; we attended summer workshops led by our teachers; we exchanged books; we formed bands; and we put together an endless repertoire… unforgettable and deeply moving formative experiences. Many of those teachers later became colleagues with whom I worked, and all of this was made possible because the Academy created the opportunities.

What aspects of the academy do you think made the biggest difference for you?

Even back then, Saint Louis offered a fairly comprehensive curriculum—not just instruction in one’s own instrument, but an education in music in general and jazz in particular. Students were required to attend classes in theory, sight-reading, ear training, and harmony, as well as ensemble playing and improvisation—at a time when a neighborhood school would have offered little more than a singing class. In addition, there were end-of-year exams and performances at prestigious venues.

She was not only a student but also, at one point, a jazz singing instructor at Saint Louis for 25 years. Describe this profession and this long journey.

Following the unexpected replacement of my colleague Pierluca Buonfrate, the Academy decided to include me in the faculty and helped me find my niche based on my specific skills and aptitudes, assigning me to teach, in addition to Jazz Singing, Vocal Improvisation and Jazz Choir—a course I pioneered and which later became a required subject.

That’s how I was able to grow and develop as a musician and teacher, mentor generations of professionals, and meet so many talented people from whom I’ve learned a great deal. It’s hard to part ways with this family after so many years.

Tell us about your most memorable experiences at Saint Louis as a professional musician.

Definitely my international experiences: through the Academy, I was able to teach at seven European conservatories and perform concerts at the conclusion of residencies that included faculty and students from Saint Louis and other host institutions, in the spirit of cultural exchange. These were important professional opportunities and unforgettable moments of togetherness, music, laughter, and travel with my colleagues and friends at Saint Louis.

You’ve always devoted yourself to artistic creation. How did this fit in with your time at Saint Louis?

My teachers were, first and foremost, artists, so they served as great role models for me. It was the music, more than the vocals, that really captivated me, so for years I transcribed the songs and arrangements I loved, studying and reworking them to create four albums of my own compositions and original reinterpretations, using unusual instrumentation, chamber music settings, electronic elements, and literary influences. The prestigious Top Jazz award for the album *The Beat Goes On* was one of the most important accolades of his artistic career.

What projects are you working on?

[R]Evolution, a project inspired by revolutionary figures such as Salgado, Pina Bausch, and Bukowski, featuring Alessandro Contini and myself as songwriters and vocalists, Alessandro Gwis on piano, Michele Rabbia on percussion, Nils Petter Molvaer on trumpet, characterized by elements of ambient, pop, New Jazz, and experimental music, and recently hosted at Insulae Lab at the invitation of Paolo Fresu.

*Under Her Eyes*, a tribute to contemporary female composers—who are a great source of inspiration to me—featuring Angelo Lazzeri, Andrea Rea, Marco Siniscalco, and Alessandro Marzi.

What advice would you give to a student currently studying at Saint Louis?

To study as seriously as possible, training is essential, but so is experiencing music, going to concerts, broadening one’s cultural horizons, mingling with people, reading, maintaining curiosity and an openness to new worlds—real worlds—having the courage to make one’s own choices, both personal and musical, protecting yourself from outside influences, developing and maintaining a creative approach to study and music that makes you unique and recognizable, and never tiring of planning and putting yourself out there.

What is your favorite song that you would take to Noah’s Ark?

Unable to respond. I can say, however, that there is one song that served as a turning point: “Corcovado.” I sang it at an audition to get into the highly sought-after ensemble music workshop during my freshman year at Saint Louis. The sophistication and delicate melancholy of this bossa nova had won me over, so I performed it with such feeling that the teacher sensed something, enrolled me in the workshop, and began to see me in a different light—with a very special dedication that, for me, marked the beginning of everything else.