Eleonora Strino

Recognized by critics as one of the most compelling young talents on the international jazz scene, Eleonora Strino grew up in a creatively rich environment. Her father and sister were both renowned figurative painters, but it was music that captivated Eleonora from an early age. She picked up the guitar as a teenager, and from the moment she first heard Jim Hall playing with Bill Evans, she knew she was destined to become a jazz guitarist. She honed her craft at the Naples Conservatory under the guidance of Maestro Pietro Condorelli before further refining her skills at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, studying with Martin van Itterson, Jesse van Ruller, and Maarten van de Gritten. Her professional career began as the lead guitarist in the orchestra of esteemed Italian composer Roberto De Simone. A pivotal moment in her career came when she met bassist Greg Cohen during an audition in Berlin. A longtime collaborator of Tom Waits, Cohen had also performed with legends such as Ornette Coleman, Lee Konitz, and Woody Allen. Recognizing Eleonora’s talent, he took her under his wing, leading to a fruitful partnership that saw them performing across Europe and at major jazz festivals. In 2017, they recorded the album Si, Cy, a tribute to American songwriter Cy Coleman, and have continued touring together ever since. In 2018, Strino was invited to join one of pianist Dado Moroni’s ensembles, further cementing her place in the jazz world. Performing at Italy’s premier festivals alongside American vocalist Adrianne West—who had previously collaborated with jazz greats Barney Kessel and Joe Pass—she continued to expand her artistic reach. Their quartet’s performance at Umbria Jazz 2022 at the prestigious Teatro Morlacchi was a highlight of her career. That same year, in May, they recorded the album ITAMELA at Casa del Jazz in Rome, produced by Auditorium Parco della Musica. Strino’s reputation soared, and in February 2020, the international jazz magazine Jazz Guitar Today featured her on its cover. She is also an accomplished composer and arranger, winning the Best Composition Award at the prestigious Johnny Radacanu International Competition (Romania) in 2019 with her piece Senza e Ce Sta’. She was later invited to perform her work with the Civica Jazz Band at Milan’s iconic Teatro Strehler. In 2021, she joined a new project led by saxophonist Emanuele Cisi, culminating in the recording of Far Away for Warner Music. The project extended beyond the album, inspiring a documentary that is set to be released on Netflix. That October, she embarked on an ambitious month-long tour across Germany and the Netherlands, playing 24 concerts in 30 days alongside three other internationally acclaimed guitarists (from Russia, Germany, and Australia). This led to her selection for the prestigious International Guitar Night 2022, a two-month tour across North America, organized by American music manager Herschel Freeman. In November 2021, Strino recorded a new album in Berlin with drummer Joey Baron and bassist Greg Cohen, marking the birth of her latest international project, produced by CAM Jazz. Her solo endeavors continue to thrive: she authored a guitar instruction book, Be-Bop Scales, published by the UK-based Fundamental Changes and distributed in the United States. She is also working on her debut singer-songwriter album, showcasing her guitar and vocal artistry, and will be touring North America with International Guitar Night in early 2024. Her growing recognition led to an invitation in July 2022 from world-renowned guitarist Martin Taylor to join The Great Guitarists tour, a legendary project running since 1973 that has featured icons like Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell. In November 2022, she participated in the sixth edition of the Tenerife International Guitar Festival and embarked on Donne e Musica, the final tour of Italian music legend Ornella Vanoni. The following month, she was invited to perform and conduct a masterclass at the inaugural Salvador de Bahia International Guitar Festival. Her latest work, Matilde, was released in February 2025 under CAM Jazz, featuring Claudio Vignali on piano, Giulio Corini on double bass, and Zeno De Rossi on drums, further solidifying her position as a leading figure in contemporary jazz.