andreapiccioni

Bio

Andrea Piccioni is an Italian percussionist, composer, and educator specializing in frame drums.

His work bridges performance practice, research-oriented inquiry, and educational design, with a particular focus on rhythm as an embodied and cross-cultural form of knowledge.

He is Professor of Frame Drums at the P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Nocera Terinese (CZ), where an academic course dedicated to Mediterranean frame drums has been established under his instrumental direction. In parallel with an active international performance career, he develops structured learning resources and lecture formats for universities, conservatories, and higher education institutions.

Andrea’s artistry has brought him to stages worldwide, performing alongside legendary musicians such as Bobby McFerrin, Richard Bona, Paul McCandless, and Wu Man. His work with the Aga Khan Music Program earned him the prestigious title of Master Musician, highlighting his role as a global ambassador of rhythmic and cultural fusion.

Andrea’s approach is characterized by the integration of traditional frame-drum languages with contemporary methods (including live electronics) and a pedagogical emphasis on the mind–body– instrument relationship. His educational output includes online video-course programs, published methods, and public lectures supported by slides and audiovisual examples.

Selected Project Credits (indicative)

Institutional / Network engagements

• Aga Khan Master Musicians – performance lineup includes Andrea Piccioni (frame drums) (selected example: Edinburgh International Festival programme listing. Royal Albert Hall, UK, Jubilee. a.o.).

• Beyond Music – artist profile; includes teaching activity and conservatory appointment information.

• Silkroad – artist profile highlighting cross-regional frame-drum study and performance focus.

Education and curriculum design

• Academic course leadership: Mediterranean Frame Drums track at the P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Nocera Terinese / Catanzaro context).

• Online education: “Music for Frame Drums” / Tamburello video-course pathway (beginner to advanced).

• Higher education lecture format: “Tamburello in Italian Traditional Music” (slides + video projections; ~60 minutes).

Publications and pedagogical outputs

• Il Tamburello. Arte, storia, tecnica (Kurumuny, 2024; bilingual IT/EN; includes QR-linked technique videos).

• Il Tamburello Italiano (method, 2006) and Il Tamburello Italiano (instructional DVD, 2009) – cited in multiple biographical sources.

Selected artistic projects

• BEaT – solo project for frame drums/tamburello, jaw harp, voice, and electronics; explores contemporary sound research for frame drums, electronics and effects.

• Francesco Loccisano & Andrea Piccioni duo - Battente guitar (italian 10 strings guitar) and frame drums

International masterclasses and festival teaching (example: Tamburi Mundi course listing for advanced workshop content).

conservatorio andrea piccioni tamburi a cornice

Studiare Frame Drums al Conservatorio

Docente Andrea Piccioni

Percorso accademico ad Indirizzo su i TAMBURI A CORNICE DEL MEDITERRANEO. Triennio di I° Livello e Biennio di II° Livello.

Programma di studi AD INDIRIZZO:
BENDIR (lap style), TAR (upright style), TAMBURI ITALIANI (tamburello tradizionale, tamburello moderno, tammorra, tammorra muta), IDIOFONI (castagnette, sgnacchere, scacciapensieri), SOLKATTU (vocalizzazione ritmica del sud dell'india).

Academic path in Focus on the MEDITERRANEAN FRAME DRUMS. Three-year of I° Level and two-years of II° Level.

AD ADDRESS study program:

BENDIR (lap style), TAR (upright style), ITALIAN DRUMS (traditional tamburello, modern tamburello, tammorra, mute tammorra), IDIOPHONES (castagnette, sgnacchere, ecciapensieri), SOLKATTU (rhythmic vocalization of southern India). For foreign students, the B1 level in Italian is required.

AMMISSIONI

PROJECTS

**Francesco Loccisano & Andrea Piccioni**

**MASTERS OF FRAME DRUMS: Glen Velez, Zohar Fresco, Murat Coskun, Andrea Piccioni**

LECTURE

TAMBURELLO IN ITALIAN TRADITIONAL MUSIC

A lecture for universities, conservatories and higher education institutions by Andrea Piccioni.

Considered one of the world's leading exponents of frame drums, after years of research based on iconographic sources and historical documents, he presents the result of this journey in a lecture with slides and video projections, tracing the extraordinary history of the tamburello in Italy, from its origins rooted in the Greco-Roman period to the period of maximum diffusion between 1700 and 1800, when the tamburello enjoyed extraordinary fame and spread throughout Europe. A fascinating journey full of information and anecdotes, between traditional and cultivated music, with the intention of placing this extraordinary instrument beyond simplifications and commonplaces.
The session lasts approximately 60 minutes and includes the use of a video projector connected to an external audio source.

Considerato uno dei massimi esponenti mondiali dei tamburi a cornice, dopo anni di ricerche basate su fonti iconografiche e documenti storici, presenta il risultato di questo viaggio all'interno di una conferenza grazie all'utilizzo di diapositive e videoproiezioni in cui ripercorre la straordinaria storia del Tamburello in Italia, dalle sue origini che affondano le radici nel periodo greco-romano fino al periodo di massima diffusione tra il 1700 e il 1800 in cui il Tamburello gode di una straordinaria fama e si diffonde in tutta Europa. Un viaggio affascinante e ricco di informazioni e aneddoti, tra musica tradizionale e musica colta, con l'intento di collocare questo straordinario strumento al di fuori di semplificazioni e luoghi comuni.
La durata dell'incontro è di circa 60 minuti e prevede l'utilizzo di un videoproiettore collegato a una sorgente audio esterna.

Download the PDF (ITA/ ENG/ DEU)

Bio