Biography - Donato Cipriano
Biography
Donato Cipriano (born 20 January 1982) is an Italian violinist, multi-instrumentalist and producer active throughout Campania, from the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi, Ravello) to the Sorrento Peninsula (Sorrento, Massa Lubrense, Vico Equense), and internationally on the pop-neoclassical scene. Classically trained in violin and music education, he graduated in Music, Science and Sound Technology, gained a master’s in Record Production and Distribution, and completed advanced courses in music technology and multimedia. He performs on violin, piano and guitar while directing the Nuove Armonie Music Academy in Pompei and working as arranger and sound engineer in its studio.
Among his main projects are EvoStrings, an electrified string trio reimagining pop hits in an instrumental key, and the Trilogy Trio (violin, cello, piano) devoted to classical-pop crossover. In 2024 he produced Ennio, seven masterpieces by Morricone performed by pianist A. Borrelli with EvoStrings, welcomed into Spotify editorial playlists.
As a violinist he has ranged from solo classical repertoire to large orchestras — including the Orchestra Scarlatti of Naples — and has collaborated with musicians from the Teatro San Carlo. In the pop world he has shared the stage with international stars such as Andrea Bocelli and Cheryl Porter.
Why music
I still remember the scent of resin on my first bow; from that moment the violin became my compass, though not the only one. A few summers later, preparing for my complementary piano exam, I discovered the keyboard: I played by ear themes by Paoli and Morricone, unknowingly laying the foundations for a visceral love of sound more than the instrument itself.
Academic studies gave me technique and method; my degree in sound technology taught me that music is also physics, engineering, numbers that vibrate. I founded Nuove Armonie because I wanted a place where those two souls — the frequency craftsman and the romantic interpreter — could meet. Here I create intimate soundtracks, pop productions with breathing strings, arrangements tailored like bespoke suits.
The stage remains the most sincere test: from chamber quartets with the Orchestra Scarlatti to the spotlights with Bocelli, I’ve learnt that the audience feels your truth before applauding it. With EvoStrings I deliver that truth in electric form — pop melodies dressed in futuristic timbres, proving that tradition stays alive when it dares to transform. With the Trilogy Trio I do the opposite: I strip modern hits down to their classical essence, like removing a song’s make-up to see its true face.
Today, between a lesson at the Academy and a mix in the studio, I keep searching for the note that unites simplicity and depth. The violin taught me discipline and computers taught me freedom, but the audience — students, headphone listeners, international halls — reminds me daily of the reason behind it all: music is a bridge, and my role is to keep it open.