Ian Bracchitta is a highly experienced jazz musician who has performed with leading jazz ensembles and headliners as well as Broadway shows on national tours. A native of Westchester County in New York, he now resides in the Upstate where he performs as a bassist in the classical, jazz and popular idioms.
Since 2001, Bracchitta has been a member of the New York-based classical/jazz ensemble Synchronicity. He has also performed with Dianne Schuur, Kevin Mahogany, Pat Harbison, George Mesterhazy, Hod O'Brien, Chris Vadalla, John Stowell, The Nelson Riddle and Cab Calloway Orchestras. He has performed with the National Broadway Tours of Chicago, A Chorus Line, Wicked, West Side Story, Legally Blonde and Grease, to name a few.
An active performer on the jazz scene for more than two decades, Bracchitta regularly performs at jazz venues and faculty recitals. He is the principal bassist of the Spartanburg (S.C.) Philharmonic and the assistant principal bassist of the Greenville (S.C.) Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed on regional commercials and industrial soundtracks.
Training
Salvatore Macchia
University of Massachussetts-Amhearst
Bruce Gertz and William Curtis
Berklee College of Music
Winston Jack Budrow, Donald Palma, Orin O'Brien, Michael Moore and William Blossom
Independent study
My philosophy for jazz education is that jazz and improvised music is ultimately an aural language so it is best to immerse oneself at the source: the recorded and transcribed legacy of prior masters and live performances of cutting edge performers and peers. I guide the students to develop an effective approach to instrumental practice and encourage the player's original musical voice to emerge. It is essential to be an active participant, to practice and play often, rather than a passive observer. In this regard, it is additionally important to use the many current tools and technologies available while they survive to be their own innovator.