Cristiano Viviani (Italy, 1988) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator devoted to the field of improvised music. He began his studies with violin, quickly embracing different styles in addition to a Classical foundation. Since 2010, he dedicated his attention specifically to Jazz violin and the field of improvised music under the guidance of Didier Lockwood (France) as well as other international personalities including Juan Carlos Albelo Zamora (Cuba), Lakshminarayana Subramanian (India), Adam Bałdych (Poland), and Mark Feldman (America).
Alongside his violin education, Cristiano also studied pop, blues, and jazz singing as well as blues-jazz guitar, cultivating and broadening his performance practice towards multi-instrumentalism.
As a music teacher, Cristiano focuses his practice in the field of improvised music where he has developed skill-specific courses for both instrumentalists and singers. In particular, he has deepened his pedagogy for string players by focusing on a unique approach that rethinks the function of schemes visualization and fingering in relation to the aural awareness of music theory.
In 2018, Cristiano designed an original instrument (an augmented electric mandolin) that supports the visual comprehension of his methodology. This instrument has also broadened his teaching practice of the mandolin and ukulele families.
Alongside his musical career, Cristiano is also committed to the academic scene of philosophy in a variety of sectors. He lectures at KC in topics that engage and question the meaning of music-making in contemporary cultures. His lectures work through a close reading of a plurality of authors from different traditions, from Plato to Cage and onward.
Cristiano has been performing since 2007, engaging in and leading several projects in a diverse range of styles including Pop, Rock, Blues, Funk, Fusion, and Jazz throughout Italy, France, and the Netherlands. He currently conducts a variety of workshops on an international scale whilst continuing to develop his musicianship.