A native of Southboro, Massachusetts, Dave Pietro has been on the New York music scene since 1987. His talents as a gifted saxophonist, composer, and educator have made him an in-demand musician who has performed at jazz clubs, jazz festivals, schools and concert halls in more than 30 countries throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.
Dave is a member of the Grammy Award-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra and the Grammy nominated groups - the Gil Evans Project and Darcy James Argue's Secret Society. From 1994-2016 he played lead alto saxophone and recorded seven CD’s with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. He has also toured, performed, and/or recorded with the bands of Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Michael Leonhart, John Fedchock, Mike Holober, Anita Brown, Pete McGuinness, Jim Widner, Chris Zuar and Arturo O’Farrill. Pietro has performed with many other well known musicians such as Paul Anka, Louis Bellson, Blood Sweat & Tears, David Bowie, Bobby Caldwell, Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Feinstein, Chaka Khan, Liza Minnelli, James Naughton and John Pizzarelli. Dave has also studied East Indian music and performed with various groups led by Indian tablist Sandip Burman. Dave has released 9 albums a leader. His latest CD "Hypersphere" (ArtistShare), which features Alex Sipiagin, Gary Versace, Johannes Weidenmueller and Johnathan Blake, with guests Ryan Keberle and Rogerio Boccato, was released in August 2020.
His 2017 release "New Road: Iowa Memoirs"(ArtistShare) was called "a carefully measured balance between structure and spontaneity, filled with inspirational performances by a top-flight ensemble" by Mark Holston of JAZZIZ magazine. “Embrace: Impressions of Brazil” (2004 A-Records), featuring a host of musicians including Helio Alves and Duduka DaFonseca was considered “a triumph...one of the most satisfying Brazilian jazz mixes since the first bossa nova tsunami” according to Judith Schlesinger of AllAboutJazz.com. “Standard Wonder: The Music of Stevie Wonder”, (A-Records), featuring Scott Wendholt, Pete McGuinness, David Berkman, Scott Colley and Brain Blade was voted one of the top 10 jazz CD’s of 2001 by Bob Blumenthal of the Boston Globe and Bill Milkowski of Jazz Times. His first two releases featured the rhythm section of Kenny Werner, Dave Holland and Bill Stewart. He also co-leads an international quartet "The New York-Tokyo Connection" (NYTC) with pianist Jonathan Katz. Their third CD "Live at the Bb-Flat" (Tokyo) was released in May 2014. with musicians such as Dave Holland, Bill Stewart, and Kenny Werner. In 2005 and 2007 Dave received grants from Chamber Music America’s New Works Programs to compose and perform his new extended work “The Chakra Suite” (2008-Challenge). Featuring Gary Versace, Rez Abbasi, Todd Isler, Johannes Weidenmueller and Adam Cruz it was voted one of the top CD's of 2008 by All About Jazz .
Pietro received a bachelor’s degree in music education from North Texas State University where he toured and recorded four albums with the school's One O'Clock Lab Band. He has a Master of Arts degree in jazz composition from New York University where he is currently the Director of Jazz Studies. Dave has given hundreds of workshops and concerts at schools around the world and is sponsored by D'Addario Woodwinds, the Conn-Selmer Instrument Company and R.S. Berkeley Musical Instruments.
