Aldeburgh Young Musicians
Project tutor

Coming from three generations of classical musicians, Bruno started playing piano at the age of four. He started composing pieces early on, and was introduced to the world of jazz through the music of Bill Evans by his uncle (jazz pianist Johannes Heinen) in his late teens. His compositional voice has been informed by his love of composers from Duke Ellington to Béla Bártok and from Wayne Shorter to György Ligeti.

His quartet The W features Heidi Vogel (Cinematic Orchestra), Andrea Di Biase (Kenny Wheeler) and Gene Calderazzo (Pharoah Sanders). They have recently released their debut recording to critical acclaim; the Independent describes him as a consistently intelligent linking voice, a fair summation of the way in which he brings these four unique musicians together through his original compositions. In 2019 he was awarded an AHRC-funded practice-based PhD at the RNCM with the title 'Counterpoint in jazz piano with specific relation to the solo work of Fred Hersch'.

Bruno has written for groups ranging from two piano’s and percussion (for a project with Pete Saberton), to classical string ensemble (for a commission in 2017 from the Camerata Alma Viva). In 2009, Bruno was nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Composers Award.

He recently held the piano chair for two performances of Bernstein's Wonderful Town at the Barbican Centre with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. The performances were recorded and released on ‘LSO Live’.

"Eclectic, eccentric, unobtrusively erudite" – Guardian

"Brilliant playing…tuneful and intricate" – Big Issue