A LIFE
IN MUSIC

Born in Turin in 1975, Ivano began playing guitar at five. As a teenager he studied with guitarist and teacher Pier Luigi Cimma, before broadening his musical interests beyond classical guitar. That early grounding developed into a career spanning performance, composition, arranging and production.

For more than a decade, much of his professional life unfolded behind the scenes. Working on other artists’ music and on audiovisual projects gave him a perspective that continues to inform his own records: the performance, the arrangement and the recorded sound all contribute to the same musical idea.

At the beginning of the 2010s, Ivano returned to his own instrumental writing. Walking with the Giants, released through Steve Vai’s Digital Nations label, opened this new chapter. Its combination of melodic rock, blues and funk established the foundations of his solo work.

The following years brought collaborations with Gregg Bissonette, Bryan Beller, Fabrizio Grossi, John Giblin, Kenny Aronoff and Alessandro Alessandroni Jr. So Far Away followed in 2016: fourteen instrumental compositions, with Lorenzo Poli and Elio Rivagli forming the core rhythm section.

In 2023, Unconventional introduced a different balance. Electric guitar, Riccardo Fioravanti’s double bass and Elio Rivagli’s drums became the setting for nine pieces that opened further towards contemporary jazz while retaining Ivano’s rock and blues roots.

The trio is a central part of Ivano’s live work: a space for melody, dynamics and the exchange between musicians. His concert projects include the Guitar Tour, So Far Away tours, Plays Ballads and Plays Unconventional.

A performance with Lele Melotti and Lorenzo Poli at Umbria Blues Festival became the 2019 live album, Live at Umbria Blues Festival. The Electric Trio Tour 2026 continues this live story with Andrea Torresani on bass and Elio Rivagli on drums.

Alongside his solo career, Ivano’s work has encompassed more than 3,000 songs and productions in different roles: guitarist, arranger, composer and producer. His recording career includes work with Warner, Sony and Universal and contributions to platinum-selling projects.

His music has also reached television, audiovisual productions and advertising, with work for RAI, Mediaset, La7, MTV, Sky, Magnolia, Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox, and campaigns for brands including Coca-Cola, Nivea, Toyota and Lacoste.

He is the founder of Skyline Studio, his creative base in Vinovo, near Turin. It is where he produced, recorded, mixed and mastered Unconventional and the 2026 duo album Face to Face.

Released on 18 September 2026 by Machiavelli Music Artist Series, Face to Face brings Ivano together with double bassist Davide Liberti. The duo places composition and improvisation in direct conversation, leaving room for silence, instinct and the character of each instrument.

Recorded at Skyline between March and April 2026, the album moves through ambient textures, blues inflections and lyrical, cinematic passages. Original music sits alongside an intimate reading of Time After Time, in a project built around the act of listening to one another.

Ivano’s teaching connects instrumental technique with the practical experience of making music. His masterclasses explore modern guitar, timing, groove and interplay, including a trio presentation at Milan’s CPM Music Institute in 2025.

His book Unconventional — Un viaggio nell’arte della chitarra moderna, published by Volontè & Co., opens up the compositions through complete transcriptions and discussion of their harmonic, technical and creative processes.

An official Ibanez artist and Kemper artist, Ivano continues to connect his work as a performer, composer, producer and instructor through the same attention to phrasing, dynamics and sound.