Ever since childhood, Nino Ciampa ’26 has been drawn to the creative aspect of music making. He began writing little songs and melodies, and over time and through the guidance of Ciampa's teachers and mentors, these became more thought-through and complex structures. By the time Ciampa was in high school, he was already writing compositions and arrangements for the many ensembles he was a part of, including bands, choirs and orchestras. Eventually, the path led to Hartt, where Ciampa is now a music composition major.
Ciampa’s creative drive has been amplified even further during his time at The Hartt School. Even when he was applying to music schools, he found many aspects of music appealing such as performing, production, and teaching, even though composition was what he was most passionate about. Now nearing the end of his third year at Hartt, Ciampa wide ranging interests in music has only expanded. “Hartt has allowed me to learn a lot about many different areas of music” Ciampa says. This includes Western classical music (through classes such as music history, theory, ear training, conducting, orchestration, and symphony band), jazz (composition, arranging, analysis, hard bop seminar, jazz vibraphone, and Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble), and many areas of world music (Trinidadian steel band music, West African percussion, Cuban and Haitian drumming, and Brazilian percussion). Ciampa says “I believe that studying a wide array of musical styles, those that you are interested in as well as those which you are less interested in, are great ways to expand your musical horizons because there is always a connection from one area of music to any other.” As for advice for incoming students, he says “Try everything and don't be afraid to change your mind about what you want to do!”
The study of music has many different facets and approaches, something that Ciampa knows first-hand, being involved in different ensembles that take learning ‘beyond the classroom’ to another level. He has been playing in many different groups, some student-run and some faculty-run. One of the most well-known of the groups is the Hartt Salsa All-Stars, which he created in 2022 and compose/arrange for. The Hartt Salsa All-Stars is the first UHart music group devoted entirely to salsa music, and often appears regionally, though a highlight was a performance at the U.S. Education Department in Washington D.C. last year alongside Latino influencers and celebrities. Additionally, Ciampa composes and arranges for The New Brew (a student-run fun band), the Hartt Percussion Ensembles; the UHart Gospel Choir which he used to be a part of and was a tenor section leader, and the Hartt Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble where he sometimes arranges for as well.
Ciampa’s involvement across so many diverse music groups are an example of the strengths of his creativity and collaboration. In fact, he cites that one of his favorite aspects about Hartt is the opportunity for collaboration between departments. “So far, I have done a collaboration with the Hartt orchestra, dance department, and oboe studio” Ciampa says. In his orchestration class, he and his peers were able to witness their compositions played live by fellow musicians. For the dance collaboration, he worked closely with one of the seniors in the dance department, who provided guidelines for him to compose a work to which she would choreograph dance. To Ciampa, “this was a super unique and exciting experience because in the music school I typically tend to collaborate with only music students, so to instead have the opportunity to collaborate with a dance major was very eye-opening to see how dancers think about music differently.” He was also asked to compose a piece for the Hartt oboe studio for an upcoming concert, which provided another perspective and challenge. “It was very interesting to write for an instrument family that I don't have as much experience composing.”
The relationships forged at Hartt have also been hugely influential to Ciampa. His appreciation for his professors and mentors is evident, as he says, that they have “taught me invaluable knowledge about composing and performing while simultaneously shared their wisdom about the music scene and industry.” Additionally, they “have given me super helpful advice in how to make the most out of my time at Hartt to prepare myself for a successful career in music.” As Ciampa considers what might be next after his time at Hartt winds down, his ambitions are closely aligned with what he has experienced at UHart. “I would love to make a name for myself as a performer, arranger, and composer in the NYC salsa scene.” Given that the groundwork has been established already in so many of Ciampa’s connections with so many salsa musicians playing today, Ciampa says that “I feel this is achievable.” In the meantime, Ciampa continues to nurture his creativity and passions for music on campus. “Having many close peers both in my major as well as other majors is very helpful both in terms of having fellow musicians to play with and chat about music with, but also to hear about their unique experiences and find overlap in our own musical goals and aspirations.”
Nino Ciampa ’26, The Hartt SchoolI would love to make a name for myself as a performer, arranger, and composer in the NYC salsa scene.