Born in Salerno and raised in Foggia, Italy in 1974, guitarist and composer Francesco Lo Castro started studying guitar late in life, aged 25.He developed his guitar styles and technique under the tutoring of the great south Italian maestro Gianni Cataleta. He quit his Economic Studies (and a full time job in marketing) to fully focus on music in 2004. Two years after, he graduated with honors in music performance from a BMus at Thames Valley University (London). In the same year, he won the Best Guitarist Award at the Guitar Institute in London where he attended tutoring classes by Shaun Baxter and Iain Scott among others. He then earned a scholarship for MMus, completed in 2008, by winning the Vice Chancellor’s Award at TVU. In the same period he learnt his craft by performing an average of 130-160 gigs per year in clubs, pubs and theatres all around the world playing with jazz, funk, pop and rock artists.
In 2009, he was offered to teach Guitar Technique on the Degree Course held by the Academy of Music and Sound (Wolverhampton University).He has collaborated and performed with legends such as Jim Mullen (Morrisey-Mullen), recorded for Geoff Wilkinson (Us3) and with contemporary musicians such Francesco Mendolia (Incognito), Richard Sadler (Neil Cowley Trio), Damien Nolan (VV Brown), Roberto Manzin (James Brown), Fulvio Sigurtà, Maurizio Minardi, Matteo Becucci (X Factor Italian Winner in 2009), Bruno D’Ambra among others.
He is also known and recognised for his association with young Italian multi-platinum recording artist and entertainer Patrizio Buanne. With him, he has recorded, written and toured since 2010 Australia, Asia, USA, Europe and South Africa.
Francesco Lo Castro has performed in his career in some of the most renowned and prestigious venues such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Hamer Hall (Melbourne), the State Theatre (Sydney), The Concert Hall (New York), the Expo Centre (Singapore), the Berklee Performance Centre (Boston), the Benedum (Pittsburgh), Barbican (London), Palatrussardi (Milan). The guitar style and composing techniques suggest an intriguing combination of melodic Italian tradition, visual sound-scapes, modern jazz and soundtracks writing. Under his own label, FLocastro RECORDS, he has released 4 albums: SONGS FOR DUKE (2012) in duo with pianist Bruno D’Ambra. A collections of original tunes tribute to Duke Ellington
IMPROFIVES (2010) in quintet with Roberto Manzin (Sax) Maurizio Minardi (Piano) Nick Pini (DoubleBass) and Francesco Mendolia (Drums). Original material penned by Lo Castro and Manzin
ELECTRIC AFFAIRS (2012) Collection of original tunes written and arranged for electric guitar and electronic instruments.
WHILE WE HOPE AND DREAM (2013) a Jazz album recorded in the USA with Grammy awards winner Eric DeFade (Sax) and Tony DePaolis (DoubleBass).
