Leo Z is a multi platinum composer/producer/song writer, his collaboration with artists such as Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Elisa, Hailey Westerna, just to name a few, brought him to impose a new voice into the pop-crossover international music system.
Leo is able to combine elements of Classical, electronic, folk, Celtic and contemporary music.
A step behind:
Leo Z (Leonardo De Bernardini) was born in Bologna, north Italy, a very old medieval city where Roman and Celtic cultures mixed.
His blood is hybrid. Italian and Russian.
Leo was used to live in Sasso Marconi (a little town between Bologna and the mountains), a place rich with hills which are important for his inspiration
There was a time when He felt to change air and cross the Ocean. That happened in 2005.
The new world had a strong impact to him, he decided to move to Los Angeles, dream of many composers
Leo currently lives in the hills of West Hollywood, finding the magic of an unpredictable view, combined with the energy of the city that pulses just a few steps down from his house-studio.
So, the hills are still the lief motif.
Since he was a child he has always loved music and movies, thinking that they are both a part of the same thing.
Later he started playing piano, keyboards and drum machines along with his favorite albums: Pat Metheny, Brain Eno, Sakamoto, Mike Oldfield, Genesis, Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek.
This mix of symphonic, electronic, contemporary, ambient, ethno, folk and rock music is the foundation of his style.
When he realized that his path would be to compose music for movies, he began to study the music of his favorite composers and teachers: Elliot Goldenthal, Thomas Newman, John Williams, Michael Nyman, to name a few.
But his first actual steps in the music business took place in the Italian pop music scene.Officially, Leo started to produce his first Album in 1996. At that time it was with an electro-pop-rock band called Clessidra (BMG Italy), in which Leo was the producer-arranger and composer with Andrea Sandri (they often still write songs together).
From the end of the 90s to the first years of 2000, Leo composed, arranged and produced songs for big international stars: Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Hayley Westenra, Elisa and many others.
One of his most representative songs is OCEANO, performed by many artists worldwide, including Josh Groban (Closer, 2003, over 8 million units sold)
Leo is above all a pianist but he also plays percussion and programs keyboards and computer.
He s actually scoring his first movies in L.A, collaborating with various artists and completing a solo piano recording.
Leo just won his first award (the prestigious Platinum award at the Houston World Fest 2008) for a short movie called Breast, pump and Blender.
Breast pump and blender, scored by Leo, has been selected by the HBO film festival NY (July 2008)More to come
