Alexa Tarantino

Alexa Tarantino

Alto Sax icon Alto Sax

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32 age

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May 30, 1992 Birthday

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West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. Birthplace

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About

Alexa Tarantino is talented jazz saxophonist, woodwind player and composer based in New York City. She began her career as a member of the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, has toured with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. She also collaborated with vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. Tarantino leads her own quartet and has released 4 albums as leader. Jazz education is important to Tarantino- she frequently teaches master classes and is on faculty for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Youth Education Programs. During the Covid-19 pandemic she, along with pianist Steven Feifke, started the online jazz education program "A Step Ahead Jazz."

Trivia

Alexa Tarantino is a member of Lioness, an all female jazz collective based in New York City. Alexa Tarantino plays alto and soprano saxophones, flute, and alto flute. Alexa Tarantino attended Hall High School, whose alumni includes Brad Mehldau and Phil Woods.

Early Life

Alexa Tarantino was born in 1992 and grew up in West Hartford, Conneticut, a town with a strong music education program. Tarantino began playing the saxophone and the piano around age 10 and knew she wanted to be a jazz musician from an early age. She joined her elementary school jazz band and continued to perform in jazz bands through high school. Tarantino went on to study at the Eastman School of Music where she recorded her first album with Eastman professor Dariusz Terefenko. After graduation she joined the DIVA Jazz Orchestra and then spent time freelancing in New York City while studying at Juilliard. Tarantino graduated from Juilliard with a master's degree in 2019.