biography
“Thanks again for putting my work out
into the world so conscientiously
and with such musicality”
John Bucchino, composer
by Gern Blanston
Patti has been playing the piano since she was six.
She is a grateful product of the vocal (alto) and instrumental (clarinet) music programs offered by Scarborough’s Public Schools; a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto (A.R.C.T. Performance), and of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto (Bachelor of Music).
In addition to loving classical music, she’s mad for the American Songbook and Musical Theatre.
Patti’s recordings, “Carmen UnZipped” and “Pull Me Through”, as well as her work in shows like "The Shopping Cart of Love" (with Patricia Zentilli), "The Picture of Happiness" (with Brad Hampton), “Love, Longing and Lunacy” (with Lindsay Sutherland Boal) and PS: Patti and Susan (with Susan Henley) reflect her love of music written for singer with pianist.
Patti has written five shows including “What Was I Saying?” and "Carmen UnZipped" which she has performed around the world with opera diva Jean Stilwell.
Patti loves to listen to jazz, and to jazz piano, in particular. Some of her favorite pianists are Glenn Gould, Alex Rybeck, Hélène Grimaud, Mike Renzi, Bill Evans, Gene Di Novi and Bill Charlap, i.e. pianists from the varying worlds of classical music, jazz, musical theatre and cabaret.
Patti lives happily and busily with her beautiful, trumpet-playing husband, John, in the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto, just around the corner from Glenn Gould’s childhood home. When they’re not making their own music, or hosting salons and soirées for musician and actor friends, they record other singers and instrumentalists in the studio they’ve built in their kitchen.
Websites
CDs
Carmen UnZipped with Jean Stilwell
Pull Me Through with Patricia Zentilli
The Voice Next Door with Marcus Nance: guest artist,“Fanette”
Shows
Patti with an ‘i’ and Patty with a ‘y’ (as performer): with Patricia Zentilli
The Shopping Cart of Love (as performer): with Patricia Zentilli
The Picture of Happiness (as music director, performer): with Brad Hampton
Conversations at 3 a.m. (as pianist): Lindsay Sutherland Boal
Love, Longing and Lunacy (as pianist): Lindsay Sutherland Boal
Love and Life (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
Here’s To You (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
Carmen UnZipped (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
Not Exactly Paris (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
What Was I Saying? (as writer, music director, performer): Jean Stilwell
“show music rendered with a grace, subtlety and craft that could put many an art song or opera accompanist to shame.” John Terauds, Musical Toronto