Renato Chicco has been called ‘Pianist par excellence’ by legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks.

While living in New York City in the 1990s, Renato was initially a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. For the following seven years, he was the regular pianist and musical director with Jon Hendricks & Company, a vocal group led by the legendary master scat and vocalese singer Jon Hendricks. During that time, Renato performed actively on the New York scene, playing in clubs such as the Blue Note, Birdland, Fat Tuesday’s and the Village Gate. He also appeared on radio and TV shows with Lionel Hampton and Jon Hendricks, and performed at festivals and in clubs all over the USA, Europe, Asia and South America.

Renato Chicco, a pianist and organist born in Slovenia to Italian and Slovenian parents, studied at the University of Music in Graz, Austria and Berklee College of Music in Boston. From the outset of his career, Renato has worked as both a leader and, in particular, an accompanist or co-leader in numerous groups. He has performed with many legendary musicians, including Lou Donaldson, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Red Holloway, Joe Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Jon Faddis, Gary Burton, Milt Hinton, Reggie Workman, Jerry Bergonzi, Steve Grossman, Al Foster, Sheila Jordan, Michele Hendricks, Dusko Goykovich, Don Menza and many others.

After settling in Europe in the early 2000s, Renato took up a professorship in the jazz department at the University of Music in Graz. Since then, he has worked as both an educator and a performer, continuing to appear in clubs and at festivals around the world.

Among his notable early recordings, Renato played on two albums with the legendary trumpeter Woody Shaw. He later recorded with trombonist Hal Crook and saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. As a pianist and bandleader, Renato recorded two highly successful CDs featuring his jazz arrangements of Slovenian folk songs. His recent trio recording, ‘Tribute’ (on piano and Rhodes), features original compositions and pieces by influential jazz pianists. As a leader on Hammond organ, Renato recently recorded an original big band project with the Slovenian Radio Big Band. As a sideman, Renato has appeared on over 50 recordings and recently featured on two of Jerry Bergonzi’s organ trio albums, Spotlight on Standards and Nearly Blue. Renato’s most recent collaborations include the co-lead organ trio MicroOrganisms, which features Johannes Enders on saxophone and Jorge Rossy on drums.