ABOUT Me
Born in Italy, Jan’s early attraction to guitar started at a very early age. He was exposed and influenced by a variety of music genres. He's not easily categorized, since his playing is a creative blend of styles. Jan has performed, toured and recorded with some of the most respected names in the industry including Hiram Bullock, Bob Reynolds, Jure Pukl, Dean Brown, Vardan Ovsepian, Damian Erskine, Stef Burns, J Kyle Gregory, Chaun Duprè Horton, Tatiana Parra, Ziv Ravitz, Marco Panascia, Janek Gwizdala, Joe Sanders, Audun Waage, Colin Stranahan, Alba Nacinovich, Marko Churnchetz, Sam Minaie, Lawrence Leathers, Klemens Marktl, Barry Finnerty, Alessandro Turchet, Sid Jacobs and many many others.
“Jan Sturiale is part of the unconventional group of jazz musicians that mix the tradition of creative jazz language with the spirit of rock music and a classical background. His ability to translate his varied musical influences into a coherent jazz language gives his compositions a distinctive character ” – Jazz In Europe“Jan is a complex individual, a piercing intellect coupled with a depth of feeling. These characteristics are manifested equally in his music. His warmth and profound emotion permeate his music, which is filled with personality and diversity of mood.” – Vardan Ovsepian, Pianist
“Jan is an excellent musician. He actively performs, writes and teaches music at a high level. He displays excellent technique on the guitar. He is also a prolific composer . On a personal level, Jan is a warm and sincere individual. I consider him to be the ideal peer to musicians in the professional world. He is easy to work with and highly professional.” – Tim Miller, Guitarist
“As a concert artist and music instructor at the Musicians Institute (MI/GIT) for over thirty years, I see many talented musicians from around the world. I have rarely seen a musician with his blend of talent and expertise in modern music. His knowledge, experience and originality make his work exceptional, He has an understanding of both American and European music and has developed aesthetics combining the two traditions. ” – Sid Jacobs, Guitarsist
In September of 2014, Jan released “Electric Water” recorded in Los Angeles at Tritone Studio and engineered in New York by John Davis from “Nerve”, the album features Jan on guitar and compositions, Bob Reynolds, Vardan Ovsepian, Damian Erskine, Chaun Horton and also showcases Tatiana Parra on three titles.
In 2016 Jan recorded “Two Roads” at Samurai Hotel Studio in New York that features Audun Waage, Marko Churnchetz, Joe Sanders and Ziv Ravitz.
In 2017 Jan recorded in New York his latest project “Roadmaps” at Bunker Studio together with Jure Pukl, Marko Churnchetz, Miha Koren and Klemens Marktl followed by a European tour that had brought the band around Europe.
In 2021 Jan is back in the studio recording in Ljubljana his latest project “In The Life” at Cosmosonic Studio together with Francesco Bearzatti, Francesco De Luisa, Alessandro Turchet, and Luca Colussi. Pre-sale on December 17th and out everywhere on December 24th, 2021.
Jan is constantly writing, performing, producing, and teaching, currently working weekly on his instructional website VG Education
Graduated at the Conservatory of Udine and later the Conservatory of Trieste in the jazz department. Jan received the Gary Burton Scholarship from Berklee College of Music to master his studies.
Whether Sturiale is leading his own band or performing as a sideman, he brings to the table versatility and professionalism, an ability to find creative ways to interpret a global array of styles and idioms.
“Jan Sturiale is an Italian guitarist I’ve come to know, and I believe his playing ability is extraordinary. We met through colleague Dean Brown who Jan toured in Europe. I’ve also seen Jan’s instructional website with his guitar video tutorials. He’s got great educational lessons if you’re a guitarist at any level from beginner to expert and really want to learn the instrument at a new level. On the site, Jan shows how to get the most out of music with your guitar by sharing all his secrets of great music-making.
Jan’s past projects, tours, training, and guitaring techniques all make him an extraordinary talent. Creative, dedicated, personable, and with a good ear for making music, Jan has also proven himself to be an extraordinary composer and producer as well.” – Will Lee