Marco Sollazzo is an Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist whose music lives between ancient and contemporary worlds, silence and intensity, acoustic and electric landscapes, transforming different musical memories into a distinctive personal language.
Born in Naples, he studied double bass, jazz and composition at the Conservatory of Parma, developing a deep relationship with melody, structure and improvisation. Yet his musical search extended beyond these foundations, leading him towards the wider Mediterranean world and its living modal traditions, where music is deeply connected to history, community and everyday life.
This journey brought him to Türkiye, where he spent a decade immersed in oud practice, Turkish makam and oral musical traditions. This experience transformed his artistic direction: the oud became not only an instrument, but a bridge between different histories, sounds and ways of understanding music.
Marco relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he continued developing his compositional voice and completed an MA in Music with Distinction at Edinburgh Napier University. This new chapter brought together his experiences across different cultures, further shaping his approach as a composer and multi-instrumentalist.
Today, the oud stands at the centre of his creative work, alongside his experience as a multi-instrumentalist and composer.
His music is built around encounters and contrasts: ancient and contemporary, intimacy and intensity, silence and density, acoustic resonance and electric energy.
Through solo, duo and ensemble projects, Marco creates a distinctive musical language where Mediterranean modal traditions, and contemporary expression come together in a continuous process of transformation.