Oscar Rossignoli: Making Music Is A Liberating Experience

Looking at composer-pianist Oscar Rossignoli, one would think the youthful glint in his eyes, the optimistic tilt of his smile denotes a pupil eager to learn his craft, undaunted by the possibility of being scarred by failure, as he ferries across the mercurial waters of jazz improvisation.  That is until Rossignoli sits at a piano and works the twinkling ivories and onyx bars, playing like a well-practiced soul, a multi-faceted creator.  Listeners swear they are in the presence of a seasoned pianist and contemporary maestro, exhibiting the mysticism of Chopin, the ingenuity of Thelonious Monk, the infectious allure of Amina Figarova, and delivering the unbridled passion of an operatic performer.

His composing and playing leads one to believe he has a strong sense of himself, or perhaps an alter-ego emerges.  He admits, "Oh, I don't think about any of these things at all, but I'll say this: if I truly let the music speak for itself, it's a truly liberating experience. Not many times have I experienced such feelings off stage - it's truly what keeps me motivated." 

Honduran-born, Rossignoli fuses many traditions into his music, from his classical music studies to his passion for Latin rhythms and western improvisation.  Currently based in New Orleans, his newest release Levitations, a 7-part suite, is a solo project recorded live at the University of New Orleans Performing Arts Center on March 16, 2023 and released on June 24, 2025. 

He reveals in a press release about the recording, "For this performance, I wanted to focus on the exploration of pure sound through improvisation. By letting sound dictate the arc of each piece dynamically and texturally, I discovered surprising structures begin to emerge, changing the way I experience the making of music."

In the press release, he assures, "Improvising out of nothing in front of people is something I’ve done since I started playing the piano. As my relationship with music deepened, it became a way of listening, responding, and discovering in real time. The creation of spontaneous music is a practice of deep listening. When in that state—fully connected—peace arises, lightness emerges. Levitations feels like a window into my inner world in that moment in time, making it one of my most personal performances recorded to date."

The project came about, he explains, "When the University of New Orleans asked me to perform solo for their Musical Excursions concert series, I wanted to be as free as possible and the conditions for an improvised concert - great room, great piano, great potential for a really good recording - were just perfect."

"It's the perfect medium for me," he declares, "to blend all the kinds of sounds that I have studied and explored for many years. It's a unique form of immersion into the music, very different from the other configurations that I work with, in jazz, classical, or any other style."

"For these concerts," he describes, "my preparation involves a lot of practicing, but not any material in particular, just pieces that I have probably played in the past that allow me to establish solidly into the instrument. Part of the preparation is also mental, or spiritual if you will. The goal is emptying myself from any expectations about the outcome and deepening myself by listening from within. Getting out of one's own way can be very difficult."

Playing live is particularly instrumental for Rossignoli to immerse himself in creating music, as he admits, "That's where the magic is! The exchange of energy at a live performance is priceless. A lot of the nonsense we have to deal with as artists in this industry evaporates when the concert is about forgetting the struggles of the day and having a good time. To me it's the most rewarding aspect of being a musician."

His track "Levitations, Pt. V" displays a distinct groove absent from the others.  He presumes, "I think this is the influence of New Orleans in my playing. Or that aspect of myself in rhythm and form. That track is possibly the most structured out of the improvisations. It's mainly a blues."

Living in New Orleans, absorbing the city's music culture and its tireless stream of pioneers in jazz were bound to influence his creations.  He reflects about the effect the city's people and its environment has had on him, noting, "It has deepened those relationships...the power of music is bringing people together, and the community in this city is truly amazing. Every bit has helped enormously to look at life from a different perspective rooted in love for your musical family, and to face the daily struggles with courage."

Closing the recording is his reimagination of  “El Mar” (“The Sea”) by Guillermo Anderson, a composer who holds an important place in Honduran music history.  He shares, "I grew up with the music of Guillermo, and played with him a few times as well. I love the way he paints the beauty of Honduras and its people -he was a true troubadour with his message of love and peace, and to honor nature's ability to unite us. He wrote many beautiful songs."

His solo efforts consisting of Levitations (2025) and Inertia (2021) are one aspect of Rossignoli's life journey.  He is also the pianist in Extended, a jazz trio also comprised of Matt Booth on bass and Brad Webb on saxophone.  A third aspect of Rossignoli's journey is being an instructor of jazz piano Loyola University in New Orleans.

"When I was a student," he recollects about attending the Louisiana State University (LSU), "I was very ambitious about learning as much as I could about pieces of music that interested me, and many teachers, mentors, musicians stopping by on a tour, they all directly or indirectly inspired me to love the process of learning and work on being the best musician I could be."

He prides, "I love sharing my time with students that love this art and being a part of somebody else's inspiration group. It has always been the best way to pass the culture along. The number one issue always has to do with whether the student is disciplined or not. It is quite difficult to be disciplined about something you don't truly love doing, or have the curiosity to want to learn more and get deeper into the music."

Moving along the path to being a member of the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans, he notes, "I am not an official member of MASNO."  Though, he is in the committee's sights.  Visit:  https://masno.org/oscar-rossignoli-trio/

Still another aspect of Rossignoli's life journey is simply releasing himself of the entanglements of creating, collaborating, studying, and teaching.   He cites, "I enjoy finding the time to do things that truly recharge me and allow me to rest properly. Sometimes that simply means going on a long walk through a beautiful park without any devices near me."

An avid practitioner of jazz improvisation, classical piano, and Latin rhythms, Oscar Rossignoli's composing and playing demonstrates ingenuity, allure, mysticism, and passion.  Likely none of which he is thinking of depicting while he is engulfed in the creative process.  He does not know what the outcome will be until he has finished the piece.  He touts that making music is a liberating experience for him, an impression that the listener discerns instantly.