Andre was born in Brisbane, Queensland in 1964.

 

As a very young boy, he remembers peeking through the slightly opened lounge room door and being totally captivated as his father sang and practiced flamenco guitar. 

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When a guitar came into his hands, he was hooked, obsessively learning the licks of his guitar heroes and later forming a garage band with mates playing covers in local pubs.

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After graduating from the Queensland College of Art, Andre worked as a graphic artist /illustrator by day and gigged and taught guitar by night.

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A great inspirational moment came when he watched a documentary about the great maestro of Spanish guitar, Andre Segovia. Very soon after he became a dedicated student and began his studies in music theory and the Classical guitar repertoire with Brisbane conservatory teacher guitarist and composer Ron Butler.

 

In 1987 he stayed three months in Northern Italy studying with a Professor of Early Music from the Milan Conservatory and giving classical guitar recitals, while reconnected with his father who was now a Master Luthier specialising in Renaissance instruments and guitars. When he returned to Brisbane, he continued to perform the classical guitar repertoire on guitars made by his father.

 

After watching a documentary about a Japanese composer writing music in response to nature, Andre was challenged to find his own musical voice.

He then started to pursue his studies in music composition with renowned Australian composer Gerard Brophy and also took inspiration from acoustic fingerstyle guitarists Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Will Ackerman, Tommy Emmanuel and the storytelling music of Neil Young. He started to compose with the acoustic guitar and as a dedicated DIY guy, he taught himself recording and mastering and self-produced his first CD of original music, ‘Images’ in 2002. 

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Andre was an active member of his community performing regularly at local events and festivals. Composing and self-producing his own music became a passion and he created three more CDs, ‘WinterSky,' ‘the Lighthouse’ and ‘Distant Light' as well as other albums recorded with the Classical guitar.

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Andre’s music became his therapy and release as he and his wife cared for one of their children, Annie, who was born with an undiagnosed genetic disorder.

He later had to quit his full-time job and stopped performing to help with Annie’s care. He continued teaching guitar and kept his passion for Art. Annie sadly passed away in 2016.

 

Music has been a pathway to peace and healing, and in 2017, Andre self-produced his first commissioned album, the Glasshouse Mountains, which was played as a sound installation in the 'Glasshouses exhibition' at the Caboolture Regional Art Gallery.

 

When composing and improvising music on the guitar, he is totally immersed with it, painting pictures in the air with the sounds of his guitars while finding it challenging, emotionally engaging, intricate, lyrical and evocative.

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He has a great passion for creative freedom and draws inspiration from an eclectic palette of Classical, Folk, Blues, Appalachian, Celtic, Middle Eastern, Indian and Flamenco music as well as life’s journey, and a love of nature. A six string storyteller, Andre’s music moves from gentle whispers to whirlwind fingerpicking magic that transports his audience on a creative and personal journey with him.

 

He currently teaches guitar at St. Patricks College and Brisbane Boys Grammar School. You can contact Andre at www.andrereginato64.wixsite.com/music

https://www.facebook.com/andrereginatomusic/ and his music is available on andrereginato.bandcamp.com