About

The Early Years:Jurij Gianluca Ricotti (Guitarist, Arranger) was born in Rome (Italy) on November 16th, 1971. At 12 years old, he took a ZX Spectrum 16K (1st home computer 8 Bit) from his father (Remo Ricotti, Musician and Novel Wiriter). This helped him to study computer programming languages (Basic and Assembler). At 16, he wrote on "Zzap" (a computer magazine as a hacker). In the same period he received classical guitar lessons from his father. By the age of 18, he earned a Diploma in Computer Programming in Rome and started a degree in Engineering Depth. 

In 1992, he began to play in DESECRATION, a death metal band. After one year of working together, they recorded "The Valley of Eternal Suffering". 

In 1993 he left university studies to spend all his time on mastering guitar studies (classical and electric). He also studied recording, and with a four track recorder, he made his first guitar demo. 

In 1994, he left the band to join the Italian Military Service Air Force for one year. In the same year Jurij expanded his studies at the "S. Louis Jazz Academy" in Rome, where he learnt jazz music, orchestral composition and arranging, modern guitar approach and MIDI (with Luca Spagnoletti, Xavier Girotto, Dario La Penna, Riccardo Biseo). In the mid nineties, he started a collaboration with Italian producer Claudio Zitti, that involves him in several projects until today. He then re-joined the band Desecration in 2000 for a special live event.

The Professional Years:

In 1995 he traveled to Boston, Massachusetts (USA) and attended the "Berklee College of Music" to improve his approach to jazz, the English language, MIDI and HD recording. He gained experience with Pat Metheny, Scott Henderson, Mike Stern in his time there during their clinics. When Jurij went back to Italy, he immediately started to teach in private music schools. He became a collaborator with "AXE" guitar magazine as a guitar transcriber and music reviewer. He also wrote for some "PSYCHO" issues. In the U.S Experience he met John Norum, that got introduced to Yngwie Malmsteen. In that period he met one of the most talented guitarists and soon to be friend, Salvatore Russo. Other collaborations during this time were with: Nguyen Le, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Bireli Lagrene, Richard Galliano, John McLauglin, and David Silvian. 

In 1999 he wrote with Metal Shock "It's Electric" and "Macintosh Magazine." He took his magazine experience and developed a new music magazine called "PLUG-IN" without major success. Jurij began a collaboration with Midiware and become an endorser for Steinberg CUBASE VST 32 and DIGISESIGN. He went on tour in November 1999 with Midiware on the VST (Virtual Studio Tour) and gained an endorsement from Mindiprint and Seasound. In 1999-2000 Jurij taught music in Saint Louis Music Center, specifically rock guitar and HD recording. He worked on the Disma Music Show Steinberg Tour 2000 and Axe Magazine Endorsed Disma Tour 2000. Thanks to Macintosh Magazine he was introduced to the most popular MacNews site TEVAC and works with them currently. Thanks to Tevac, he passed to Macworld after MacMag closed. 

In 2001 he produced his first album with Salvatore Russo. Salvatore lead him to meet Alfredo Paixao and Danilo Ballo. From then, he started to work in Latin pop production with Armando Manzanero "Duetos," Fernando Osorio, and Ana Belen "Pieces de Ciudad". After that his first experiences doing musical arrangements came in the form of dance music in London, with dance star "Corona" (2001-2002). Steinberg and TCWorks endorsed him in the same year for the Midiware in Disma Music Show Rimini. He earned a new personal page in Axe Magazine called "AxeFiles" that was a column about HD recording that included lessons and Tips. New collaborations with "i3" and "Stefano Daino" lead to a new sensational audio software for the MAC, DSPQuattro. He headed support for Tony MacAlpine Italian tour 2002. Jurij was able to collaborate with Massimo Varini, which is an Italian pop producer. VJ Sound endorsed him as well as JGR Signature Power Supply Energyzer, which he designed for guitarists!

Jurij went back to teach as an HD recording teacher in 2003, at the University of Music. He became the guitarist and producer for Max Alto's band "Son" in 2003 along side Francesco Conte (formerly or his first band, Desecration), Mauro Munzi and Massimo Conti (formerly of Dhamm). Two online magazines came calling for Jurij and he collaborated with "Cubase.it" and “Chitarristi.com”. He served as a technician on the Ynwgie Malmsteen Tour 2003. New collaborations with Rock Hard Magazine developed, as well as becoming the editor for Macworld's Extra Audio issue 2003. Somehow, he found time to be Recycle Project's director and coordinator too. 

After time in Japan in 2004, Jurij become a musical arranger, session-man and musical engineer at Lead Recording Studios in Rome. There, he worked with several musicians and pop stars (Brian May, Brittney Spears, R.Zero, Giorgia, Vanoni, Paoli, Bungaro, Piotta, and so many more talents). Starting in 2004 and up though today, he has been collaborating with Hope Music School. 

In 2005 he wrote and arranged music for the soundtrack of Lamberto Bava's horror movie "The Torturer", along with Maestro Paolo Vivaldi. In 2005 he signed with Warner Italy for a lounge project.  

In 2006 he become a member of the Rondò Veneziano project with Andrea Montepaone, mixed and recorded Lola Ponce's “Amor” single for BMG Italia, and for Sony Music he mixed the Guspini DVD. 

Actual Years: Jurij is the Axe Metal director, still with Macworld Italia as well as Rock Hard, all since 2005. He is constantly working on new seminars for the Hope Music School for arranging music and HD recording. "Lounge Project" was released in 2006 and licensed by Universal for the Spanish market on the Lounge Compilation Xis Volume 4-8-9. He has been a music composer for Italian television music films since 2006. He released an album with Warner Bros called “La Musique dorèe” in 2006. Lounge Compilation “Neu Lounge” also was released at that time 2006. Lounge Jazz Project “Musique Doreè Step 2” came out through Warner in 2007. Since 2007 Jurij has been teaching metal guitar and HD recording at the Roma Rock School. He has been the sound engineering teacher at the Accademia Scarlatti since 2007 as well. Other Lounge albums with Warner are on iTunes and some of the music he's done for Rai TV with Andrea Montepaone are available there too.

He was on Klimt1918's album "Just in Case We’ll Never Meet Again” as a keyboardist and programmer in 2008. He even used his vocal talents as a singer for Cartoon Network's “Kung Fu Chickens” in 2008. Jurij was the composer for Medusa Films in 2008. Also that year mastered tracks for Enzo Pietropaoli's album, Klimt 1918's single, Rai's CD “Dererum Natura”, and was the guitarist with "The M3GA." He is also the guitarist on "Figure of 6's" new album and added some keyboard sounds as well as taking on the programming. He arranged and engineered music for “Maybe my Ocean” with Montepaone. On Salvatore Russo and Stockelo Rosemberg's album he got to work as a producer. 

Recently in 2010, for the Universal USA and Relative Tours, Jurij worked as a drum programmer as well as doing synthesizer programming and 'synth' guitar for the new IL VOLO (produced by Tony Renis {The Master} and Humberto Gatica (who has worked with Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, M. Bouble, and so many more). He records at Lion Share Studios Los Angeles, where he has worked with Ennio Morricone and has played with Vinnie Colaiuta, Nathan East, Michael Thompson, Michael Landau, Tal Bergman. Jurij continues to work with Axe Magazine and Macworld Italia. He also did a 2010-11-12 tour with Il Volo as a Music Director and Sound Engineer. He is currently endorsed by Eko Italy. 

In 2012 he left IL VOLO project for touring around the world for other international artists as Cindy in Taiwan.

Since 2013 he work as a Music Director with Hope Music Events in Vatican with Pope Francesco, and he was Music Director for World Youth Day with Pope in Rio Brazil. After that he started to work as a Music Director for Orvieto 4 Ever events with MIMS (2013), Kevin Costner and Kacey Musgraves (2014) with Symphonic Orchestra for movies soundtracks directed by Paolo Vivaldi.

In 2014 joined The Performer project for the new Chrysler C300 commercials in Middle East territories with Qusai, creating soundtracks as a composer, new virtual instrument THE PERFORMER as a programmer and sound designer. Back to Italy he wrote the new Musical about Don Bosco for Hope Music and start collaborating on new Andrea Bocelli Album with Tony Renis, Humberto Gatica and David Foster.

2015-2016 Sound Engineer and SInth programmer for Andrea Bocelli “Cinema” WarnerMusic/Universal, extra sound engineer for TV live show, Radio and TV Edit for promotional Tour, collaboration with PPG Studios. Effie Gold Awards 2015 for The Performer, Cannes Lions nomination. 

2016 6D sounds endorser, Presonus USA Artist Endorsment, Audio Ribera Endorsement, JGR Studio owner.

2017 Eventide Endorsment, Studio One Endorser, Youtube Channel Seminars, MusicOff Reviewer, Andrea Bocelli new album programming and mix. Celso Fonseca production. New Collaboration with LRS Mastering Studio. Movie Soundtracks with Beppe Fiorello “Chi M’ha Visto”, “Il Permesso” for Cinemas. Pavarotti e Celine Dion Remastering, Black Jesper New Album, Leo Anitori New Album, Lucas Need New Album, 

2018 Andrea Bocelli “Si” new album, JGR Publishing with ASCAP. Sasha New Album.