He graduated from the Umberto Giordano Conservatory of Foggia in 1993. After graduating, he moved to Napoli, where he studied with the Italian professor Annamaria Pennella. He also studied for about 18 months with the pianist Aldo Ciccolini.
He also received the special prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary work written for the competition ("Tumultes" by Serge Nigg). After moving to the United States, he served on the piano faculty of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and is currently on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music.
In 1998 he received the 3rd Prize at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris, France. After winning the 1999 Cleveland International Piano Competition, he also won a silver medal at the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001, where he also received the prize for the best performance of a new work ("Three Impromptus" by Lowell Liebermann).
