Lito Fontana was born in Buenos Aires in 1962. He studied trombone at the conservatory “G. Rossini” in in Pesaro, Italy with Maestro Ernesto Pumpo, where he took his diploma in 1984.
His career as an orchestral trombone player and soloist started soon after. Besides playing with various wind ensembles, he recorded film music with the TV orchestra RAI and began a strong collaboration with various artists such as Billy Cobham and Chat Baker. He became Principal Trombone of the “Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia” and the “Camerata Musicale Pescarese”.
In 1990 he moved to Austria to study with Prof. Michael Stern and became a member of various famous ensembles, such as “Haller Stadtpfeifer”. At the same time, he founded the trombone quartet “Trombonisti Italiani” and started working with the ensemble “Juvavum Brass” (Salzburg), consisting of musicians from the best European orchestras, such as Hans Gansch from “Wiener Philharmoniker”. With “Juvavum Brass” Lito successfully toured with internationally renowned artists, such as the American trumpet player Allen Vizzutti and the Australian James Morrison.
Always on the lookout for new challenges, he works with different formations of various musical styles. He is well known as the solo trombone player of “Brass Band Fröschl Hall” and of the Brass Band Oberösterreich ( together with soloist Hans Gansch) . Especially important and very formative was Lito’s cooperation with the Austrian composer Wener Pirchner, whose music he recorded: various film music (e.g. “Untersuchung an Mädeln”), the signature tune of Radio Austria International, the fanfare of the Wiener Festwochen and the music transmitted during the intermission of the “Wiener Philharmoniker”.New Year’s Concert 2000.
He has participated at “Tiroler Festspiele” as well as at “Klangspuren Schwaz”. Lito has been very successful with solo concerts at festivals such as the Spanish Brass Festival in Valencia, MIDEUROPE in Austria and the Music Festival in Budapest. He has performed with the Symphonic Wind Orchestra of Merano and has a close working relationship with internationally renowned musicians such as Vince DeMartino, Frank Pulcini, Ab Koster, Spanish Brass, Steven Mead, Patrick Sheridan, Leonard Candelaria, Roland Szentpàli, James Watson, Gabor Tarkövi , T. Doshizer , Johan de Meij, Lino Blanchod, Giuseppe Paratore, and Jose Pascal Vilaplana.
He is well regarded as an adjudicator for various national and international competitions. He teaches at Musikschule Hall an d at the higher education course at the Conservatory “C. Monteverdi” of Bolzano (I) , he gives workshops and master classes throughout Europe (Valencia, Schladming, Linz, Budapest, Vilnius, Val Badia, Meran, Rome, Innsbruck, Vienna, Montreux, London, Munich , La Senia, Aosta, Sicily).
The technical perfection of this outstanding musician captivates the audiance and his unique sound enchants the listeners.
In 2008 he was nominated by the online brass magazine 4barrest in the "Brass Band of the Year"
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