Sal Ascolese is a New York based musician, composer, educator and clinician.
After high school, Sal attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He graduated as a performance major in 1981 and then returned to the tri-state area.
Early in his life, he was fortunate to have studied sax and composition privately with legendary sax great, Phil Woods.
Sal has had several of his original compositions published, which have won awards of merit. Two of his original compositions were used for TV commercials for Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment.
Sal plays a GUO Grenaditte flute exclusively. “At the 2009 National Flute Association convention, my Grenaditte flute and I helped set a new Guinness Book World Record for The Largest Flute Ensemble in honor of and conducted by Sir James Galway. It was such a thrill to be part of Sir James Galway’s 70th birthday celebration. Every time I see that video and I spot me and my black Grenaditte flute sitting there in the 1st flute section, it makes me happy all over again.”
Sal plays jazz, rock, blues and pop in the New York / New Jersey club scene along with his ongoing studio work.
He has played in such places as The Lone Star Café, The Stone Pony, The Great Gildersleeves, CBGB’s, Fat Tuesdays, The Bottom Line, Sweet Basil, The Village Vanguard, The Blue Note and Lincoln Center.
He has appeared with such performers as Marshall Crenshaw, Carl Perkins, Dave Edmunds, The Stray Cats and has performed in many holiday specials filmed for TV.
He spends much of his time writing and recording his original music and is also a high school music director in central New Jersey.