Al Conti is a recipient of two ASCAP Awards for his work. His album POETA was used as part of NPR's fundraising efforts in 2007 and his recording Quest for Orpheus, from the same album, received a 'Best of 2007' Award from Mystic Soundscapes Radio. The album POETA entered the New Age Reporter Top 100 Charts at number 44 in July 2007, headed the top 10 of 2007 lists at KCCK Radio and Origen Music, and was a featured selection at WMNR Radio throughout Connecticut in April, 2008.

A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Al has followed the arts since he was three years old and stated to his parents that he was to be a ‘dramatic’ actor. This, of course, should have come as no surprise to parents who were artists themselves. Al’s mother was a classical ballerina and his father an architect and writer. A step beyond, Al can count among his relatives of times past, the late 1800’s Argentinean famed writer Miguél Cané.

While music has always been part of Al’s life, acting was his main passion. He began studying theatre in Buenos Aires at age 8 and continued studying with some of Argentina’s film actors such as Hector Bidonde and Anibal Morixe. This continuity was not easy, as Al had lived in three different cultures and spoke three different languages by age 14! “To tell you the truth,” says Al, “I think it messed me up more than the luxury it may seem. Moving at such a critical age can create much upheaval during one’s already painful years.” However, from such cultural eclecticism comes Al’s music.

As a child, whenever his parents would go visiting friends who had a piano, Al would be immediately glued to the instrument. “I can still hear the host yelling, ‘Don’t let him touch the piano, he'll set it out of tune!’ Then, I'd sit looking at the piano lustfully from afar for the remainder of my visit. Now I know how ridiculous that was, because unless you come charging at the piano with a hammer, the thing will go out of tune whether one is masterfully playing Beethoven Moonlight Sonata or a bad case of chopsticks. It is so wonderful now, I do not need to ask anyone’s permission and what’s more, synths do not go out of tune!”

Al's music features such classical sounds as violins, cellos, oboes, violas, flutes, guitars and more ethnic ones such as the hurdy gurdy and sitar. “I explore anything and everything, and I never know what will happen when a song enters my head. I may start with my guitar and end at the synth.” And this is mostly how Al composes. He does not read nor write music. “I do not work that way and never have. I found out in college that I had a learning disability, so the way I perceive the world and learning is much different for me than for a lot of people. I tried to learn to read music once, a long time ago and finally said ‘forget it.’ It was just not for me. The music I do read is only symbols for me...I know where the finger goes, but don't ask me what note it is I am reading. If you let me watch you a few times I will pick it up on my own. This is basically how I learned to speak English. I was terrible in grammar! Today, most would not know it. If it ‘sounds’ right, then it usually is. I pick everything up by ear. I think some would say I am so ‘right brained’ I fall over! Music is constantly playing in my head even when I go to sleep, which can be almost nauseating sometimes. It just does not quit!”

While Al began seriously working on music 17 years ago, it was not until after he had a near death experience a few years ago that he undertook music full time. For the last few years he has divided his time between acting and music. He has worked in many theatre productions such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Andre’s Mother, Poor Richard, Lonely Planet, as well as many television commercials and productions such as CBS' daytime drama As The World Turns. Music, however, has taken center stage and has become Al's full time career. “It got old running down to New York at a moment’s notice (Al's manager is there). I live in Vermont and I do not think there is a place I would rather be than here. I hate leaving it. I have always had a love for this land since setting foot on it. Its energy is amazing. Many may look to places like Sedona as a spiritual vortex, but Vermont has an energy no one hears about. It is powerful and vibrant like its people." Al, however, does split his time living both in NYC and Vermont respectively. When asked about any regrets, Al says: "With all the different parts of my music career, I really don’t have the time to think about what I am missing by not being an actor."

Al has worked for several years with Ohmegasongs Productions in Germany, as a lyric writer, arranger and composer. Al's second album, 'Poeta' was in part recorded in Germany. "The reason I had gone there was that I had previously worked with Omegasounds Studios, a production company in Kiel, Germany and was very comfortable with them."

When asked about public performances, Al says: "I am not a performing musician, I am a recording artist. Composing and working with my music has become such a personal thing. It’s kind of like my sacred space. I have never felt the need to be out there in public. I share with people through the CD and digital downloads, but I haven’t had the need to go out there and perform my music. Even as an actor, I was more comfortable performing on TV and films as opposed to live theater."

POETA is Al's second release. From the first note to the last, his album features ethnic instruments such as the hurdy gurdy, udu, sitar and tablas as well as classical violins and cellos, haunting ambient vocals and beautiful guitar solos. Listeners who love Al's CD's are eagerly awaiting what is to come, and reviewers have praised his work as "individual," "intricate," and expressing a "lovely humanity and positive spirit."

The concept of poetry in music came to Al unexpectedly, inspired by Spain's late poet Ramón Sampedro, who lived as a quadriplegic and fought for the right to end his own life. During his life he wrote using only his mouth and a pencil attached to a stick. Al's reaction to the poet's journey was intense: "Ramón's words touched me so much that they catapulted what has now become an entire work on its own. It has always amazed me how music has its own poetry and I want to express that in my work."

If asked to name some influences Al can say there are many. “I cannot name just one, because music I have heard and loved since I was a child is still very much within me."

While his love for people is great, Al remains a very private individual who enjoys his own space and alone time away from crowds. Reviewer Mike Gruenberg recently noted after interviewing Al: "He is a very private and loyal individual. In his bio, it was mentioned that he had a life altering experience. When I questioned him about it he did not go into detail, but just said that the experience changed his life for the better."

Al is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and the AFM Musician's Union (American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada).

Certain quotes taken from Al's interview with JamBands' Mike Gruenberg.