Jesse Manno is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and teacher, based in Boulder, Colorado. He received his first commission in 1982 and has since created over eighty original scores for dance, theatre, film and multimedia productions, including twenty evening length pieces. He has played all across the U.S.A., as well as in Holland, Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. He loves working with many instruments and genres of music, and often incorporates interesting sound environments, that he has recorded during his travels, into his work. He has been music director for the University of Colorado at Boulder Dance Department since 1991. In 2002 he became a part time instructor, teaching one music course per semester.  He also composes and performs with The Buzz Band (new music on ancient instruments with a characteristic buzzing sound), and more often with Sherefé Balkan/Middle Eastern Ensemble, performing regularly in Colorado, California, and New Mexico.

Jesse has been involved with the creation of a new musical group recently, including Ty Burhoe, Beth Quist, James Hoskins and himself. They premiered at the Boulder Theater this past July with Kitaro and Nawang Kechog and others in the “Night of the Silk Road” production (produced by the Golden Sun Foundation for World culture). The new as of yet unnamed group played a sold out quartet show in Boulder, Colorado, this January and will be playing in New York this July.

Jesse Manno, “No matter what the context, it is simply one of the most inspiring spaces to fill with sound that I've  ever been in.  Part of the joy of playing there comes from the unique design of the structure itself, and part from the very receptive and perceptive community that frequents it.”

 Audience Comments and Reviews

“Jesse has a way of capturing a music-scape--a land where music dwells.  I sing with his CD's; I laugh with them; I relax with them.  He's an extremely accomplished musician with a sense of delight about his work.” -- Lila Tresemer

On Rainforest…
"One might expect that a depiction of a tropical rainforest would be accompanied by the sounds of water, insects and birds. Jesse Manno's quadraphonic score flirts with these effects but moves far beyond cliche, nimbly blending all manner of real and electronic sonic splashes, all remaining in perfect sync with the onstage action.” -- Rocky Mountain News

On Sea Spirits…
"An elegant, refined CD. Not trance, not ambient, not world or space music and, yet, elements of all these styles weave in and out of the various tracks. An extremely sensitive and heartfelt CD." -- Ear Noises Magazine

On Opium…
“This CD is a very upbeat, melodic and chaotic blend of music from the Middle East and beyond. Filled with traditional tunes from these regions, this CD creates an experience of another world.”