Federico Dantoni's Bio

Federico D’Antoni
Composer/Producer/Engineer

Federico D’Antoni is a productive and versatile composer and musician with more than 15 years of experience in the music industry. Born to a talented jazz trumpeter father and an entrepreneur mother, Federico was raised in Argentina, where he studied music from the age of five. His early talents on the accordion, piano, flute, tenor and alto sax saxophones eventually led to serious music instructions with teachers such as Chachi Ferreira (Julio Iglesias), Andres Boiarski, Pablo Kusselman and Bernardo Baraj.
Jazz music quickly became a passion of Federico’s and he continued his studies at Buenos Aires Music University and the Berkelee College of Music in Boston, where he received instruction from noted industry veterans such as Armando Alonso (Director of the Avellaneda Music University, Buenos Aires) and Charlie Smugler (one of today’s top dance music programmers). Working as a session musician and as a sound engineer for live performances throughout this time in Buenos Aires, as well as scoring the music for a short film shot locally, called “Inferno,” Federico realized that he wanted to pursue his music to a higher level of creativity and performance. The United States beckoned and he eagerly answered the call.
In 1992, Federico relocated to Chicago, and joined the Latin group, “Spanish Fly.” In the next three years, the band played more than 1,500 hundred shows, with Federico on keyboards, sax, and flute, while also doing live sound for each performance.
The band’s local success led to a record deal with Polygram Records in 1995, and Federico’s home base changed to Miami Beach. From here, the band went on tour internationally throughout the North, South and Latin Americas sharing stages with artists such as Liza Minelli and Tito Puente, and performing for high-profile events such as World Cup Soccer competitions and in private parties for celebrities Sandra Bullock and Oliver Stone.
Federico continued to his MIDI, sampling and sequencing skills through working with producer Alfi Martins on Spanish Fly’s first CD release, as well as arranging and producing tracks for Latin recording artist, Manolo Tena. Also while in Miami, Federico worked for DUDU Films, composing original music and engineering the sound effects for commercials such as MasterCard.
Federico left Spanish Fly in 1996 and returned to Chicago to open Planet Sounds with his sister, Dinah. At the time he also became the music director of the well-known band “Bandoleros” for which he composed, mixed, and arranged all the music tracks. As the main composer and chief engineer at Planet Sounds Federico, composes, writes and arranges, original music and sound design for radio and television commercials, such as McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Tampax, Toys ‘R Us, Coca-Cola, Western Union, among others. He has also had the opportunity to record with the musicians of the Chicago Symphony, an orchestral piece that he composed and arranged for a Coca Cola radio spot. He has also scored music for an award winning short film “Imagine This”, and two feature films “Once Upon a time in The Hood” by director Juan Frausto and “Latin Dragon” by director Scott Smith starring Lorenzo Lamas and Gary Busey. Both films will be released in spring 2004, by Universal. He also has two golden awards for best commercial of the year for the Hispanic Christian Churches Association.
Federico started his new band “The Parados” in November 2002 new band playing a fusion of Latin music and jazz. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society and a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and Latin American Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammy Awards).