LEO CIESA                                      

Leo Ciesa is a drummer, composer and educator based in New York City. He is best known for the New York City hardcore jazz duo ICONOCLAST (www.iconoclastnyc.com), which he co-founded with saxophonist Julie Joslyn in 1987, and also for being a longtime member of Nick Didkovsky's 8 piece avant-rock ensemble DOCTOR NERVE (www.doctornerve.org), which he joined in 1988.  Ciesa also has a solo project that became "COAT OF ARMS - MUSIC FOR SOLO DRUMSET", a 50 minute CD with 22 solo pieces.

With Iconoclast and Doctor Nerve he has made numerous CD's and has toured all over the USA, Canada and Europe including performances at many renowned festivals, such as: Moers Jazzfestival and Zappanale Festival in Germany - Sziget Festival in Hungary - Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) in Canada - Rock In Opposition Festival, Festival Musique Innovatrices, Musique Action and Festival Mimi in France - Avant Garde Jazzfestival and Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival in Italy - Festival de la Cite in Switzerland - Jazz Od Nowa Festival, Audio Art Festival and Festiwal Muzyka z Mozgu in Poland - Ring Ring Festival and Interzone International Festival in Serbia - Pohyb-Zvuk-Prostor Festival in the Czech Republic - ProgDay, Music With a View, The DUMBO Arts Festival and NYU Independent Music Fest in the USA etc..Both bands have also been featured on various radio and television shows. Ciesa performed regularly at the now legendary NYC clubs "CBGB" and the original "Knitting Factory".

Before moving to New York City in 1986, Ciesa was based in Baltimore and Los Angeles in the USA and before that in Sweden. He has played in a very wide variety of musical situations and has also been teaching drums for many years. Composing has always been part of his musical life. Iconoclast has composed and performed music for both television and film.

Leo Ciesa is known for his personal style and his powerful, melodic, polyrhythmic, emotional and virtuosic drumming that is infused with curiosity and spontaneity. In Iconoclast he also plays keyboards, sometimes simultaneously with the drums. Ciesa modifies and customizes some of his cymbals and hardware to his liking. Expired sticks, drum heads and cymbals become art (see photos below).

Solo recording: "Coat of Arms - Music for Solo Drumset" (2012)(Soundyard),

Iconoclast recordings: "Demolition of Wisdom" (2022), "Driven to Defiance"(2017), "Naked Rapture"(2014), "Dirty Jazz"(2010), "The Body Never Lies" (2006), "The Dreadful Dance" (2005), "Paradise" (2000), "Blood is Red" (1995), "The Speed of Desire" (1992), "City of Temptation" (1990)(Fang Records), "In the Vodka Garden" (2005)(Record One), "Sins of New York" (1989)

Doctor Nerve recordings: "Loud" (2019), "The Gift of Shame"(2012), "The Monkey Farm"(2009)(Punos Music), "Ereia" (2000), "Every Screaming Ear" (1997), "Skin" (1995), "Beta 14 OK" (1991),"Did Sprinting Die?" (1990) (Cuneiform Records)

Leo Ciesa can also be heard on Larry Polansky's "Change" (2002)(Artifact) and Micro-East Collective's "Out of My Face" (2000)(Umbrella). He is also on compilation recordings such as: "The NYFA Collection: 25 Years of New York New Music" (2010)(Innova),  "Mocvara" (2002), "Transforms - The Nerve Events Project" (1993)(Cuneiform) with Iconoclast and "Live at the Knitting Factory, Vol. 3" (1990)(A&M Records) with Doctor Nerve and on the bonus track "Mokele Mbembe" on the Nick Didkovsky re-release of "Now I Do This" (2021/1982)(Punos Music).

Ciesa has received grants from Meet the Composer and from Arts International: The Fund for U.S. Artist at International Festivals and Exhibitions, and is a recipient of an Artist's Fellowship in Music Composition from the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Leo Ciesa has been a ProMark drumsticks and mallets endorsee since 1996.

Leo Ciesa is in the Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians by Lewis Porter:  http:web.archive.org/web/20080929094529/http:www.jazz.com/80/encyclopedia/ciesa-leo