Award-winning guitarist/songwriter/composer writes songs, solo guitar pieces and band compositions that reflect the intersection of Indian music, folk fingerpicking & country blues, classic jazz, post-punk rock and heartfelt singer-songwriter styles. He plays electric and classical guitars, 19-string Indian slide guitar, combining things in an organic, soulful way that brings the best each has to offer. It is this artistry and openness that led to Dave Cipriani being selected for the 2006 Individual Artist Award in Solo Instrumental Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council and the 2006 Individual Artist Award from the Baltimore Office of Promotions and the Arts. Dave studied classical and jazz guitar in college -- including studies with late great Charlie Byrd and classical virtuoso Christopher Parkening -- but abandoned those after college for jazz and post-punk influenced rock in a trio he led called Percy's Little Hotbox. He later abandoned that to study Indian music with sitar Maestro Jay Kishor, but came back to rock influenced songwriter form for his first album, "faith & doubt". That album was a songwriter effort influenced by PJ Harvey, Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen, featuring with a full band and backup singers. It was hailed by Americana-UK as "a moving album that drives & pulses with Eastern rhythms lending an almost raga feel to many of these fine songs a distinct 'Jeff Buckley Grace' auraÉhighlighted by the exquisite 'Secret Song'." While preparing to finish "faith & doubt" he met Pandit Barun Kumar Pal, a major innovator of Indian music on the Indian slide guitar and senior disciple of Ravi Shankar, then wound up studying in India during the next two winters with Pal. He even bought and learned to play a 19-string guitar that had formerly been custom made for Barun Kumar Pal. In the meantime he finished his second album, "America & Other Faraway Places,"a solo guitar album that paid homage to the inspiration John Fahey's "America" at least in title if not entirely in style. That album, which drew on folk & country blues, Indian music, classical and American primitive styles, was called "a world class, multi-cultural example of the blending of vastly diverse styles of music."by The Indie (Asheville). In addition to solo guitar and songwriter performances, he is focusing much of his time on his latest project, an semi-acoustic trio called Satabdi Express. Satabdi Express is based on the classic trio sounds of Charlie Byrd and British folk pioneer Davy Graham, featuring Cipriani originals, with Dave on the classical guitar and 19-string Indian slide guitar, rounded out by upright bassist Adam Hopkins and drummer/percussionist Chris Lerch. In 2006 he will be recording an album of original pieces with Satabdi Express, after which (or simultaneously) he will begin a follow up to "faith & doubt" in songwriter mode. He will go to India again to study in the winter of 2007 for 2-3 months, after which he'll be doing performances in support of his various projects.