Sandra Conte was born in Brindisi (Italy). She began her piano studies at six, receiving private lessons in Algeria, where her family lived, and achieved a full-score Conservatory graduation at “Tartini” Conservatory of Trieste in 1990, guided by Luciano Gante.
During her university engineering studies, from 1990 to 1995 at the Milan Polytechnic, she regularly kept receiving piano lessons from Ilonka Deckers, who transmitted her Russian piano school technique and teachings.
After achieving her civil engineering master graduation, Sandra Conte participated to many masterclasses and courses with Vitaly Margulis, Franco Scala, Charles Rosen, Simone Pedroni, Piero Rattalino and Lev Naumov, who defined her as “a true musician”.
In 2007 she achieved the master degree in piano performing at Conservatory “G.Verdi” of Milan, studying with Leonardo Leonardi and Edda Ponti. In the same period she applied herself to ancient instruments practice, attending Ruggiero Laganà’s class and she improved her musical improvisation skillness with Danilo Macchioni.
She took part to many national and international piano competitions, gaining prizes and nominations, including a second place at the “Concourse Musical de France” international competition (Paris).
She performed for several musical seasons and festival such as “Scuola Normale di Pisa”, “Società dei Concerti” and "Società del Quartetto" of Milan, “Festival di musica da camera” of Cervo, “Amici del loggione” of Teatro alla Scala, “Festival Schumann-Chopin” of the Milan Conservatory, “Mito Festival”, “Festival Liszt” of Bellagio, “Ravello Festival”, “Associazione Carducci” of Como, "Accademia Chigiana" of Siena.
She also performed at Cultural Institute of Paris and Budapest, Kyoto International Music Students Festival and Carnegie Hall of New York. In june 2008 she played the first Beethoven Concerto at the Milano Auditorium, conductor Matthieus Manthanus. In 2008 and 2009 she collaborated, as soloist, with the Orchestra Arteviva directed by Matteo Baxiu.
Since 2009 she began to play with the cellist Luca Colardo. In 2010 the duo was awarded with the Rancati price of the Conservatory of Milan and in 2011 with the “Premio Nazionale delle Arti”, the most important national competition for the students of italian Conservatories. In march 2014 the Duo gave a concert at the “Palazzo del Quirinale” in Rome at the presence of the Italian Republican President, broadcast live on Rai Radio 3
In august 2018 the most
important italian music magazine Amadeus published a CD of the Duo Colardo - Conte with complete works for cello and piano by Chopin and Debussy.
Sandra Conte studied composition with Fabio Vacchi, Sonia Bo and Gianni Possio in the Conservatory of Milan, achieving a “magna cum laude” degree.
She is author of chamber music pieces, incidental music for theatrical representations, an Two Operas:, La Strega Bombolona, (The Krapfen Witch), performed at the Ariosto Theater of Reggio Emilia at Istituto musicale Achille Peri in spring 2005 and La Gatta Bianca, (The White She Cat), awarded with the first prize in the Fedora Chamber Opera Competition and performed at the Teatro Coccia of Novara in september 2013.
Some instructive pieces are published by Sconfinarte. Terra, a piece for solo cello is published by Rugginenti.
She has taught piano for fifteen years in public and private schools. Now she is teaching piano for children at the “Luca Marenzio” Conservatory of Brescia (Darfo site), and she gives special courses with her own piano method at the Civic School of Music of Trezzano sul Naviglio (Milan).