Gianluca Littera discovered his passion for chromatic harmonica in his early teens and has become since then one of the few harmonica soloists with a renown in both classical and jazz music, worldwide.

His repertoire includes original symphonic and chamber music works for harmonica and orchestra such as Heitor Villa-Lobos' Concerto para harmonica e orquestra (recorded in 1997 with Spanish orchestra O.F.G.C., conducted by Adrian Leaper) , Graham Whettam’s Concert n.2 for Harmonica and orchestra, Darius Milhaud's Suite Anglaise, and other works by Gordon Jacob, Robert Farnon, Vaughan Williams, William Walton, Luciano Chailly and James Moody.

Gianluca Littera is invited on a regular basis to important international music festivals and venues such as Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia, Ravenna Festival, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil), Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao (Spain), Kremlin String Orchestra (Russia), Estonian National Orchestra (ONE), Orchestre Régional de Cannes Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur (France), Orquesta Sinfónica de Acapulco (Mexico), Orquesta de la OFUNAM (Mexico), Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y Leon and Auditorium Nacional de Madrid (Spain), Orquesta Sinfónica de Gran Canaria (Spain), Lockenhaus Festival (Austria), Milano Classica, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Haydn Orchestra Bolzano (Italy) and many others.

He has collaborated on many occasions with the prestigious Orchestra Nazionale di Santa Cecilia di Roma such as in Duke Ellington's Night Creature performance and recording with M. W. Chung, (40,000 copies sold), the inauguration of La Cavea Auditorium in Rome, the Italian premiere of Immobile n.2, conducted by Ennio Morricone.

In 2003 he was invited by the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo conducted by John Neschling to interpret Villa-Lobos’ Concerto para harmonica e orquestra in the composer’s native country. His interpretation of Gordon Jacob's Divertissement for harmonica and orchestra (in a quartet transcription) with the Quartetto d'archi della Scala has been included in Asolo Musica Festival’s thirtieth anniversary compilation.

Gianluca Littera frequently collaborates with composer Ennio Morricone who has written for him the minimalistic work for harmonica and chamber orchestra Immobile n.2, premiered in Tokyo in 2001, and film music medley for harmonica and orchestra Immobile n.3, which includes some of the author’s most famous movie themes (from The Untouchables, The Island, Investigation on a citizen above suspicion) and was premiered in Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica in 2012, with Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra conducted by Ennio Morricone.

In the field of jazz, he has played with great artists such as Ute Lemper and the Banda Mantiaqueira (grammy award winning Brasilian big band), the Eugenio Toussaint Trio, Ivan Lins and Trio Sacbè, and has recorded with musicians such as Chico Buarque de Hollanda, Dory Caimmy, Guinga and MPB4. He leads and writes for his own group, Ensemble Project.

His latest performances include concerts in South America and Austria with Ivan Lins, a tour with Gidon Kremer’s ensemble Kremerata Baltica.

His 2012 live season includes the debut with Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich at the Wiener Musikverein in March, the world premiere of G. Whettam Concert for harmonica and orchestra n.2, in April, together with Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano, at Bolzano’s Auditorium.

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