Mr. Bongiovi earned his bachelor's degree in filmscoring from Berklee College of Music in Boston and earned a master's degree in music education from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He is currently the band director at Princeton High School in Princeton New Jersey. Bongiovi is an avid composer/arranger of jazz band, concert band and marching band literature. Mr. Bongiovi is the director/founder of The Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra.
The Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra is an all-star high school and college student group that performs all over the world. This summer the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra will be touring Italy as well as performing at The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington and releasing a new CD of original big band material. The Philadelphia jazz Orchestra concept has expanded to create a two-week jazz education program for middle school and high school students called PJO Jazz Week. The program takes place during the summer and has featured master classes and performances by Denis DeBlasio, George Rabbai, Andrea Brachfield, Bob Gravenor, Joe Federico, Andrew Neu and Jimmy Bruno.
Mr. Bongiovi has worked and performed with many jazz greats such as: Phil Wilson, Tim Hagans, Greg Hopkins, Ben Elkins and Ravi Coltrane. This year the Princeton High School Studio Band under Mr. Bongiovi's direction performed with The Count Basie Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordan, Lenny White and Tierney Sutton.
Mr. Bongiovi has worked with great music programs at the following schools: Princeton High School
Steinert High School
Nottingham High School
Levitt Middle School (Willingboro), Neshaminy High School
Neshaminy Middle School
Mr. Bongiovi also directed the 2008 New Jersey Region 2 Jazz Ensemble.
