Mr. Colina, born of Cuban-American heritage, Studied composition at the North Carolina School of the Arts with Vittorio Giannini, Louis Mennini, & Robert Ward; Continued studies at the Chigiana in Sienna, Italy with Thomas Pasatieri and Roman Vlad. He was the first recipient of the Vittorio Giannini Memorial Scholarship award.
Currently living and working in New York, Mr. Colina has been writing for Television, Film, Theatre, Dance and the Concert Stage for over 20 years. His Music has been performed through out the US, Europe & Japan.
He produces and writes for many of the great contemporary Jazz musicians of today. He has been nominated for 4 Grammy awards and won three in the field of contemporary Jazz. Also Mr. Colina has released 2 solo CDs on Private Music Label as a Pianist and has 3 Gold Records to his name. Mr. Colina was awarded an ACE Award in the category: Best Film Score; co-composed with Saxophonist David Sanborn for the Film “Finnegan Begin Again” Directed by Joan Micklin Silver.