Drummer/Composer Mauricio Zottarelli has been on the forefront of the Jazz, Latin and Brazilian music scenes for quite some time. Coming from a musical family, Mauricio was born in Santos, SP, Brazil, but moved with his parents to their hometown, Rio Claro, SP, as a toddler. Surrounded by the city's and country 's rich music and cultural traditions, Mauricio grew up in an intense musical environment, and it was just a matter of time before he chose a career in music— or as he puts it, music chose him.

His first few years as a professional musician consisted of many performances throughout his native country with different Brazilian groups and artists, as well as studio and session work. At the same time, he pursued a degree in Computer Science, and concluded his studies in 1997.

Mauricio moved to the U.S. in 1999 to study at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, MA, where he was awarded a scholarship. He majored in Film Scoring, Performance and Arranging, and graduated from the prestigious college in 2002. More recently, Mauricio studied Indian music with the amazing South Indian guitar player Prasanna, and studied piano and composition with renowned jazz instructor Charlie Banacos. He moved to New York City in 2006.

Mauricio is a critically acclaimed and award-winning drummer and artist. He has participated in more than 50 albums as a drummer/percussionist. He is also the co-leader of the jazz-fusion project Dig Trio, which released its first CD in 2003 and has received great reviews from critics and audiences alike. In 2005, he was unanimously elected the best drummer at the 2005 Emergenza International Festival for Independent bands (Boston finals) while performing with the Matt Chase Group.

In 2009, Mauricio became a member of Japanese pianist Hiromi’s super group, Hiromi’s Sonicbloom, and has been traveling the world in support of her CD, Beyond Standard.
Also in June, Mauricio released his first album, entitled 7 Lives, which includes several of his own compositions. The record has an amazing lineup of some of the best names in jazz and Brazilian music, performing a unique mix of Brazilian jazz, fusion, and jazz.

Best known for his musicality, impeccable time and groove, his facility on the drum set, and his ability to play in many different styles, Mauricio is often seen performing with some of the most preeminent jazz, fusion, pop/rock, Latin, and Brazilian names in today's music both in shows around the U.S. and in tours all around the world.

Following is a list of some of Mauricio's performance/recording credits:
Hiromi, Dig Trio, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Prasanna, Esperanza Spalding, Cláudio Roditi, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador, Jovino Santos Neto, Nilson Matta, Toninho Horta, Santi deBriano, Cidinho Teixeira group, Gustavo Assis Brasil, Marc Rossi Group, Hendrik Meurkens, Oriente Lopez, among many others.