He has done extensive ethnomusicological research in Italy, Albania, Burkina-Faso, and elsewhere, as well as research on electroacoustic in 20th century music. Prof. Scaldaferri received his Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Bologna and a degree in Composition from the Conservatory of Parma; he was a Fulbright scholar at Harvard University and a Visiting Professor at St. Petersburg State University.