Studied Composition at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan. First price in several music competitions (Milano/Milhaud Festival, Milan, Pomeriggi Musicali, 1994. Carlo Mosso Competition, Turin, 1996), has been assistant to Lorenzo Ferrero. His music is performed all over the world by many musicians and ensembles, among which: Arena di Verona Orchestra, Cantelli Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Piemonte Youth Orchestra, Sonata Island Ensemble, Les Divertissements Duo, Arkè Quartet, Harp&Piano Duo, Antonella Ruggiero, Cristina Zavalloni. His music is broadcast on national televisions and radio networks all over Europe.

Guest for two years of the contemporary music festival Primaverona by the Fondazione Arena di Verona, he has performed his works Grifo (1999), Verso est (1999) and Il fiore in tasca (2000, with the voice of Cristina Zavalloni). In the same year 2000 he got the commission from the Arena for the children opera Ulisse innamorato.

Primo disegno di Leonardo (1997), for harp and piano, is part of the collection CD Ten for two, compositions by ten Italian composers interpreted by the Harp and Piano Duo of Luisa Prandina and Anna Mortara and published by BMG.

Among his recent works: the original soundtrack of Un filo intorno al mondo, short movie by Sophie Chiarello, starring Aldo Giovanni e Giacomo; Ultramarine, a piano collection inspired by the last Raymond Carver's poems; Komarowsky waltz, in the soundtrack of Doctor Zhivago remake, screenplay by Andrew Davies, starring Sam Neill and Keira Knightley, directed by Giacomo Campiotti; Festa!, the official song of the Milan Fête de la Musique, which classified among the ten best ethnic hits in the 2002 USA Songwriting Competition; Hala Vala, for students orchestra and choir.

Among his theater works: Parallelo Zero, opera with the italian pop singer Antonella Ruggiero, produced by and performed at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano; Ulisse innamorato, a one act children opera with the libretto by Giulia Calenda, produced by and performed at the Arena di Verona; Manuale d'istruzioni, based on a novel by Julio Cortàzar.

Notte, an aria from Parallelo Zero, is one of Antonella Ruggiero's hits and is included in her album Luna Crescente. The orchestral version of the song opened her classical concert with the Cantelli Orchestra conducted by Alberto Veronesi in the Grand Hall of the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan.

Movies and fiction: (Original soundtracks, Music in other soundtracks, collaborations): La banda dei babbi natale, Paolo Genovese, 2010. L'Italia chiamò, Matteo Scanni, Leonardo Brogioni, Angelo Miotto, 2008. Un filo intorno al mondo, Sophie Chiarello, 2006. L'onore e il rispetto, Salvatore Samperi, 2006. La città che Hitler regalò agli ebrei, Alessandro Serra, 2006. Grandi domani, Vincenzo Terracciano, 2005. La vita che vorrei, Giuseppe Piccioni, 2004. Le stagioni del cuore, Antonello Grimaldi, 2004. Sotto falso nome, Roberto Andò, 2004. Doctor Zhivago, Giacomo Campiotti, 2002. Liberate i pesci, Cristina Comencini, 1999.

Sebastiano Cognolato's music is published by Casa Musicale Sonzogno di Piero Ostali, by RTI Music and by Tranquilo Edizioni.