"Drummer and composer, Francesco Cusa was born in Catania in 1966.

He played with well-known musicians such as Paolo Fresu, Tino Tracanna, Attilio Zanchi, Marco Micheli, Bruno Tommaso, Larry Smith, Walter Schmocker, Lauro Rossi, Gianni Gebbia, Fabrizio Puglisi, Stefano De Bonis, Guglielmo Pagnozzi, Domenico Caliri, Luigi Mosso, Edoardo Marraffa, Cristina Zavalloni, Lelio Giannetto, Alberto Capelli, Riccardo Pittau, Mirko Sabatini , Jay Rodriguez, Butch Morris, Jon Rose, Michel Godard, Kenny Wheeler, Garbis Dedeian, Steve Lacy, Tim Berne, Stefano D'Anna, Pietro Ciancaglini, Paolino Dalla Porta, Roy Paci, Elliot Sharp, Saadet Türköz, Flying Luttembachers, Andy Sheppard, Michael Riessler, Yves Robert, Giorgio Conte, Fred Giuliani, Zu, Mohammed El Bawi, E. Glerum, Assif Tsahar, Natalia M.King, Lionel Rolland , Dj.Pushy, Christophe Monniot, Tanja Feichtmair, Manu Codjia, Emil Spany, Arrington De Dionyso, Gianluca Petrella, Claudio Lugo, Marco Cappelli, Jean Marc Montera, Ab Baars, Ig Henneman, Danilo Gallo, Beppe Scardino, Francesco Bigoni, Stefano Senni, Piero Bittolo Bon, i Robotobibok, Giovanni Falzone, Tito Magialajo, Enrico Terragnoli, Carlos Zingaro, Gianni Lenoci, ecc. the dancers Cinzia Scordia and Florence La Porte , the visual artist Fred Gautnier, and the writers collectif Wu Ming.

He was the promoting partner of Bassesfere's collective and actually is envolved in the cultural association for improvised and avant-garde music Ex B. and with the project/label Improvvisatore Involontario.He performed in several international music festivals in France, Romania, Croazia, Slovenia, Bosnia/Erzegovina, Holland, Germany, Switzerland , Austria, Hungary, Norway, Spain, Belgium.

He's leader of the trio Skrunch and of the re-sonorization project for the movies Aurora, Solomovie plays Buster Keaton, Per un Pugno di Dollari and co-leader of The Body Hammer, Switters, Altomaria, Negri Volanti.

He collaborates with the following groups: Cristina Zavalloni Open Quartet, Trinkle Trio (feat. Michel Godard), Paolo Sorge Jazz Waiters, Feet on Mud the drums duo Complexe Machine."

"Cristiano Sacchi graduated in Cello in 1995 at the Conservatory "G.Verdi" of Milan in the M°M. Bernardin course. He improved with Maestros like Scano, Claret, Dindo, Filippini, Bronzi, Clerici within the Academies: "L. Rolla" of Pavia; "W: Stauffer" of Cremona, at the Institute "il Cinghio" of Parma, at the school of music of Fiesole and at the "Escola de Musica" in Barcelona (E). He participated as an actual member at training courses of "Academia della Filarmica della Scala"; of the "Accademia di S. Cecilia" of the AFOS course of the "Fondazione A. Toscanini" and he was a winner of the "OGI" and the Juvenile Orchestra "L. Cherubini" auditions. Since 2002, foundation year of the Toscanini Symphonic Orchestra, he plays a part as an actual member of the orchestra's entire activity, performing tours around the world under the direction of the main conductor M° Lorin Maazel and other illustrious conductors. He has collaborated and he is collaborating furthermore, with the "Orchestra and Filarmonica del Teatro alla Scala" of Milan, "Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia" in Rome, "Maggio Musicale Fiorentino" of Florence, "Orchestra filarmonica del Teatro Comunale of Bologna" "Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova" and more. He performs an intense chamber grouping activity ranging from duo to octet .He plays the role of principal cello of the "Camerata Strumentale Città di Prato" and he is a cello teacher at the school "Liceo Musicale Forteguerri" of Pistoia."

"Giulio Stermieri studied with Alberto Tacchini, Stefano Battaglia, Rozalia Schochmannova. He has released two albums of his compositions with the jazz-rock band "Foursome", broadcast by national broadcasters and with excellent reviews from the industry press. As a sideman he has worked in many fields of jazz, from duo to big band, collaborating with important musical personalities, Andrea Massaria, Edoardo Marraffa, Roberto Bonati, among others."

"Named as one of the best italian jazz trumpet players by the magazine Musica Jazz, his sound and approach are unique and you can hear it wherever he may be involved: as lead trumpet in large ensembles (Abbey Town Jazz Orchestra, Folkwang Jazz Orchestra, North East Ska*Jazz Orchestra, Udin&Jazz Big Band, Improvvirussoundexperience, Big Tartini Band, L'Insiúm, Das Große Ding, Greetings from Saturn, Naked Musician and more) as soloist and improviser in smaller bands (Francesco Cusa & The Assassins, Mizar Duo, Camatta Monk, Martello, Arbe Garbe, Radio Zastava, Kick the Kid, Le Retour des Oiseaux and more).

Between 2004 and 2013 he played with the band Arbe Garbe all over Europe (Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Sweden) and overseas (Argentine, Uruguay, Australia) and released five albums for which he treat composition, arrangement and production. In two of these played Eugene Chadbourne, the famous american singer and guitar player.

Between 2007 and 2015 he has been lead trumpet of the Abbey Town Jazz Orchestra with which he cooperated with various international artists as Michael Abene, Kyle Gregory, Mauro Ottolini, Marco Tamburini, Emilio Soana, Jamie Davis, Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, Ray Gelato, Klaus Gesing and many others. This band played for many years in the main event of the Summer Jamboree in Senigallia accompanying sundry singers guests of the festival, often with more the 10.000 people in the audience.

From 2011 he's member of the jazz band Francesco Cusa & The Assassins, one of the most active italian bands requested in all Europe. They realized three albums, the first one (The Beauty and The Grace) considered one of the 100 best jazz productions in 2012 according to the magazine Jazzit.

He played in festivals and clubs such as: International Jazz Festival (Münster), Zomer Jazz Fietstour (Groningen), Jazzy Colours (Parigi), Catania Jazz, Udin&Jazz, Süd Tirol Jazz Festival (Bolzano), Cormons Jazz & Wine, Trentino in Jazz (Trento), Pordenone Blues Festival, Veneto Jazz, Tarcento Jazz, Issue Project Room (Brooklyn), B-flat (Berlino), Casa del Jazz (Roma), Jazzstudio (Norimberga), Bunker Ulmenwall (Bielefeld), Domicil (Dortmund), Projazz Festival (Dortmund), Jazz Club (Ferrara), Jazz Wide (Pisa), Novara Jazz and many others.

He played with Francesco Cusa, Cristiano Arcelli, Glauco Venier, Marco Tamburini, Andrea Toffanelli, Fabrizio Puglisi, Luca Dell'Anna, Euegene Chadbourne, Nevio Zaninotto, Kyle Gregory, Michael Abene, Emilio Soana, Roy Paci, Giorgio Pacorig, Giovanni Maier, Sebastian Gramss, Ryan Carnieaux, Giulio Stermieri, Giovanni Benvenuti, Paolo Sorge and many others."

"Duccio Bertini is an arranger, composer and conductor from Florence (Italy). Actually he is developing his musical projects between Italy and Spain.

Born in Florence in 1968, he began the study of piano at the age eight under the guidance of his father Sergio, a pianist, who introduced jazz music to Duccio and so at an early age his passion for jazz ignites. At the age of 14, he starts the study of the clarinet with Dario Goracci of Maggio Musical Fiorentino Classical Orchestra and later he studied saxophone with Mirko Guerrini, Nico Gori, Marco Bini, Renato Cordovani, Daniele Malvisi, Pietro Tonolo and Barend Middlehoff. In 2008 he takes the Bachelor's Degree of Jazz Music (of three years) at the Music Conservatory of Bologna "G.B. Martini" (score: 110 out of 110).

He has studied jazz composition and arrangement with Klauss Lessmann, Giancarlo Gazzani, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Bruno Tommaso, Mario Raja, Roberto Spadoni. He attended as auditor film scoring music courses with the Oscar Prize Luis Bacalov at Scuola Chigiana (Siena). He has studied orchestra conducting with Carlomoreno Volpini, Alan Freiles Magnatta and conducting for Jazz Orchestra with Bruno Tommaso.

In the 2003 he wins the first prize at the 16th edition of the International Competion for Arrangement and Composition of BargaJazz, for the section C (with the presence in the jury of saxophone player Lee Konitz). From December 2003 and January 2004 he is assistant of Mario Raja for a Masterclass of jazz composition for combo. In 2004-2005 he is assistant of Giancarlo Gazzani for a Masterclass of jazz composition for bigband at SienaJazz course. In 2004 and 2005 he is finalist at the International Competition for Arrangement and Composition of BargaJazz, for the section B and A. In 2006 he is one of finalist of the 1st edition of International Competition for Arrangement and Composition of PiacenzaJazz. In 2005 he attends to Arrangement Workshop directed by Roberto Spadoni and Bruno Tommaso, at "Chieti in Jazz"

He has collaborated as conductor, arranger and composer in various groups of different types (combo, band, big band, symphonic orchestras) such as (list not comprehensive): "Obiettivi Sonori" (2003), "Incapaci Orchestra", cover band of italian comic Alessandro Paci (2004), "One Nite Stand" (2004), "Millennium Bug's Orchestra" directed by Mirko Guerrini (2004-2005), the "Blue JazzBand" (since 2001); "Frances Swing Orchestra" (2005-2006), "Radio 39 Orchestra" (2006), "Verona improvisers Orchestra" (since 2007), Futura Jazz Orchestra (since 2007), deciBel Orchestra (since 2008), Cromatos Project (since 2009), Barcelona Jazz Orchestra (2012), Big Band Banda Municipal de Granada (Retroback Festival, Granada 2012), Cam Big Band (since 2012), Rainbow Jazz Orchestra (since 2012), Andalucia Big Band (2012, 2014), No Slavery Life Orchestra (2012), Original Jazz Orquesta del Taller de Musics (Barcelona, 2013, 2014, 2015), Royal Big Band (Stockholm, 2013), Collettivo Musicadabra Extended (Giotto Jazz Festival, 2013), USAL Big Band (Salamanca, 2013, 2015), Eskimo Jazz Band (2013, 2014), Città di Grosseto Symphonic Orchestra (tour summer 2013), La Locomotora Negra (Voll-Damn Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona, 2013), Florentine Swing Orchestra (2014), EMM Big Band (Vilafranca, 2015), Duccio Bertini Big Band (since 2015), LJP Big Band (2016), Clasijazz Big Band (2016), Florence Art Ensemble Symphonic Orchestra (La La Land in Concert Italy Tour, 2017), Ad Libitum Symphonic Orchestra (Valencia, 2018), Fima Symphonic Orchestra (Almeria, 2018) and many others.

Actually he is member of this following projects, having the opportunity to play in various concerts in Italy and abroad: Futura Jazz Orchestra, a jazz orchestra composed by 17 musicians, as director, composer and arranger; Rainbow Jazz Orchestra, a jazz orchestra based in Florence (Italy), as conductor and arranger; Duccio Bertini Big Band, a jazz orchestra based in Barcelona (Spain), composed by 17 musicians.

He has written more than 180 arrangements and compositions for combo (jazz, rock, blues, latin) and more than 120 arrangements and compositions for Big Band and jazz orchestras, and also suite for symphonic orchestra and some compositions for chamber music (string quartet, woodwind ensembles). In November 2013, the prestigious Association "Amici del Loggione del Teatro alla Scala" of Milan commissioned him to compose for string quartet and clarinet ("Quintet for Strings and Clarinet"), for a concert to be held in Milan.

As professor, he taught courses and Masterclass on Big Band Conduction, Jazz Arranging and Composition for Combo or large ensembles at many schools, such as Taller de Musics (Barcelona), Universidad de Salamanca (Spain), SedaJazz (Valencia). ClasiJazz (Almeria) and Scuola CAM (Florence, Italy).

From 2016 to 2017 he was Professor on contract of Jazz Arranging and Composition at Music Conservatory of Potenza (Italy).

He has partecipated at various Festivals such as (list not comprehensive): Festival "On the Road" of Pelago (1994), 50th edition of the International Festival of Mandorlo in Fiore in Agrigento (1995), International Festival of SchlossHof 2004 (Neustadt on der Aisch, Germany), 13th edition of International Festival of Dixieland in Tarragona (Spain), NeustadtNacht Festival 2006 (Germany), Civitavecchia Summer 2005, Cittadella "Jazz and More" 2006 of Viareggio, TschirgArt Jazzfestival 2007 (Imst, Austria), Valsugana Jazz Tour 2007, Millenium Concert (Rignano sull'Arno, 2008), Retroback Festival (Granada, 2012), Giotto Jazz Festival 2013 and many others. He performs regular concerts in Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Austria.

He has collaborated and played with Scott Hamilton, Bobby Watson, Jesse Davis, Perico Sambeat, Gianni Basso, Claudio Fasoli, Fabrizio Bosso, Marco Tamburini, David Pastor, Ruben Simeo, Fabio Morgera, Nico Gori, Mirko Guerrini, Ignasi Terrasa, Karima, Dirotta su Cuba and many others."

"Giovanni Benvenuti born in Siena on 27 June 1989, tenor and soprano saxophonist, graduated with honors from the G.B.Martini conservatory of Bologna. He studied before enrolling at the Conservatory of Bologna, where he studied with professors such as Barend Middeloff, Massimo Morganti, Fabrizio Puglisi, Diana Torto, Roberto Rossi and Michele Corcella, he studied in the Siena Jazz Foundation with teachers Klaus Lessmann, Mirko Mariottini, Stefano Franceschini , Franco Fabbrini, Mariano di Nunzio, Stefano Franceschini, Giulio Stracciati, Alessandro Giachero, Luca Necciari, Francesco Petreni and Marcello Faneschi. He played in the Arbia big band directed by Klaus Lessmann and in the Labyrinth orchestra conducted by Roberto Nannetti, with whom he recorded a record released in 2013 entitled "I arrange, sound and song ..." with the participation of Ettore Buonafè, Barbara Casini, Mirco Mariottini and Gilson Silveira and with arrangements by Marcello Faneschi and Roberto Nannetti. He attended 4 editions of the Siena Jazz summer seminars with teachers Mark Turner, Walter Smith III, Mark Guiliana, Ambrose Akinmosire, Giulio Visibelli, Pietro Tonolo, Stefano Zenni, Riccardo Zegna, Tomaso Lama, Francesco Martinelli, Michael Blake, Joel Frahm, Miguel Zenon, Maurizio Giammarco. He attended seminars with George Garzone, Francesco Petreni, Barbara Casini, the composer Guinga, Ferenk Nemeth, Ben Allison, Gilad Hekselman, Tim Berne. He was admitted and attended, obtaining his diploma, the international master In.Ja.m. (International jazz master in improvisation techniques), with the teachers Pietro Tonolo, Claudio Fasoli, George Garzone, Jerry Bergonzi, Adam Nussbamm, Ben Perosky, Roberto Gatto, Ettore Fioravanti, Stefano Zenni, Francesco Marinelli, Maurizio Franco, Bruno Tommaso, Tomaso Lama, Maurizio Giammarco, Gianluigi Trovesi, Tim Berne, Palle Danielson and other internationally renowned musicians, with whom he sometimes shared the stage. He participated in the Panama Jazz 2010 festival, in which he performed in concert with a group formed by Luigi di Nunzio, Enrico Morello, Francesco Diodati, Alessandro Lanzoni and Gabriele Evangelista, and he taught a master class in the scope of the festival. With this training he performed at the Teatro dei Rinnovati in Siena, at the Baluardo in Modena and at the Torrione jazz club in Ferrara, and later represented the Siena Jazz Foundation in a meeting with the Paris Conservatory and the Berklee. With the same quintet, with the addition by Achille Succi, he performed in Boston and New York. In Boston he followed classes with Danilo Perez, Ben Street and other international musicians within the Berklee college. He played in concert with John Taylor; with the Brazilian composer Guinga; with the singer Barbara Casini; with the pianist Danilo Perez. He composed the music for the theater of Water and Sand by Gloria Mugelli and Lorenzo Taccini. Roberto Spadoni collaborates, with whom he has performed in big band at the jazz festival of Comacchio in 2011 with Marco Tamburini on the trumpet. He performs in many Jazz Festivals such as Terni, Novara, Gray cat etc. He performed in numerous clubs such as Torrione di Ferrara, a Tubo di Siena, Cantina Bentivoglio and Spazio inDue of Bologna, Ex Wide of Pisa, Nof of Florence etc ... Col Gaga quartet won the T-rumors competition organized by the Tuscany region and in the summer of 2012 the Murate competition. With this training he performed in numerous prestigious exhibitions (such as the Turin Book Festival, the Gray Cat festival, the Mei a Faenza etc.) thanks to the collaboration with Eventi Music Pool, with guests such as Mirko Guerrini and Giovanni Falzone. In the summer of 2012 with the Gaga quartet opens the concert to the quartet of Dave Holland held in the Roman amphitheater of Fiesole. With the Redsolution Group he recorded a record released by Irma Records entitled "Invisible song" with the participation of Humberto Amesquita, Federico Pierantoni, Yuri Goloubev, Germano Zenga and Luca Bortoluzzi. At the Siena Jazz seminars 2012 he won a scholarship thanks to which he will participate in the Iasj jazz meeting 2013 in Daninamarca. Wins the Massimo Mutti prize as part of the Bologna festival, with a jury also composed of members of the Opus Five. Still in the Bologna festival he plays with a group of students selected by the conservatory and directed by the Opus five, and with the Big Band of the conservatory conducted by Massimo Morganti. He plays with Michele Pazzini quartet in San Marino in the Titano Theater. He collaborates with the Natural Revolution Orchestra conducted by Fabio Morgera, in which he collaborates with numerous musicians such as Dario Cecchini, Claudio Giovagnoli, Stefania Scarinzi, Nico Gori etc .. He is a finalist in the competition Massimo Urbani Award 2014. He is a finalist in the competition Chicco Bettinardi 2015 in the soloists category. Through the conservatory of Bologna has the opportunity to follow a seminar with John Taylor and Diana Torto. Record a record of his original music in coproduction with the Emme musical productions entitled What happened to Mr. Bowman, with the musicians Simone Graziano, Francesco Pierotti and Andrea Grillini, published in April 2015. With this training he plays in numerous reviews and festivals such as the Torrione jazz club, the Tarquinia jazz festival, the Farfa jazz festival, the Cittadella theater in Civitavecchia, etc. Take part in a small tour of 3 concerts organized by Ismez (inside the Santa Cecilia conservatories in Rome, G.B. Martini in Bologna and the one in Rovigo) together with musicians such as Salvatore Maiore and Diana Torto. He performed with the Fragile Orchestra as part of the Novementis festival in Modena. He performs with the Fuel quartet in numerous festivals such as Jazz on the Corner in Arezzo, Fano Jazz festival, Fara Jazz festival etc. With the duo, Step Two records a disc, called Binari, published by Abeat records. With this training qualifies third in the competition of the National Conservatory Festival 2016 held in Frosinone. He collaborates regularly with Francesco Cusa as part of the Francesco Cusa & the assassins group, with whom you have played at festivals such as the Catania jazz festival, Metastasio jazz festival, Jazz alla Tenda, Jazzit festival etc. With the Assassins he publishes the Live album in Collescipoli, attached to the Jazzit magazine for the Alfa Music label. He publishes for El Gallo Rojo records the album Kind of Mosch containing compositions by Riccardo la Foresta, training with which he plays in numerous shows such as the Blue Noise of Reggio Emilia. He recorded the album Elisa Mini Beyond the Line published for Nadir Music and plays in concert with this project at the Sala del Rosso in Florence. Thanks to the association Ismaz onlus participates in a tour (including the House of Jazz in Rome) with Diana Torto and Stefano Battaglia. He graduated at the Jazz Biennial at the G.B.Martini Conservatory of Bologna with a score of 110 with honors and academic mention. Register the Question Market training disc for Emme records. He collaborated with the Australian singer Tamara Kuldin."

"Agostino Mattioni began studying the violin at the "School of Music of Fiesole" and with Maestro F. Barbucci he graduated in 2001 at the "R. Franci "of Siena.

He attended Masterclasses of the masters M. Fornaciari, L. Mangiocavallo, A. Krecher, A. Vinnitsky, O. Semchuk, G.Carmignola at the Accademia Chigiana.

He attended annual courses and took private lessons from the masters M. Fornaciari, G. Franzetti, P. Chiavacci, E. Porta, P. Vernikov, C. Carlini.

In September 2004 he passed the audition to attend the specialization course with Maestro C. Chiarappa at the Conservatory of Italian Switzerland in Lugano where he was able to play conductors like Lu Ja, K. Kootsveld and C.Chiarappa.

He played in a trio with cello and piano with which he attended chamber music courses by F. Rossi, and the "Trio di Parma" at the Fiesole Music School.

He attended the orchestra specialization course of Saluzzo, the lyric-symphonic "Spazio Musica" of Orvieto, the course "Mimesis Maggio Arte" managed by the Teatro Comunale di Firenze (where he played the second violins under the direction of Z. Metha, P. Bellugi, N. Kabaretti) and the masterclasses for orchestras of the "G. Mahler "of Ferrara (where he is followed by masters T. Brandis and D. Gaede respectively shoulders of the Berliner and the Wiener Philarmoniker).

He has collaborated with the orchestras "Florence Symphonietta", "City of Ravenna", "Insubria", "of the theater of Giglio di Lucca", "Symphonia Perugina", "Promusica di Pistoia". He collaborated with the "Rome Symphony Orchestra" where he had the opportunity to play with various soloists and conductors including S. Mintz, M. Rizzi, B. Belkin, E. Dindo, A. Meneses, G. Oppitz, A. Ciccolini, J. Achucarro, O. Maga, G. Otvos, G. Nehuold and others.

He has played in various editions of the "Cantiere internazionale d'Arte" of Montepulciano both in string quartet and as an orchestra shoulder under the direction of D. Giorgi and L. Garosi also recording pieces by N.Campogrande with artists such as S.Chiesa and R. Prosseda. He taught violin at the Montepulciano Music Institute.

It is suitable for the 2004 selections for the "Mahler Jugend Orchestra" directed by C. Abbado. In the summer of 2005, he was invited to participate in the Weimar Kunstfest in Germany as the shoulder of the Festival Youth Orchestra.

He collaborated with L. and V.Ghielmi as part of a seminar on baroque music and in subsequent productions.

With the "Dynamis Ensemble" directed by JT Maldonado he participated in the Milano Musica festival playing with artists such as C. Chiarappa and A. Angster and recording the concert for Rai Radiotre.

It is suitable for the audition for the "Mozart" orchestra conducted by C. Abbado."

"Daniele Iannaccone is an Italian violinist, a member of Francesco Cusa & The Assassins."

"Lorenzo Borneo: Born in Prato, he completed his musical studies at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory of Florence, where he graduated in Violin under the guidance of M ° L. Gamberini, subsequently in Instrumentation for Banda with Maestro R. Becheri and finally in Choral Music and Direction of chorus with the Maestro F. Facchinelli. He still attends courses of specialization in Violin with Maestro A. Bologni. He took the medium composition course with Maestro A. Varotti and he attended the Orchestral Conducting course with Maestro A. Pinzauti. He also attended the Piano Course at the L. Cherubini Conservatory. Three-year Master in Pop Harmony and Arrangement with Maestro R. Galardini.

Violinist in the " Camerata Strumentale Città di Prato " Orchestra. He collaborates with the Orchestra del Puccini Festival and Città Lirica Orchestra. He has collaborated with the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to the Orchestral one, he teaches the violin."