"The 2020 Premio Internazionale Giorgio Gaslini winner Federico Calcagno is a clarinet and bass clarinet player, creative jazz musician, improviser and composer from Milano, Italy, and currently based in Amsterdam.

The artist released his first album with his Italian band The Dolphians. This first recording is dedicated to Eric Dolphy and his music - "From Another Planet" [Emme Label] - which has been catalogued in the list of the best 100 albums of the 2019 by JAZZIT magazine.

The second album "Liquid Identities" (Aut Records, 2020) underlines the recent artistic evolution characterized by clear compositional abilities, remarkable rhythmic variety and strong interplay between unique international artists.The last EP "Introspection" (Unite Jazz, 2020) marks the discographical debut of Fade In Trio, in which Federico works as co-leader.

<> won the first prize at the "Premio del Consevatorio di Milano 2018" with his chamber project Tri(o)ttico, the critics award and 2nd prize in the prestigious Italian jazz competition dedicated to Massimo Urbani (Premio Internazionale Massimo Urbani 2019), and other two 2nd prizes: the Keep an Eye International Contest 2019 with his quintet Liquid Identities, and another one as jazz soloist in "Concorso Bettinardi 2020". The sextet Federico Calcagno & The Dolphians won two national prizes: "Nuova Generazione Jazz 2021" and the first place at "Concorso Bettinardi 2021 (band section).

Federico studied classical and jazz clarinet at Milan Conservatory, and in 2019 he graduated in Jazz Master in bass clarinet at Amsterdam Conservatory and attended the International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada), directed by Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey.In the academic year 2020-2021 Federico is teaching "Analysis and Application of Advanced Rhythm Techniques" at Conservatorio Vittadini, Pavia (Italy).

Federico has been active between Amsterdam, Milan and Bruxelles. He's the leader of the bands The Dolphians, Liquid Identities, and co-leader of Fade in Trio.He regularly plays as sideman in the bands Noneto Disconcertante, Aviv Noam Quartet, Amsterdam Modern Orkest (AM.OK), Adrian Moncada Sextet, Francesca Remigi's Archipelagos, and played with Tino Tracanna's Double Cut and Giovanni Falzone's Contemporary Orchestra. Recently, he developed interests in the rhythms of Carnatic music and in the world of the Conduction as instant composition: with Stab Freeze Collective Federico found and developed common elements between "Butch" Morris' Conduction, Walter Thompson's Soundpainting and Frank Zappa's way, demonstrating how a limited dictionary of gestures can be applied on a small orchestra with success."

"Filippo Rinaldo

In 2011 he graduated from the CPM in Milan where he studied Jazz Piano with Maestro Massimo Colombo . Subsequently he perfected his studies of classical piano, harmony and history of music at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan, obtaining, with full marks and special mention, the Degree in Jazz Piano under the guidance of Maestro Antonio Zambrini.

He also studied with Aaron Goldberg , Kevin Hays, Daniele Lombardi, Adele Arnò, Tino Tracanna , Franco D'Andrea , Aaron Parks.

ARTISTIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

He participates in the Veneto Jazz seminars as a pianist and interpreter for foreign teachers (2013, 2014, 2016) and in the summer seminars of Siena Jazz (2016).

From 2009 to 2013 he collaborated with the American singer and vocal coach Mary Setrakian in numerous shows and masterclasses held in Milan.

Between 2009/2010 he collaborated with Diego Mancino , a Milanese singer-songwriter, in numerous concerts held in various Italian cities (with guests Roberto Dell'Era, Stefano Brandoni, Filippo Sabatini ...).

Participate in several television shows with various artists of the Italian Pop scene.

He collaborates with the Paduan jazz band "Crank" of Enrico Di Stefano, Riccardo Di Vinci, Andrea Davì, in numerous concerts in north east Italy and as a promotional band for the Cormon and Ubi Jazz festivals, the collaboration takes the form of the recording of a EP.

He puts to music some poems by Paolo Liguori, a poet from Padua, realizing a chamber work from his personal writing entitled "Parigi solo Andata" in collaboration with the singer Sara Romanello. He participates in the "Intuitive Music" review by performing a section from "Aus den Sieben Tagen" by K.Stockhausen with teachers and students from the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan.

Since 2016 he has been part of the VJOrchestra conducted by Maestro Pino Jodice. With the orchestra, he performs in numerous theaters and reviews and collaborates with various internationally renowned soloists (including Dave Douglas, Fabrizio Bosso , Paolo Fresu, Tullio de Piscopo , Mario Marzi).

Since 2017 he is part of the orchestra of Dino Betti Van Der Noot with whom he plays and collaborates on the realization of the album " Ou sont les notes d'antan" (2017).

In May 2017 he held a lesson / concert at the Bicocca University of Milan entitled "The piano in Jazz Music", in collaboration with the singer Simona Daniele.

Take part in the 2018 edition of the Bergamo Jazz Festival, under the artistic direction of Dave Douglas, proposing a mixed repertoire of original music and jazz standards in trio with Marco Rottoli and Matteo Rebulla.

Since 2018 he has been a member of the Area-M Orchestra . Under the direction of M ° Corrado Guarino he collaborates to realize numerous concerts for the project "Il Mucchio Selvaggio" inspired by the homonymous film with music by Jerry Fielding rearranged by Guarino himself.

In the same year he participated in the "Premio del Conservatorio" in Milan and won the First Prize in the Jazz category , in trio with Stefano Zambon and Alfonso Donadio.

He has played in numerous theaters / jazz clubs including: Teatro Dal Verme , Blue Note Milano , Bonaventura Jazz Club, Conservatory of Milan , Conservatory of Turin , Nomha Theater , Expo 2015 Italian Pavilion , Verdi Auditorium Theater in Milan .

He has participated in various festivals and reviews including: Bergamo Jazz Festival , Bià Jazz Festival , Novara Jazz Festival , MiTo Fringe , Piano City , Area-M , Cernusco Jazz Festival , EXPO 2015 .

Has played / collaborated with (alphabetical order):

Alberto Mandarini, Alberto Pederneschi, Alessandro Usai, Alfonso Donadio, Andrea Andreoli, Andrea Baronchelli, Andrea Bruzzone, Andrea Davì, Daniele Comoglio, Daniele Moretto, Riccardo Luppi, Davide Sartori, Diego Mancino, Enrico Di Stefano, Fabrizio Fogagnolo, Federico Calcagno, Filippo Sabatini, Luca Ceribelli, Marco Rottoli, Mary Setrakian, Matteo Rebulla, Riccardo Di Vinci, Roberto Dell'Era, Rudi Manzoli, Simona Daniele, Simone Mauri, Stefano Brandoni, Stefano Zambon, Stefano Grasso, Victoria Kirilova.

With the VJOrchestra:

Dave Douglas, Paolo Fresu, Fabrizio Bosso, Tullio De Piscopo, Mario Marzi, Attilio Zanchi, Tino Tracanna, Alberto Mandarini, Humberto Amésquita, Juan Carlos Alberto Zamora, Nick Nightfly. With the Dino Betty Van Der Noot Orchestra:

Gianpiero LoBello ,, Mario Mariotti, Paolo De Ceglie, Luca Begonia, Stefano Calcagno, Enrico Allavena, Gianfranco Marchesi, Sandro Cerino, Andrea Ciceri, Giulio Visibelli, Gilberto Tarocco, Luca Gusella, Emanuele Parrini, Niccolò Cattaneo, Vincenzo Zitello, Gianluca Alberti, Stefano Bertoli, Tiziano Tononi.

TEACHING

In CPM since 2019 he is Head of the Piano & Keyboards Department [...]"

Stefano Grasso (19"92) is a drummer and contemporary percussionist based in Milan.

As both drummer and percussionist, he has had the luck of meeting many musicians he admires a lot, taking part to many different and challenging projects in various musical genres (classical and contemporary music, jazz, punk-rock, songwriting, improvised music and what's between all of this; among them: Alberto N. A. Turra, Francesco Zago, Francesco Chiapperini, Raffaele Kohler, Mario Forte, Federico Calcagno, Centolanza, Alex Levine, Yuval Avital, Bill Whitley, Pulsar Ensemble, Deaf Kaky Chumpy, Goodbye Kings, and others). With some of this bands he has performed in clubs and festival around Italy and Europe (Czech Republic, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Danmark). He features more than 15 albums as sideman, released from italian labels (Emme Record, JazzIt, Felmay, Setola di Maiale, Squilibri Editore, La Stanza Nascosta) and foreign labels (Chant Records, Ravello Records, AUT Records), plus a self-released album as bandleader (2018).

Aside his activity of performer, he works as class musician for dancers and as composer for theater (Una Vita a Matita, Un po' di più, Prometeo?).

After finishing his Bachelor in Timpani and Percussion at Civica Scuola Claudio Abbado (2019), he is currently going deeper into vibraphone and marimba, studying at a Master Program in contemporary and improvised music with teacher Andrea Dulbecco in Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi, in Milan.

Aside his academic studies, he has studied drums and world percussions with musicians he deeply estimates, as Jim Black, Tiziano Tononi, Gilson SIlveira, Alberto Pederneschi, Giorgio Di Tullio.

He's curently pursuing his personal approach to music/drums/percussion, studying on his own and contaminating and cultivating his thoughts through the ideas and approaches of the many musicians he is very happy to work with."