The Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney is proud to support the Australian Tour of the Paris based jazz guitarist Federico Casagrande, considered one of the most influential European guitar players of the last years.
Casagrande will perform in Brisbane at JMI Live as part of the Brisbane Jazz Festival on October 15, in Sydney on October 17 at Foundry 616 and in Canberra on October 18 at the Smith’s Alternative.
He started in early age the study of classical music in Italy. In 2003 he moved on a scholarship to Boston, U.S.A., where he attended the Berklee College of Music and graduated summa cum laude in 2006. In 2007 he won the first prize at the Gibson Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition with George Benson president of the jury. He released 18 records as leader or co-leader. His production goes from acoustic solo to electric trios and quartets. Among others, notable collaborations on record are a duo with piano master Enrico Pieranunzi, a trio with Fulvio Sigurta and Steve Swallow and a duo with Francesco Bearzatti with whom he has been touring regularly for the past then years.
Since 2018 he’s a member of accordion virtuoso Vincent Peirani’s Jokers, a trio who has been touring extensively in Europe and U.S. He has been recently nominated as finalist for European Musician of the Year by Academie du Jazz in France and among the best international guitar players by the press. He performed in Italy, U.S.A., Canada, Denmark, Austria, Estland, Latvia, Portugal, Switzerland, France, U.K., China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Belgium, Ukraina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Croatia, Azerbaijan.
Notable venues: NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, Paris Jazz festival, Roma Jazz festival, Time in Jazz Festival, Hong Kong Jazz festival, Shanghai Jazz Festival, Germany symphonic halls tour, London Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz.
Along with his live and recording activity in duo, trio or quartet (he released 10 records as leader/co-leader) Federico Casagrande has been performing solo concerts since 2006. From underground intimate venues to festival halls, he has already fascinated audience of many countries. His solo performances focus on the song from both when it is written or improvised material. Musical ideas are drawn into the guitar from all sort of styles; the counterpoint he has assimilated during years of classical training, the contemporary jazz language you can hear in his recordings, rock riffs and pop-like arpeggios are all mixed together in a performance that is at same time highly refined and filled with emotional pathos that reaches all kind of crowds. Using digital effects and prepared guitar the variety of sounds he pulls out of the instrument add to the music another dimension.
Tour dates and venues:
15 October @ 8:00pm JMI Live – Brisbane Jazz Festival
10 Exhibition St, Bowen Hills, Brisbane
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17 October @ 8:30pm Foundry 616
616 Harris Street, Ultimo, Sydney
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18 October @ 7:30 pm Smith’s Alternative
76 Alinga St, Canberra
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