Biography
Paris based jazz guitarist Federico Casagrande is considered one of the most influential European guitar player of the last years. 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, London Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz and many more! “…with his subdued play Casagrande proves progressive jazz guitar a great service and leaves note devouring colleagues like Montgomery, Burrell and Martino behind in the 20th century” Jazztimes
