Biography

Andrea was born in Viareggio (Lucca, Italy) on July 26, 1965 and began to study music and trumpet in 1976 in the wind ensemble of his village with some musicians close to Dean Benedetti, the famous italo-american jazz saxophonist mentioned in all officials Charlie Parker biographies. In 1979, at the age of 14, Andrea started working with some local semi-professional big bands and commercial music groups, and in 1984 he began performing professionally in the classical music field, while simultaneously attending the Conservatory at the “Istituto Musicale Pareggiato L. Boccherini“ in Lucca (Italy).ÊIn 1987 Andrea finished his Conservatory studies with highest full marks , graduating cum laude.Ê That same year he studied with Armando Ghitalla (soloist trumpet with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and teacher at the University of Michigan) and started his first jazz studies with O. Valdambrini and S. Fanni, trumpet soloists of the RAI national network Big Bands in Rome and Milan.


In the jazz music field, Andrea has performed with great jazz musicians like Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band (in Italy, London and United States 2000/03/05/06), Randy Brecker and Claudio Roditi (Luxemburg Trumpet Summit 2007), Peter Erskine (1996 Italian Tour), Kenny Wheeler, Tom Harrell, Paul Jeffrey, Dave Liebman, Dusko Gojkovich, Frank Foster, Till Bršnner, New York Voices, Valery Ponomarev, Carl Anderson, Lee Konitz, John Taylor, Palle Daniellson, Doc Severinsen, Allen Vizzutti, Jens Lindemann, Ernie Hammes, Denis DiBlasio, Wayne Bergeron, Roger Ingram, Eric Miyashiro, Carl Fischer, Reggie Watkins, Lew Soloff, Walter White, Jon Crosse, Craig Woods, Jim McFalls, George Rabbai, as well as the greatest italian jazzmen like Bruno Tommaso, Massimo Nunzi, Enrico Rava, Gianni Basso, Stefano Bollani, Giorgio Gaslini, Gianluigi Trovesi, Henghel Gualdi, Paolo Fresu, Glauco Venier, and many others.


He performed as soloist and/or lead trumpet also with the Atlanta Seventeen Big Band (USA), Rowan University Big Band (USA), New England Jazz Ensemble (USA), San Diego State University Jazz Band (“USA), RCC Wind Ensemble Honor Band (USA), Upland HS Jazz Band (USA), Deer Valley HS Jazz Band (USA), Luxembourg Jazz Orchestra, Opus78 Big Band and Harmonie Bascharage (Luxemburg) Dani Felber Big Band, SMZ Big Band, ZHdK Big Band (Switzerland) and Jazzorchester Karlsruhe (Germany). On September 20th, 2006, he has been invited to perform as soloist at the “Maynard Ferguson Tribute” at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis (Usa), now released also in dvd (2007). Moreover, Andrea has been invited performing as soloist at the 2008 and 2010 International Trumpet Guild in Canada (Banff center) and Australia (Sidney).


In 2008 he received the Visa O-1 for Extraordinary Ability in the Arts from the United States of America Government.


In 1999 Andrea recorded his first solo CD entitledÊ “Mattia's Walk & Tribute to Maynard Ferguson“ released by the Italian label Splasc(H) Records.Ê His second solo CD, “Ricordo di...Napoli“ a tribute to Neapolitan Italian music, was released by the Italian label, Fonotecnica, in 2001. During his USA 2005 Tour he recorded with the Artisan Brass the “Romantic Celebration” suite for jazz trumpet and brass quintet, dedicated to him by the Grammy-Nominated composer Brent Pierce. In 2008, the italian classical composer Antonio Giacometti dedicated to him the soloist part of “Antarctica”, symphonic poem for soloist trumpet and wind ensemble. In 2010 new recordings have been released: his new CD “Flamingo” (ACM Records, USA) recorded at the LMP Studios in Claremont (CA, USA) and the “Earth Games 2012” suite (Summit Records, USA), dedicated to him by the italian composer Nicola Ferro. As session man, he has recorded more of 400 albums from Pop to Jazz and soundtracks.


About videos and movies, Andrea appeares as a trumpet player in the Italian movie “Le ragazze di San Frediano”, and plays in the pop music videos “Lorenzo, Raccolto 1997” (Polygram), “Pavarotti & Friends 2000, For Cambodia and Tibet” (Decca), “Ti Adoro” with Pavarotti (2003) and also in the “Maynard Ferguson Tribute Concert” jazz dvd (2007). On 2008 has be released in Italy the “Jazz Istruzioni per L'Uso” dvd, where he performs as soloist. On 2009 he appeared playing soloist and lead trumpet in all the 12 dvds of the “La Grande Storia del Jazz” collection released by the Espresso-Repubblica magazine.


He also has been performing in Italy in many MEDIASET, RAI, LA7, TMC and SKY networks TV shows (more than 80 to date) and recorded several cinema soundtracks and TV commercials for some of the most elite recording studios in Italy.


Starting from 2006 he collaborates with the Paul Anka orchestra, both in Europe (European Tours 2007 and 2008) and in the USA. In Italy, Andrea has accompanied many famous artists from all over the world including big names such as George Michael (“Pavarotti & Friends for Cambodia and Tibet 2000,“ released on video and CD by Decca), Burt Bacharach, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, Michael Bublè, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gloria Gaynor, Carl Anderson, Randy Crawford, Amy Stewart, Donna Summer, Matt Bianco, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, The Gibson Brothers, Samantha Fox, Imagination, Patrick Hernandez, Tony Hadley, Paul Young and Petula Clark.ÊHe has also performed and/or recorded as lead trumpet and soloist with a rainbow of very famous Italian artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Jovanotti, Fiorello, Adriano Celentano, Claudio Baglioni, Gianni Morandi, Renato Zero, Elio e le Storie Tese, Demo Morselli Big Band, Antonella Ruggiero, Toto Cutugno, YuYu, Irene Grandi, Fausto Leali, Articolo 31, Gino Paoli, Tullio De Piscopo, Ivana Spagna, Andrea Mingardi, Francesco Baccini, Dirotta su Cuba, Rossana Casale, Jenny B. and with some of the most important italian jazz big bands as the Torino Jazz Orchestra (Turin), Barga Jazz Big Band (Lucca), Massimo Nunzi JIPU Big Band (Rome), Paolo Tomelleri Big Band (Milan), Antonella Ruggiero Big Band (Pesaro), Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Big Band (Udine), Guacamaya Big Band (Florence), Sardinia Jazz Orchestra (Sassari), Paolo Tomelleri Big Band (MI), All Times Big Band (Perugia), New Sugar Kitty's Big Band (Piacenza), Di Gregorio Big Band (Pesaro), Bansigu Big Band (Genoa), Lino Quagliero Big Band (Rome), Biba Band (Milan), “Italian Youth Jazz Orchestra” (Siena).


About classical music, in 1988 Andrea won the national auditions for the European and Italian tour of the “Orchestra Giovanile Italiana“ (Italian Youth Orchestra) as well as the “Teatro Comunale del Giglio“ of Lucca, and he was selected as a finalist in Rome for the ECYO (European Community Youth Orchestra).Ê In 1989/90 he fulfilled his military compulsory service playing in the Italian Air Force Band in Rome. He still collaborates with some prestigious Italian symphonic orchestras as the “Orchestra Regionale Toscana”, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, the “Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Emilia-Romagna A. Toscanini”, the “Orchestra Filarmonica del Teatro Regio di Torino”, the “EUR Spettacoli” and the “Orchestra da Camera Lucchese.”


From jazz to classical to pop music, Andrea has performed in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Luxemburg, Malta, Finland, France, Russia, Lichtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Scotland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Egypt and Principato of Monaco. He partecipated to many important international festivals as the “North Sea Jazz Festival” in Rotterdam, “Pori Jazz Festival” , “Autostadt Jazz & Blues Festival” in Wolfsburg, “Oulu Jazz Festival”, “Escenica Festival” in Madrid, “Printemps Musical Festival, Luxembourg”, “Rowan Jazz Festival” in Philadelphia USA, “Musek Am Syrdall, Saison Musicale, Mensdorf”, “San Francisco Making Waves Festival”, “Luxemburg Blues'n Jazz Rallye Festival”, “Festival Internacional Jazz San Javier”, “Winterthur Out in the Green Festival”, “San Sebastian Jazz Festival”, “Lichtenstein Little Big One Festival”, “The Tower Music Festival” e “Four Seasons Festival” in London, “Malta Festival”, “Wien Festival” and “Edimburgh Festival”, “Ascona Jazz Festival“ Svizzera, “Western States Jazz Festival“ USA, Scottish Festival of Trumpets, ”Umbria Jazz Festival”, Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival”, “Vicenza Jazz Festival” and many others, performing many prestigious theatres and concert halls like the “Wien Opera House”, “Concertgebow” in Amsterdam, “Radio France” and “Palais De Congrés” in Paris, “Usher Hall” in Edimburgh, Blues Alley in Washington-USA, “Touhill Performing Arts Center” in St. Louis-USA, “Heineken Music Hall“ in Amsterdam, “Queen Elizabeth Hall“ in Antwerp, “B1 Club” in Moscow, &ldquo";Hartwell Arena“ in Helsinki, “Philipshalle” in Dusseldorf, “Tempodrom” in Berlin, “Mohegan Sun Arena” USA, “Hala Sportova“ in Belgrado, “Hannover Expo”, “Banff Center” in Alberta-Canada, “Kongresshaus“ in Zurich, Ludwigshafen Theatre, “Estoril Casinò ” in Lisbon, “Sporting Club” in Principato of Monaco, “Auditorium”, “ Casa del Jazz” and “Auditorium del Foro Italico” in Rome and many others.


As a teacher, Andrea teaches trumpet and jazz workshops at the “Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali “O.Vecchi - A.Tonelli“ in Modena, Italy.Ê Moreover, he was an assistant at Maynard Ferguson's seminar during the Vicenza Jazz Festival 2003. Andrea also gives seminars for YAMAHA and collaborates with Santa Fiora International Festival Ð Italian Brass Week (where he gave master classes with the first chairs of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass section, Allen Vizzutti and the Canadian Brass international artist Jens Lindemann).Ê As international jazz and trumpet educator, Andrea has given master classes all over the United States, like California State University Northridge in Los Angeles, San Diego State University (California), Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Christian University (Oklahoma), Rowan University di Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Riverside City College, Fullerton College (California) First Baptist Church of Decatur in Atlanta (Georgia), Canton High School, Region 7 School District in Winsted, Southington High School, Manchester High School and Hall High School in West Harford (Connecticut), and about Europe also in Italy, Luxemburg, Germany and Switzerland. He also appears in Clint “Pops“ McLaughlin book “Embouchure - The Pros Talk“ and for an instructional video on trumpet playing.


Since 2000 he is also the Artistic Director of the “Dean Benedetti Jazz Festival“ in Torre del Lago Puccini.


Andrea Tofanelli is a YAMAHA artist.

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