Andrea Tofanelli

Andrea Tofanelli is a trumpet instrumentalist born in Viareggio (Lucca, Italy) 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). In 1987 Tofanelli finished his Conservatory studies with highest full marks, graduating cum laude. That same year he attended a 10 days Master Class given by Armando Ghitalla (Boston Symphony Orchestra trumpet soloist 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 Tofanelli has performed with great jazz musicians like Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band, Randy Brecker and Claudio Roditi, Peter Erskine, Kenny Wheeler, Denis DiBlasio, Paul Jeffrey, Carl Anderson, Lee Konitz, John Taylor, Palle Daniellson, Ernie Hammes, Wayne Bergeron, Roger Ingram, Eric Miyashiro, Carl Fischer, Reggie Watkins, Lew Soloff, Walter White, Jon Crosse, Craig Woods, Jim McFalls and George Rabbai as well as the greatest italian jazzmen like Bruno Tommaso, Enrico Rava, Gianni Basso, Stefano Bollani, Giorgio Gaslini, Gianluigi Trovesi, Henghel Gualdi, Paolo Fresu, Glauco Venier, and many others.

He performed as soloist also with the Atlanta Seventeen Big Band, the Luxembourg Jazz Orchestra, the Opus78 Big Band, the Rowan University Big Band, the New England Jazz Ensemble and the Harmonie Bascharage (Luxemburg 2006).

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 International Trumpet Guild in Canada.

In 1999 Tofanelli recorded his first solo CD entitled “Mattia's Walk & Tribute to Maynard Ferguson” released by the Italian label Splasc(H) Records. 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, composed by the Grammy-Nominated composer Brent Pierce. His new CD “Flamingo” will be released on October 2007 by the ACM label, recorded at the LMP Studios in Claremont (CA).

He has recorded more of 80 albums with some of the most important pop and jazz Italian artists. Andrea Tofanelli 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 Christmas will be released in Italy the “Jazz Istruzioni per L’Uso” dvd, talking about the History of Jazz, where he performs as soloist.

He also has been performing in Italy in many MEDIASET, RAI, LA7, TMC and SKY networks TV shows (more of 65 to date) and recorded several cinema soundtracks and TV commercials for some of the most elite recording studios in Italy. Since 2006 he's collaborating 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), Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, Michael Bublè, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carl Anderson, Randy Crawford, Donna Summer, Matt Bianco, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Gloria Gaynor, The Gibson Brothers, Samantha Fox, Imagination, Patrick Hernandez, Tony Hadley, Paul Young and Petula Clark. He has also performed and/or recorded as lead trumpet and soloist with a rainbow of very famous Italian artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Jovanotti (1997 tour), Fiorello, Adriano Celentano, Claudio Baglioni, Gianni Morandi, Renato Zero, Elio e le Storie Tese, 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 and Jenny B.

Tofanelli collaborates regularly with Demo Morselli Big Band Orchestra (Rome), Jazz Art Orchestra (Parma), Barga Jazz Big Band (Lucca), JIPU and Massimo Nunzi (Rome), Torino Big Band and Gianni Basso (Turin), Antonella Ruggiero Big Band (Pesaro), Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Big Band (Udine), Guacamaya Big Band (Florence), Sardinia Jazz Orchestra (Sassari), C.B. Band (Reggio Emilia), Evolution Big Band (Milan), Reunion Big Band (Bologna), Interart Band (Vicenza), Millennium Bug Orchestra (Florence), New Project Jazz Orchestra (Trento), All Times Big Band (Perugia), New Sugar Kitty’s Big Band (Piacenza), Village Big Band (Bologna), N.C.D.M. Big Band (Milan), Band IT (Como), JAM Big Band (Livorno), New Forties Big Band (Milan), Keever Big Band (Novara), Dino Siani Big Band (Lecco), Di Gregorio Big Band (Pesaro), Bansigu Big Band (Genoa), Onda Sonora Big Band (Massa Carrara), Mai Dire Band (Milan), Lino Quagliero Big Band (Rome), Biba Band (Milan), “Italian Youth Jazz Orchestra” (Siena).

Andrea Tofanelli also collaborates with some prestigious Italian symphonic orchestras as the “Orchestra Regionale Toscana”, 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 (”Making Waves” Festival, San Francisco 1987; Blues Alley in Washington DC, 2003; Fullerton College in Los Angeles, 2005; First Baptist Church Of Decatur in Atlanta, 2005; Touhill Performing Arts Center, 2006; “Rowan Jazz Festival”, Philadelphia 2007; “Mohegan Sun Arena” and “Canton High School Auditorium”, Connecticut 2007), Canada (“International Trumpet Guild 2008”, Calgary), United Kingdom (“The Tower Music Festival 2007”, London; Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London, 2005: “Four Seasons”, London 2007), Luxemburg (“Musek Am Syrdall 2004”, XVIIe Saison Musicale de Mensdorf; “Printemps Musical Festival 2007”; “2007 Blues’n Jazz Rallye Festival”), Malta (Malta Festival 1997), Finland (”Hartwell Arena”, Helsinki 2008; “Elysee Arena”, Turku 2008; “Pori Jazz Festival 2007”; “Oulu Jazz Festival 1999”), Germany (”Laeiszhalle”, Hamburg 2008; “Philipshalle”, Dusseldorf 2008; Wolfsburg, “Autostadt 4th Jazz & Blues Festival”; Hannover Expo 2000; Ludwigshafen Theatre, 1988), France (”Palais De Congrés”, Paris 2008; Radio France, Paris 1988; Chateau de Castries, Montpellier 1988; Nice 2007), Russia (Moscow, 2008), Lichtenstein (Little Big One Festival 1997), Austria (”The Stadhalle”, Wien 2008; Wien State Opera House 2007; Wien Festival 1997), Switzerland (”Kongresshaus”, Zurich 2008; “Out in the Green”, Winterthur Festival 1997; “Blue Balls Festival”, Lucerne, 2005), Holland (”Heineken Music Hall”, Amsterdam 2008; “North Sea Jazz Festival 2007”, Rotterdam; Ronald McDonald Gala, Amsterdam 2007; Concertgebow, Amsterdam, 1988), Belgium (”Queen Elizabeth Hall”, Antwerp 2008; Abbaye de Floreffe, Namur 1988), Scotland (Usher Hall, Edinburgh Festival, 1988), Greece (Rhodes, 2003), Spain (”Auditori”, Barcelona 2008; “The Cervantes Theatre”, Malaga 2008; “2007 Escenica Festival” Madrid; “Festival Internacional Jazz San Javier 2007”; “El Festival Jardins de Cap Roig 2007”, Girona; “San Sebastian Jazz Festival 2003, 38th Jazz Aldia”), Portugal (Estoril Casinò, 2006), Serbia (”Hala Sportova”, Belgrade 2008) and Principato of Monaco (Sporting Club, 1996, 2007).

Andrea also experienced different styles of music in Italy, performing in some Musicals as “Nights On Broadway” (Teatro Nazionale, Milan 2002, Naples 2003) and recording also the italian soundtracks for the “Il Mago di Oz” (2000/2001) and “Victor Victoria” (2003) musicals. He collaborated with the Acid Jazz group “Black & Brown” (Irma Records), with the “Brass Orchestra” brass ensemble (Lucca) and with the Latin Music bands “Raza Latina”, “Latin Sound Perù” and “Syncopa Latina”, accompanying Latin Music stars as Ray Sepulveda, Jorge Louis and Johnny Rivera in several Latin Music festivals. In the Soul and Rhythm’n’Blues music field he performed with Melvia “Chick” Rodgers, Bobby Johnson, Syl Johnson, Keisha Jackson, Ellis Hooks, Jackie Johnson, Archie Love, Toni Green, Carla McDonald and Soul Spinner.

As a teacher, Andrea is Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Workshop at the “Orazio Vecchi” Institute of Music in Modena and he is also the conductor of the “L. Boccherini Institute of Music Jazz Orchestra” in Lucca. 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 (where he gave master classes with the first chairs of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass section and the Canadian Brass international artist Jens Lindemann), Brass Academy of Ploaghe, International Campus of the Gallodoro Municipality, supported by the Government Culture Ministry and Sicily Region, as well as the Florence International Music Campus, Summer Seminars for the “Artemixta” Musical Association in Barberino Val D'Elsa, the “N.C.D.M. School of Music” in Milan and the “Minale School of Music” in Naples. As international jazz and trumpet educator, Andrea gives master classes and seminars also all around Europe and United States (California State University Northridge and Fullerton College in Los Angeles, First Baptist Church Of Decatur in Atlanta 2005, Rowan University in Philadelphia, Canton High School, Region 7 School District in Winsted, Southington High School, Manchester High School and Hall High School di West Harford in Connecticut 2007, Luxemburg Grand Theatre, 2007) is currently consulting with Clint “Pops” McLaughlin on the first American draft of “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.

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