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Giulia Barba

Born in Bologna in 1984, Italian reed player Giulia Barba decided to pursue musical studies after she majored in Philosophy at the University of Bologna. Only then she began studying music, first in Italy, then in the Netherlands, attending the prestigious Conservatorium Van Amsterdam. In 2012 Giulia had the honor to be a member of the Arena Project, together with the most talented musicians from Europe such as Karlis Auzins, Miklos Borbely, Eva Bjerga Haugen, Inge Breistein, Petru Popa and Anton Hunter. The Arena Project performed at the prestigious MaiJAzz Festival in Stavanger (Norway) led by famous composer and bass player Per Zanussi. The performance was recorded and published as a limited edition album.

In 2013 she released her debut album The angry St.Bernard, which was nominated within the best jazz cds of the year (Jazzism, NL). Published by record label Blue Serge, the album was recorded in Amsterdam together with Sri Hanuraga, Luca Dalpozzo, Sanem Kalfa, Gidon Nunes Vaz, Christian Ferlaino and Joan Terol Amigo, at the well known Studio 150. In 2015 Giulia released a second album together with german saxophonists Conni Nicklaus and Olympia Jensen: Tanz Frank Tanz.

Still in 2015 she worked together with actors Mariano Arenella and Elena Ferrari in order to compose the soundtrack of their theater play La dolce guerra, which was named within the best plays of the theater season 2015-2016 by the prestigious review Milano Teatri. From 2016 Giulia has been working with singer John De Leo and The Tower Jazz Composer Orchestra.

Her first composition for Big Band was released with the album "Tower Jazz Composer Orchestra" in 2019, and it's called "Trova l'intruso".

Awards

"The Angry St.Bernard" NAMED ONE OF THE BEST JAZZ CDs of 2013 - (Jazzism, NL).


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3
Album Review

Giulia Barba: The Angry St. Bernard

Read "The Angry St. Bernard" reviewed by Luigi Sforza


Imbattersi in lavori che più o meno chiaramente riverberano creativamente capitoli fondamentali della storia musicale afroamericana e non suscita interesse, anche solo per la possibilità che hanno di creare inevitabilmente valore aggiunto. Se inoltre affiorano tipicità estetica, buon livello di scrittura, capacità di gestire e amalgamare i timbri, guidare un settetto davvero internazionale verso un jazz contemporaneo a strutture variabili, il livello d'interesse aumenta. In The Angry St Bernard, disco d'esordio da leader di Giulia Barba--giovane ...

4
Album Review

Giulia Barba: The Angry St.Bernard

Read "The Angry St.Bernard" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni


Italian reed player Giulia Barba uses her debut album to weave highly personal compositions that reflect her interests in visual arts, the European school of jazz, contemporary and world music and most importantly, her great passion for genre-defying music. The Bologna born musician decided to pursue musical studies after she majored in philosophy in the university of Bologna university. Only than she began studying music, first in Italy, than in Amsterdam and completing these studies in Stavanger, Norway, under the ...

2
Album Review

Giulia Barba: The Angry St. Bernard

Read "The Angry St. Bernard" reviewed by Mark Corroto


Listening to The Angry St. Bernard by musician and composer Giulia Barba, it is surprising to learn that it is her debut recording. A baritone saxophonist (maybe the Italian equivalent to Claire Daly, she displays a jazz veteran's maturity in both her compositions and playing. The eight tracks recorded here deliver a diverse sound and, more importantly, the promise of multi-directional growth. Doubling on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Barba arranges the music to divert the listener's attention ...

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“With reforms like The Angry St. Bernard there is no need for a revolution. The avant-garde on this record means no break-up with the tradition, but an ingenious processing of it”.

(Jan Jasper Tamboer, Het Parool, NL)

Primary Instrument

Saxophone, baritone

Location

Bologna

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Music

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