Saturday, 25 may, 14:00-15:00, Amfitheather
A CLOWN'S SMIRK
ism School of Arts
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Marta Del Grandi and Apollonio Maiello perform some original own compositions, some jazz and latin standards and some covers of pop songs, all arranged by the two of them and all based on the interplay.

Marta Del Grandi gets fond of singing at the age of 14.
At 16 she starts studying at "Accademia di Musica Moderna" in Milan. The following year she meets the opera singer Tatjana Korra, who becomes, and still is, her vocal technique teacher.
In 2008 she enters the vocal class of "Civici Corsi di Jazz" in Milan, where she studies for three years with teacher Laura Fedele. She gets the chance to start studying jazz harmony, theory and history and she discovers a passion for the traditional repertoire and improvisation. She also has the honour to be part of the Guitar Ensemble led by Master Franco Cerri and perform with him in April 2011 at "Piccolo Teatro Strehler" in Milan ("Il mondo musicale di Franco Cerri"). She starts to attend jazz workshops (Nuoro Jazz '10, Ronciglione Jazz Spring Camp '11 and '12, Tuscia in Jazz '11, Spezia in Jazz '12…) where she gets the chance to meet great musicians such as Maria Pia De Vito, Sheila Jordan, Gege Telesforo, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Rick Margitza, Dave Kikosky, Peter Bernstein, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Antonio Sanchez, Francisco Mela, Eddie Gomez, Rosario Giuliani.

She also starts to take part in jazz competitions, she is selected as finalist in Jazz Lighthouse "Premio Giovane in Jazz 2011", "Porsche Live Giovani e Jazz 2011", "Jazz by the Pool 2012" and "Lucca Jazz Donna 2012". She wins the second prize with her band, Marta del Grandi 4et, at "Porsche Live Giovani e Jazz" and gets a special prize from the president of the jury, Italian singer and songwriter Lucio Dalla. After gettig her dipoma at "Civici Corsi di Jazz" she applies for the Master at "Conservatorio G. Verdi di Milano", where she is admitted from teacher Diana Torto. Here she has the chance to approach the modern jazz and european jazz repertoire, getting to know some great composers and masters that really influence her. She also takes part in the Contemporary Jazz Ensemble led by trumpet player Giovanni Falzone.

She is currently studying on Erasmus Program at "Conservatorium Hogeschool Gent" with teachers Kristen Cornwell and Bart Defoort.

From 2011 she is involved in an experience as band leader together with guitarist Marco Giongrandi in the Marta del Grandi 4et. They performed in several festivals and music venues in the North of Italy and they are about to record their first album. In this project Marta is the lead vocalist and lyrics writers and she writes part of the repertoire (music and lyrics).

In September 2012 one of their songs, "Tremolio" is released with the Italian jazz megazine "Musica Jazz".

Web pages: soundcloud, facebook

The line-up:

MARTA DEL GRANDI vocals
APOLLONIO MAIELLO piano