"The 2020 Premio Internazionale Giorgio Gaslini winner Federico Calcagno is a clarinet and bass clarinet player, creative jazz musician, improviser and composer from Milano, Italy, and currently based in Amsterdam.

The artist released his first album with his Italian band The Dolphians. This first recording is dedicated to Eric Dolphy and his music - "From Another Planet" [Emme Label] - which has been catalogued in the list of the best 100 albums of the 2019 by JAZZIT magazine.

The second album "Liquid Identities" (Aut Records, 2020) underlines the recent artistic evolution characterized by clear compositional abilities, remarkable rhythmic variety and strong interplay between unique international artists.The last EP "Introspection" (Unite Jazz, 2020) marks the discographical debut of Fade In Trio, in which Federico works as co-leader.

<> won the first prize at the "Premio del Consevatorio di Milano 2018" with his chamber project Tri(o)ttico, the critics award and 2nd prize in the prestigious Italian jazz competition dedicated to Massimo Urbani (Premio Internazionale Massimo Urbani 2019), and other two 2nd prizes: the Keep an Eye International Contest 2019 with his quintet Liquid Identities, and another one as jazz soloist in "Concorso Bettinardi 2020". The sextet Federico Calcagno & The Dolphians won two national prizes: "Nuova Generazione Jazz 2021" and the first place at "Concorso Bettinardi 2021 (band section).

Federico studied classical and jazz clarinet at Milan Conservatory, and in 2019 he graduated in Jazz Master in bass clarinet at Amsterdam Conservatory and attended the International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada), directed by Vijay Iyer and Tyshawn Sorey.In the academic year 2020-2021 Federico is teaching "Analysis and Application of Advanced Rhythm Techniques" at Conservatorio Vittadini, Pavia (Italy).

Federico has been active between Amsterdam, Milan and Bruxelles. He's the leader of the bands The Dolphians, Liquid Identities, and co-leader of Fade in Trio.He regularly plays as sideman in the bands Noneto Disconcertante, Aviv Noam Quartet, Amsterdam Modern Orkest (AM.OK), Adrian Moncada Sextet, Francesca Remigi's Archipelagos, and played with Tino Tracanna's Double Cut and Giovanni Falzone's Contemporary Orchestra. Recently, he developed interests in the rhythms of Carnatic music and in the world of the Conduction as instant composition: with Stab Freeze Collective Federico found and developed common elements between "Butch" Morris' Conduction, Walter Thompson's Soundpainting and Frank Zappa's way, demonstrating how a limited dictionary of gestures can be applied on a small orchestra with success."

"Pietro Elia Barcellona is an Italian contrabassist, composer and improviser currently based in the Netherlands, where he is active in the fields of experimental music involving both improvising and performing written material.

In the field of new music, Pietro has premiered works of composers such as Frank Denyer, collaborating with Amsterdam-based Ensemble Scordatura, and Robin Engel as first double bass of the Junger Künstler Bayreuth Orchestra; as well as performing in festivals such as Gaudeamus, Amsterdam Viola Festival and Doek Festival. Pietro has also played as a soloist for Sebastian Gramss' BasseMasse Sizilien Orchestra as part of Curva Minore in Palermo. Pietro has studied with teachers such Dario Calderone and Ernst Glerum and his repertoire includes composers such as Giacinto Scelsi, Stefano Scodanibbio, Salvatore Sciarrino. Pietro has also received lessons in contemporary chamber music from Helen Hulst and Nick Sterling, members of Nieuw Amsterdams Peil.

As an improviser Pietro has performed with numerous formations. He is co-leader of Fade in Trio, an ensemble focused on exploring ways of mixing Carnatic rhythms, free improvisation and unconventional techniques. The trio was among the winners of "Tomorrow's Jazz Prize" in Venice in 2021. Pietro is also a member of Moving Air Ensemble, an immersive project involving a kinetic sound installation combined with an acoustic ensemble. Furthermore, he is a member of Stab Freeze Collective (a sound painting ensemble), All Strings (an improvised music series of only string instruments players).

As a composer Pietro is interested in exploring the boundaries of composition and improvisation as well as the relationship between musical gesture and rhythm. Pietro is founder and co-leader of Ensemble Mellonta, a collective devoted to the performance of contemporary music and new compositions for which he also composes."

Marco Luparia: "In 2016 he undertook his studies in jazz drums at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. At the same time he followed a minor diploma program in classical and contemporary percussion in the same institute, where he obtained his Bachelor degree in 2020.

Since 2018 he has undertaken the study of Indian Carnatic music with professor Jonas Bisquert; thanks to which he is exploring the potential of this tradition in a context of contemporary and improvised music.

He is among the winners (with Fade In Trio) of the René Arons International Improvisation Competition, held in Antwerp in February 2019.

In September 2020 he undertakes the two-year Master course in Jazz and Improvised Music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris where he studies with André Pallemaerts, Vincent Le Quang, Alexandros Markeas and many other great French artists.

His original composition "Recto Verso" for ceramics and electronics allowed him to win the FOCI call launched by Kaunas 2022 in December 2020.

Since 2021 he's steadily collaborating with IRCAM researcher and composer Lorenzo Bianchi Hoesch and he's studying live electronics and MAX MSP with Andrea Agostini.

With Fade In Trio he won the 2021 Tomorrow's Jazz Competition in Venice."