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Andrea Leone

Andrea graduated with top honors in classical saxophone from the G.B. Martini Conservatory in Bologna in 2009, and in jazz saxophone with top marks from the G. Puccini Conservatory in La Spezia in 2013. In 2024, he completed a Master’s degree in jazz saxophone at Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam.

He has had the privilege of attending numerous masterclasses in both classical and jazz music with internationally renowned saxophonists such as Fabrice Moretti, Philippe LeCoque, Eugene Rousseau, Gilberto Monetti, George Garzone, Mark Turner, Rick Margitza, Enrico Rava, Greg Hutchinson, Peter Bernstein, Ben Wendel, Miguel Zenon, Pietro Tonolo, Maurizio Giammarco, Greg Osby, Ambrose Akinmusire, Stefano Battaglia, and many others.
In 2014, together with musicians Matteo Patelli (guitar) and Lorenzo Capello (drums), he founded the trio Freak Oil, performing original music composed by Andrea and Matteo. In 2015, the trio was selected as a finalist for the Premio Maletto competition in Milan. In the summer of 2016, they recorded their first album Used Shoes on a New Floor, featuring Danilo Gallo (Orange Home Records).
Since 2014, he has been part of HIC (Hidden Improviser Collective), led by maestro Claudio Lugo, exploring various approaches to free improvisation.
In 2017, he joined the band Marti for the presentation of their third album King of the Minibar, performing in renowned venues in Italy and Berlin.
In September 2017, he moved to Rotterdam to further study saxophone and improvised music at Codarts University for the Arts, under the guidance of musicians such as Tineke Postma, Simon Rigter, Ben van den Dungen, Stefan Lievestro, Tom Beek, Nils van Haften, among others. In Rotterdam, he had the opportunity to play with various bands in jazz clubs across the city and the Netherlands, and to perform with the Codarts Big Band alongside notable artists such as Reinier Baas and Peter Weniger at prominent jazz festivals including November Music (’s-Hertogenbosch) and the Dag van de Rotterdamse Jazz (2018). In 2019, he won second prize with the Codarts Big Band in the Top Class category at the Corendon International Big Band Competition.

In 2019, he joined the SuperPostHardBop Quartet founded by Massimiliano Dosoli (clarinet), along with Jonathan Ho Chin Kiat on bass and Andrea Carta on drums. Active on the Dutch scene, they toured Sardinia in 2019, including a performance at the Cala Gonone Jazz Festival.
Also in 2019, he won the prestigious Erasmus Jazz Prize (Rotterdam) with the sextet WE ARE 6, which led to appearances at major Dutch festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival (2019), Jazz International Rotterdam (2019), and Otis Park Festival (2019).

In the same year, together with Filippo Deorsola, he founded the collective M.A.D. – Mutual Assured Deconstruction, performing in July 2020 with the renowned bass clarinetist Michel Pilz at Cinemà Antico in Luxembourg. In 2021, they launched a project on Cornelius Cardew’s Treatise and recorded the composition with Michel Pilz in October.
In 2021, he recorded with the Aseo Friesacher Trio. The album, titled Muddy Water, was released in December 2021.
That same year, he joined the Plankton Orchestra. In December, due to COVID restrictions, their planned concert at De Doelen with Yamandu Costa was turned into a video recording session, released between January and February 2022.

In 2022, he joined Antares Flare as saxophonist, co-composer, and co-arranger, alongside bandleader Piero Conte. They reached the finals of the Erasmus Jazz Prize and received enthusiastic feedback from the Karel van Eerd Award. In the summer of 2022, they toured Italy, performing at the Gezmataz Jazz Festival (Genoa). Also in 2022, Antares Flare released their self-titled debut album on the Amsterdam-based label Wicked Wax.
In 2023, they released two more records: Antares Flare Live EP and The Remixes.
In December 2023, he recorded the debut album with SuperPostHardBop at Wisseloord Studios.
In February 2024, Antares Flare released their fourth album Another Problem Ahead.
In the summer of 2024, he toured Italy with Antares Flare, performing at Umbria Jazz, Fano Jazz, and other events. In July 2024, he recorded the debut album of the LAC Trio, which will be released in March 2025 on AUT Records.

He has performed at the following festivals and venues:
North Sea Jazz (NL), Transition Festival (NL), Umbria Jazz (IT), Fano Jazz by the Sea (IT), Generation Festival (NL), Cala Gonone Jazz (IT), Gezmataz (IT), La Spezia Jazz (IT), Sound of Europe (NL), Make It Jazz (NL), Paradox (NL), BIRD (NL), LantarenVenster (NL), Rode Bioscoop (NL), De Doelen (NL), and many more.

Awards

Erasmus Jazz Prize 2019 with We Are 6
2nd prize with the Codarts Big Band in the Top Class category at the Corendon International Big Band Competition 2018.