Felice Clemente

Felice Clemente—saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, conductor, bandleader, and educator—has been described by Enzo Siciliano (La Repubblica) as "the finest young Italian saxophonist" and by Cadence Magazine (USA) as "a talent destined to make jazz history."

Born in Milan in 1974, he developed a passion for music at an early age, inspired by his grandfather—a clarinet master—and went on to graduate with top honors from the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan under the guidance of Maestro Tessari.

As a clarinetist, he achieved top rankings in several competitions: the "Premio Ispra" International Music Competition (Varese) in 1991; the "Vito di Lena" National Clarinet Competition in Segni (Rimini) in 1994; and the T.I.M. International Music Tournament in Erba (Como) in 1997.

Alongside his classical studies, his discovery of jazz and the saxophone led him to pursue studies on the instrument with saxophonists Paolo Tomelleri, Pietro Tonolo, and Tino Tracanna; he subsequently graduated with top honors in Jazz Music under the tutelage of Maestro Tracanna at his hometown conservatory.

In the early 2000s, he actively participated in various masterclasses on jazz arranging led by Corrado Guarino, Dave Liebman, and Massimo Colombo, and also obtained his professional teaching certification.

He boasts a remarkable discography—comprising no fewer than 15 albums as a leader or co-leader and 16 as a sideman—which has garnered him numerous reviews and mentions in major specialized music publications, both Italian and international. Indeed, he has been consistently ranked among the top saxophonists of the year in the *TOP JAZZ* polls organized by *Musica Jazz* magazine (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and in the *JAZZIT AWARDS* organized by *Jazzit* magazine (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

His albums *Nuvole di Carta* and *6:35 AM* were awarded 4 stars by the renowned American magazine *DOWNBEAT* (November 2011 and June 2015).

He has collaborated with some of the most renowned artists on the national and international scene, including Gregory Hutchinson, Xavier Davis, Eliot Zigmund, Danny Grissett, Ugonna Ogekwo, Jimmy Greene, Quincy Davis, Asaf Sirkis, Yuri Goloubev, Ken Field, Mike Westbrook, Cyro Baptista, Stjepko Gut, Adam Rudolph, Michel Godard, Paolino Dalla Porta, Marco Tamburini, Massimo Morriconi, Paolo Birro, Tino Tracanna, Massimo Colombo, Massimo Manzi, Sandro Gibellini, Bebo Ferra, Stefano Di Battista, Andrea Dulbecco, Stefano Bagnoli, Achille Succi, Riccardo Fioravanti, Rudy Migliardi, Massimo Morganti, Antonio Faraò, Ellade Bandini, Roberto Cecchetto, Claudio Fasoli, Tullio De Piscopo, Sergio Orlandi, Bruno De Filippi, Daniele di Gregorio, Carlo Uboldi, Javier Pérez Forte, Francesco D’Auria, the Montecarlo Night Orchestra and Nick The Nightfly (conducted by Gabriele Comelio), and many others.

He maintains an intense concert schedule, through which he pursues numerous projects: solo saxophone and clarinet performances; the Felice Clemente Quartet (featuring Massimo Colombo, Giulio Corini, and Massimo Manzi)—which occasionally expands to a quintet with the addition of Bebo Ferra; the Felice Clemente Trio (with Paolino Dalla Porta and Massimo Manzi), featuring guest artist Daniele di Gregorio; a duo with Javier Pérez Forte; a duo with Carlo Uboldi; and the direction of his own big band, the "Mixiland Jazz Band."

The critical acclaim he has received has led him to perform in prestigious theaters and concert halls—both in Italy and abroad—appearing as a soloist, in chamber ensembles, and with symphony orchestras such as the Pesaro Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the "G. Verdi" Conservatory in Milan, the Villa-Lobos Orchestra of Paderno Dugnano, and the Operà Ensemble of Milan. As a clarinet soloist, he took part in the final concert of the Verdi Festival at the Teatro Verdi in Busseto (PR) in 2009.
With the group Nuevos Aires, he dedicated himself to researching and promoting the rhythms of South American Folk-Tango-Jazz, and also collaborated with the Artchipel Orchestra, directed by Ferdinando Faraò.

Among the major jazz clubs and festivals that have hosted him, notable venues include the Blue Note in Milan (where he has performed a remarkable 33 times), Smalls Jazz Club and The Kitano Jazz Club in New York, the Boston Jazz Festival, The Lily Pad in Boston, the Torino Jazz Festival, La Palma Club in Rome, the Fano Jazz Club, Stresa Seven in Jazz, Jazz & Wine Cormons (GO), the Val Tidone Festival, the No Borders Italian Jazz Festival in Gubbio, and many others.

He has frequently appeared as a guest on radio programs broadcast on RAI 3 (including *Piazza Verdi* and *Primo Movimento*), Radio RAI International, Radio Marconi, Radio Popolare, and Radio Classica. Furthermore, he served as the Artistic Director of the *Crocevia di Suoni* Jazz Festival in Agrate Brianza (2005–2008) and of the *Blué* Jazz Club in Cernusco sul Naviglio (MI) (2013–2014). In 2007, he also established his own record label, Crocevia di Suoni Records.

In the realm of theater, he served as co-arranger for the musical *La principessa Neghitò* at the Teatro delle Erbe in Milan (2001). He is also the composer of advertising jingles for Seat Pagine Gialle.

For Felice Clemente, music education plays a fundamental role; he is currently active as an instructor at the CPM Institute (Centro Professione Musica) in Milan, and serves as both instructor and conductor of the 44-member resident orchestra at the Villasanta Comprehensive Institute. Additionally, he acts as Artistic Director and conductor of the Mixiland Jazz Band in Milan and the OJBM (Jazz Orchestra of the Province of Monza and Brianza), and is a board member of the national association "Il Jazz Va a Scuola" (Jazz Goes to School)—an organization established by the National Jazz Federation, presided over by Paolo Fresu.

A dedicated advocate for the dissemination of jazz culture, he regularly conducts masterclasses in jazz saxophone as well as seminars on the history of jazz.