Federico Casagrande

Paris-based Italian guitarist and composer Federico Casagrande is recognized as one of the leading voices of contemporary European jazz. Praised for his lyrical approach, refined sound, and singular musical vision, he has built an international career that has taken him to major festivals and concert halls across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. After graduating summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Casagrande won the prestigious Gibson Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition in 2007, with George Benson serving as president of the jury. Since then, he has released eighteen albums as a leader or co-leader, exploring a wide musical spectrum that ranges from intimate solo performances to acoustic and electric ensembles. A sought-after collaborator, Casagrande has recorded and performed with some of the most respected figures in European jazz, including Enrico Pieranunzi, Steve Swallow, Fulvio Sigurtà, Francesco Bearzatti, and Vincent Peirani, whose acclaimed trio Jokers he has been a member of since 2018. Three times nominated as a finalist for the Prix du Musicien Européen by the Académie du Jazz, Casagrande has been widely praised by the international press for his distinctive voice on the guitar, combining melodic elegance, adventurous improvisation, and cinematic depth.