Gianni Denitto

Gianni Denitto is an Italian saxophonist, composer and sound explorer. After training in both classical music and jazz, he developed an international career across acoustic and electroacoustic projects, engaging with musical traditions and cultures encountered in different parts of the world. He has performed and taught in more than 30 countries.

He graduated with highest honours in clarinet and jazz from the Turin Conservatory. He began in classical music, collaborating with orchestras including the Turin Philharmonic, before moving towards experimental rock and electronic music. His encounter with jazz led him to focus on the saxophone and improvisation. He later spent a period in New York, studying and immersing himself in the local jazz scene.

A turning point came with his appointment as guest professor at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory. From there, he embarked on a journey lasting around three years, combining concerts, residencies and teaching activities across Asia, Africa and Australia. He taught in conservatories and universities, collaborated with Italian cultural institutions abroad and performed with musicians he met along the way. This experience gave rise to the solo concert that would later become Kāla and to his TEDx Torino talk Il viaggiatore col sax.

His discography as a leader includes Remixin’ Standards, released by Universal Music / EmArcy, and the sax-and-electronics works Brain on a Sofa and Kāla. His most recent projects reflect the different directions of his research: The Shadow Line, an acoustic quintet for three horns, bass and drums, for which he composed and arranged the music; TUN · Torino Unlimited Noise, a trio at the forefront of the European techno-jazz scene; and Tangier Sound Clash, built from old recordings found in Tangier, where his saxophone meets the electronic production of FiloQ and the sounds of Morocco. Inspired by Joseph Conrad’s novel, The Shadow Line was selected by Jazzit Magazine among the 100 best albums of 2024.

He has appeared at venues and festivals including jazzahead! Bremen, Eurovision Village, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Y Theatre Hong Kong, Shanghai Midi Festival, Perth Jazz Festival and Serendipity Arts Festival Goa. He has shared the stage with artists from different musical worlds: Chano Domínguez, Fabrizio Bosso and Furio Di Castri in jazz; Ike Willis and Elio in rock; Dub FX, Zion Train and Adrian Sherwood in electronic music and dub. He also collaborated with Silvio Orlando on the theatre tour of La vita davanti a sé.

GQ Italia named him among the ten leading figures shaping the future of Italian jazz, while Rolling Stone Italia described him as one of the most interesting saxophonists on the Italian scene. He is Vice President of the National Federation “Il Jazz Italiano”.