Duccio Bertini & Pietro Tonolo
Biography Duccio Bertini & Pietro Tonolo
Duccio Beverini
is a pianist specializing in chamber music repertoire and contemporary music. He developed a deep interest in these two fields during his studies with Angela Aloi and Rolando Russo at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica in Florence, subsequently honing his expertise under the guidance of pianists Giancarlo Cardini and Pier Paolo Vincenzi.
He is one of the few performers worldwide to have performed Stockhausen’s complete cycle *Natürliche Dauern* (Natural Durations) Nos. 1–24 live. The preparation of this piano cycle—which lasts over two hours—was undertaken with the work's dedicatee, Benjamin Kobler; the project was supervised by the Stockhausen Foundation for Music and ultimately awarded a grant.
Since 2020, he has been working closely with Milan-based composer Dario Buccino on the development of his major piano work, *Finalmente il tempo è intero. Per Duccio Beverini e pianoforte*.
His work has been recognized through scholarships and grants from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts, and the Thuringian Summer Academy.
He has received decisive artistic inspiration from musicians such as Francesco Libetta, Sylvano Bussotti, Eduard Brunner, and Bruno Canino.
His performance credits include appearances at the *ZeitRäume Basel* Biennale for Music and Architecture, the Museo del Novecento in Milan, the Museo Novecento in Florence, the Palazzo Pitti, and the 77th *Maggio Musicale Fiorentino*.
Pietro Tonolo
was born in Mirano (Venice) in 1959, and began to play jazz professionally in 1979, leaving behind an already blossoming career as a classical violinist. Moving to Milan in 1979, he there worked with some of the leading Italian jazz musicians including Franco D'Andrea, Luigi Bonafede, Gianni Cazzola, Larry Nocella, Massimo Urbani. From 1981 to 1986 he was often a member of Enrico Rava's group. In the summer of 1982 he played in the “Gil Evans Orchestra” with musicians such as Steve Lacy, Lew Soloff and Raay Anderson; he also played with this ensamble at the “Sweet Basil” in New York in 1984/85 and at the “Umbria Jazz Festival” in 1987.
Nel 1983 ha iniziato a esiirsi, sia come leader di gruppi propri, sia come sideman, nei jazz club, nei teatri, in televisione e programmi radio, nazionali, europei e americani.
He worked with Kenny Clarke, Roswell Rudd, Sal Nistico, Chet Baker (in New York, 1985), Lee Konitz, John Surman, George Lewis, Barry Altschul, Joe Chambers, Aldo Romano, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland and Tony Oxley.
Due cd con una line-up stellare, formata da Gil Goldstein al piano, Steve Swallow al basso e Paul Motian alla batteria, also garner attention by their sheer vibrancy.
In 1986 he began a intense working relationship with the Roman pianist Rita Marcotulli, playing both in a duet with her and a quartet with Enzo Pietropaoli and Roberto Gatto, wich has received acclaim from critics and the public alike. Since 1988, he has collaborated with Henri Texier's group (with which he performed in France, Italy, Mexico, Cuba and Egypt) with Enrico Pieranunzi and Giovanni Tommaso, as well as leading his own groups (with Piero Leveratto, Sandro Gibellini, Alfred Kramer and Roberto Rossi), and playing and writing for the big band “Keptorchestra” and the sax quartet “Arundo Donax”.
From 1994 he’s a member of Lydian Sound Orchestra with which he recorded “Duke Ellington’s Timon of Athens Suite”, “Monk at Town Hall & More”, “Back to Da Capo” and “The Lydian Trip”.
Tonolo was a steady member of the Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band from 1999 to 2004.
He has performed at all the most important Italian jazz festivals and at the “Jazz Festival” in Berlin, the “Jazz Jamboree” in Warsaw, the “Grand Parade du Jazz” in Nice and at festivals in Paris, Montreal, Vienna, Amiens, The Hague, North Caroline, Ankara, Izmir and Tel Aviv.
