Biography
Maurizio Minardi is a composer, pianist and accordionist, lived in London from 2008 to 2016 and currently based in Paris
Maurizio completed his studies in piano, organ and composition at the Conservatorio ‘Martini’ Bologna, Italy. He perfected his jazz studies through workshops with Barry Harris, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Danilo Rea and Simone Zanchini.
Maurizio founded, composed, produced and arranged the music for the electronic pop group ‘Oz’ and the jazz-tango group Quartetto Magritte, recording four and three albums respectively.
In 2011, he also produced and released the orchestral-electronic album Works to critical acclaim.
Italian broadcaster Rai has published Maurizio's album 'Tangology', comprising songs inspired by tango.
In 2010 the Sonnambula is included in the soundtrack of USA movie 'Mango Tango'
In 2012 Maurizio recorded at Livingston Studios (London) and released his piano trio CD, 'My Piano Trio', with Nick Pini and Jason Reeve. He has also been on tour with the Royal Shakespeare Company during the early part of 2012.
In 2013 he released his accordion quartet album 'The Cook, the Clown, the Monk and the Accordionist', recorded in London with Nick Pini, Jason Reeve , Shirley Smart and Marco Quarantotto
In July 2014 he opened a concert by Suzanne Vega at a Festival Wuerzburg (Germany)
In 2015 he released his new album 'Piano Ambulance' with Shirley Smart (cello), Nick Pini (double bass) and Jason Reeve (drums). With support of Arts Council and Jazz Services he started a UK tour from March 2015.
With 'Melange', he recorded the outstanding album 'Via Maris'.
In spring 2016 he had a tour of 34 concerts with Akkordeonale Germany Tour
From 2017 he moved in Paris
Currently with the violinist and composer Gabriel Bismut, he has created a new ensemble, the Bismut-Minardi quartet, with which he has just started recording a new album, under the artistic direction of Marc Berthoumieux. The release of the new album is scheduled for the second half of 2019
In the UK Maurizio has performed with a number of artists including Carmen Souza, Antonio Forcione, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Maciek Pysz, Asaf Sirkis, Brandon Allen, Quentin Collins, Yuri Goloubev, Georgia Mancio.
Maurizio has played a range of venues and festivals, including London Jazz Festival, BBC London, Jazz FM, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's, Kings Place Festival, 606, Elgar Room at Royal Albert Hall, The Vortex, Wilton's Music Hall, the Apollo Hammersmith, the Lost Theatre, St. Ethelburga's , the Bloomsbury Theatre, The Crypt St Martins in The Field, The Crypt Camberwell, Jazz Café Posk, Green Note, Windmill Jazz, Marsden Jazz Festival, Hull Jazz Festival, Frome Festival, Ropetackle Arts Center, The Gate Arts Centre
Europe: Hafensommer Festival-Würzburg (Germany), Caldas Nice Festival (Portugal), Acordeoes do Mundo (Portugal), Umbria Jazz (Italy), Pineto Jazz Festival (Italy), Mantova Music Festival (Italy), Maderna Jazz Festival (Italy) Arezzo Wave Festival (Italy), Musicultura Festival (Italy), Blue Note (Poznan, Poland), Akkordeonale Tour 2016 (Germany)
