Biography
Born in Milan on February 13, 1963, Adriano Bassanini grew up in Mulazzano surrounded by a family where music was everywhere. Influenced by a music-loving father and a mother who introduced him to sixties hits from the cradle, he began playing the trumpet at age seven at the Lodi Conservatory. He studied there for eleven years under Alessandro Malatesta, a trumpeter with the La Scala Opera House in Milan.
His youth was shaped by a dual musical culture: classical training at the conservatory and popular music within Italian wind bands (Banda). At the age of ten, he fell in love with jazz at a festival in Lugano while listening to Louis Armstrong, who would remain his lifelong spiritual mentor.
After studying at the American School of Milan—where he experimented with rock and the bass guitar—he moved to the United States. He earned a degree in management from Purdue University, followed by a Master’s in business from Indiana University. During his American years, he diversified his experiences as a radio DJ and a bassist in punk and New Wave bands, while also performing in campus brass bands.
His professional career began at DuPont de Nemours in Milan, later taking him to Geneva in 1989 and briefly to London. Alongside his business career, he immersed himself in the Geneva jazz scene, performing with ensembles such as Le Vieux Carré and the New Pépères.
In 2010, he made the radical decision to devote himself exclusively to music. Today, Adriano Bassanini is a versatile artist with many hats: trumpeter, singer, DJ, teacher at the EJMA, and artistic director (notably for the Festival du Fort de l'Ecluse). A true entertainer known for his classical technique and personal warmth, he actively promotes traditional jazz to younger generations through his label, Jazzin’ Productions.
His youth was shaped by a dual musical culture: classical training at the conservatory and popular music within Italian wind bands (Banda). At the age of ten, he fell in love with jazz at a festival in Lugano while listening to Louis Armstrong, who would remain his lifelong spiritual mentor.
After studying at the American School of Milan—where he experimented with rock and the bass guitar—he moved to the United States. He earned a degree in management from Purdue University, followed by a Master’s in business from Indiana University. During his American years, he diversified his experiences as a radio DJ and a bassist in punk and New Wave bands, while also performing in campus brass bands.
His professional career began at DuPont de Nemours in Milan, later taking him to Geneva in 1989 and briefly to London. Alongside his business career, he immersed himself in the Geneva jazz scene, performing with ensembles such as Le Vieux Carré and the New Pépères.
In 2010, he made the radical decision to devote himself exclusively to music. Today, Adriano Bassanini is a versatile artist with many hats: trumpeter, singer, DJ, teacher at the EJMA, and artistic director (notably for the Festival du Fort de l'Ecluse). A true entertainer known for his classical technique and personal warmth, he actively promotes traditional jazz to younger generations through his label, Jazzin’ Productions.
Gallery
Played with
Bernard Marmy
Tuba
Jacques Ducrot
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Xavier Koeb
Banjo
Jacques Ducrot
Drums, Tenor Saxophone