Italian
Stefano Bollani’s creative piano and Trilok Gurtu’s visionary percussion open the XVII edition of the festival: appointment on June 25th at Teatro Goldoni in Venice
VENICE – The piano of Bollani and the percussion of Gurtu come together in a musical dialogue that promises to offer the audience a memorable experience, full of emotion and surprises. It will happen at Teatro Goldoni in Venice, on June 25, 2025 (starting at 8:00 pm), for the opening of the 17th edition of the Venice Jazz Festival, organized by Veneto Jazz in collaboration with the Teatro Stabile del Veneto.
The magic between the two arises precisely from their ability to range among the most diverse genres and mix them in a personal and distinctive way, blending virtuosity and improvisation. Stefano Bollani is a musician with a multifaceted talent, capable of treating music like a constantly evolving game, reinventing it each time with insights drawn from the past and the present, from different epochs and styles. Trilok Gurtu is one of the greatest innovators in the field of percussion, famous for his original language that combines Indian tradition with Western technique.
Music as a huge game to be constantly reinvented, alone or with the most diverse partners. Stefano Bollani seeks inspiration from all the music of the past but above all explores the present, the moment, improvising alongside great artists like his noble mentor Enrico Rava, Chick Corea, Richard Galliano, Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, Paul Motian, Pat Metheny, recording for the most prestigious jazz labels such as ECM, Label Bleu, and ACT records.
With the same joyful spirit, he collaborates with symphony orchestras such as the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, La Scala in Milan, and the Orchestre National de Paris playing music by his favorite composers Gershwin, Ravel, and Poulenc. He is guided by courageous and enthusiastic conductors like Riccardo Chailly, Krjstian Jarvi, Daniel Harding, Zubin Mehta, and Anthony Pappano.
He has a strong connection to Brazil. He has recorded two albums in Rio de Janeiro (Carioca, 2007, and Que bom, 2018) and has had the opportunity to collaborate with many Brazilian artists including Hamilton de Holanda, Caetano Veloso, and Chico Buarque.
When he is not performing, he writes books (including the novel La sindrome di Brontolo) or creates theatrical shows like Primo Piano, with the Banda Osiris, or La regina dada, written and performed together with his wife Valentina Cenni.
On the radio, with the help of his friend David Riondino, he brought to life Dottor Djembè, an all-knowing musicologist who spread seeds of irony and sarcasm for several years from the microphones of RadioRai3. On TV, after his experience at the court of the great Renzo Arbore, he hosted jam session programs of words and music (Sostiene Bollani on Rai3 and L’importante è avere un piano on Rai1).
Since 2021, he hosts Via dei matti numero zero on Rai3 with Valentina Cenni, a daily pre-evening strip dedicated to music now in its fourth edition.
At the 2022 Venice Film Festival, he was awarded the prestigious Soundtrack Stars Award for his work as a film composer, also honored with a Silver Ribbon in 2021 (for Carosello Caroson) and a David di Donatello in 2023 (for Il pataffio).
Trilok Gurtu is a master percussionist and pioneer of world music, known for his ability to blend Indian classical music, jazz, Western funk, African, and Brazilian music. Born in Mumbai in 1951, the son of the renowned singer Shobha Gurtu, he started playing the tabla at the age of 6 and by the age of 13, he was accompanying his mother in concerts. Moving to Europe in 1976, he has collaborated with Don Cherry, Charlie Mariano, John McLaughlin, Jan Grabarek, Pharoah Sanders, and the group Oregon.
His first solo album, Usfret (1988), featured the participation of international musicians such as Ralph Towner and L. Shankar. In the 90s, he released innovative albums like Crazy Saints (1993, with Joe Zawinul and Pat Metheny), Believe (1994), and Bad Habits Die Hard (1996). He explored the fusion of African and Indian music with The Glimpse (1996), Kathak (1997), and African Fantasy (2000), later collaborating with Chris Difford on The Beat Of Love (2001), with Salif Keita and Angélique Kidjo. In 2004, he ventured into electronic music with Robert Miles in Miles_Gurtu, and in 2011, he released 21 Spices with Simon Phillips and the NDR Big Band.
In 2013, he paid tribute to legendary jazz trumpeters with Spellbound, involving artists like Paolo Fresu and Ibrahim Maalouf. During the pandemic, he released God Is A Drummer (2020), a tribute to Joe Zawinul, Tony Williams, and Nana Vasconcelos, as well as his mother Shobha Gurtu.
Pre-sale tickets for the concert are available through the Ticketone circuit (online and at sales points) and at the ticket offices of the Teatro Stabile del Veneto.
