Andrea Menafra

After his diploma in classical guitar at the Conservatorio “G.Verdi”, he specialized in the use of the electric guitar in the contemporary repertoire. At the same time, he began to study jazz music in greater depth by attending master classes held by Joe Pass, Joe Diorio, Hal Crook and Jerry Bergonzi. He has played in various music festivals like the Festival M.A.N.C.A. in Nice, Ars Musica in Brussels, Premieres from Vanguard in San Francisco, Musik der Jahrhunderte in Stuttgart, the Biennale in Zagabria, the Festival Chopin in Warsaw, RAI Nuova Musica, Sincronie, Festival Milano Musica, Tage fur Neue Musik in Zurich, the Alpine Music Festival in Saas- Fee, ISCM-Oggimusica etc., where he played the first performance of works by R. Nova, F. Romitelli, G. Verrando, P. Leroux and L. Francesconi. Collaborations as guitar, electric guitar, banjo and mandolin player:Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Sinfonia Varsovia, Orchestra Orchestra Sinfonica “G. Verdi” in Milano, Haydn Orchester in Bolzano, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Ensemble Icarus, Ensemble “Interzone”, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Ensemble Musica Rara, Orchestra “G.B. Viotti”, O.F.S.I.He has played in the most important theatres and concert halls in Italy and abroad (the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Sala Verdi of the Conservatorio di Milano, the Auditorium at the Lingotto in Turin, the Auditorium RAI, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Schauspielhaus in Dresden, National Philarmonic Concert Hall in Warsaw, the Theatre in Nice, the Theaterhaus Pragsattel in Stuttgart, the Teatro Gavella in Zagabria, the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, the Teatro Ariosto in Reggio Emilia).He has played with the following conductors: E. Inbal, R. Barshai, G. Bertini, D. Kitaenko, M. Horvat, R. Muti, M. Viotti, D. Milnes, C. Scimone, D. Russel-Davies, G. Bernasconi, P.A. Valade, R. Chailly, M. Boder, R. Frühbeck de Burgos, L. Vaillancourt, J. Tate, D. Jurowski, F. Chaslin, W. Barkhymer and R. Cordova in the opera Porgy and Bess (production of the New York Harlem Theater), G. Andretta in the opera Una cosa rara (first modern performance), M. Dini-Ciacci in the concert season Tango e Jazz, K. Farrell in the musical Lady be good by Gershwin; J. Mc Glinn, W. Marshall, G. Polastri (first world showing of Chaplin’s The Kid in the restored version), P. Keuschnig, A. Rabinovitch (soloist Martha Argherich), I. Karabtchevsky, G. Ferro, L. Pfaff, C. Rovaris, A. Bosman, A. Sacchetti.Within the Jazz scene, he got awarded with the 2nd Prize at the VI International Fiuggi's Guitar Festival and boasts a long experience as a musician in clubs, working with many european and american musicians.He has recorded for televised broadcasts in Italy (RAI, RAI-SAT), Switzerland (RTSI, DRS), Croatia (Radio-Television), and Poland (Radio-television).Discography :· "Mixtour" (1997, w.. S.Carcano and S.Borzacchiello)· "The Godfather Suite" (Sony Music, 1997) with Filarmonica della Scala· "Rapsody in blue" with Haydn Orchester (Agorà, 1998)· "Places" (Panastudio, 1999, w.. S.Carcano and S.Borzacchiello)· "Clays' Quintet" by Lou Harrison (Dynamic, 1999, first world recording)· "Professor bad trip:Lessons" by Fausto Romitelli with Icarus Ensemble· "Duodegradabile" (M.A.P., 2001) duo guitar/piano with Andrea Rebaudengo. "Una furtiva lacrima" (Decca, 2003) comping for tenor Juan Diego Florez. "Great tenor arias" (Decca, 2004) with Orchestra "G.Verdi". "Thoughts" (Music Center, 2007) in solo guitar