Michele Bonifati

Michele Bonifati, born in 1989, graduated with honors in “Jazz Musical Disciplines” from the master’s degree program at the Conservatory “Arrigo Boito” in Parma under the guidance of Maestro V. Mingiardi, following his bachelor’s degree in “Jazz and Improvised Music” at the “G. Frescobaldi” Conservatory in Ferrara. Over the years, he has attended masterclasses and workshops, including Siena Jazz 2012 and Stefano Battaglia’s annual workshop 2014/2015.

He has performed at various festivals, including the EFG London Jazz Festival, Getto Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Italy Meets Balkan (Tirana), Ashkenaz Festival (Toronto, Canada), Foligno Young Jazz, Opus Jazz Club (Budapest), Mantova Jazz, ParmaJazz Frontiere, JAZZ(s)RA Festival (Annecy, Francia), Bergamo Jazz, Veneto Jazz, Fano Jazz Network, Lugocontemporanea, Torrione Jazz Club (Ferrara), Viterbo JazzUp Festival, Festival Verdi – Parma, Clusone Jazz Festival, Novara Jazz, La Grande Notte del Jazz (Brescia, Italy), Ah Um Jazz Festival, Lirico Festival. He has shared the stage with notable musicians such as Dave Douglas, Frank London, and Stefano Battaglia, Javier Girotto, Enrico Fink, Tino Tracanna, Dudù Kouate, Pasquale Mirra, Marcello Allulli, Francesco Bearzatti, Guglielmo Pagnozzi.

In 2023, he released his debut album as a band leader titled “Three Knots,” published by the nusica.org label, featuring the group Michele Bonifati Emong with Evita Polidoro on drums, Manuel Caliumi on saxophone, and Federico Pierantoni on trombone. The group was selected as part of Nuova Generazione Jazz 2023, which has facilitated performances both in Italy and abroad.

Michele Bonifati was named Best New Talent in the Musica Jazz magazine’s TOP JAZZ referendum for the year 2023. Additionally, Emong was recognized as the third-best lineup and “Three Knots” as the sixth-best record.

He is also a member of the Mopoke collective with Giacomo Papetti and Filippo Sala, which made its recording debut in 2021 with “Finding,” published by Kandinskyrecords. Furthermore, he co-leads Aparticle with Giulio Stermieri, Cristiano Arcelli, and Ermanno Baron. The group has released two records, “Bulbs” and “The Glamour Action,” both for Ur Records.

Since 2016, Michele has been a member of Andrea Grossi’s trio, Blend 3, alongside Manuel Caliumi. With this group, he has recorded albums such as “Lubok”, “Four Winds” by Andrea Grossi Blend Orchestra, “Songs and Poems” by Blend 3 + Beatrice Arrigoni, and “AXES” by Blend 3 + Jim Black, produced by WE INSIST! Records.