I am an Italian saxophone player,
multi-instrumentalist and composer, and my home is currently in the United
Kingdom.
I studied classical saxophone, piano and
composition at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan.
I was involved in
projects spanning from contemporary music ensembles with composer Salvatore
Sciarrino to the progressive rock band Psicosuono, which released two albums
(Eta Carinae, Metropoli).
In 2018, I moved to London and started an
MMus in Jazz Saxophone at Trinity Laban Conservatoire with a scholarship.
Trinity's academic environment included leaders in the London jazz scene such
as saxophonist Jean Toussaint and composer Bruno Heinen. Searching for a more
open-ended approach to artistry and composition, I moved to Goldsmiths
University of London in 2019, completing my Master's degree in Performance
under the guidance of Mick Foster, Paul Bartholomew and Dr Pete Furniss.
I
graduated with a distinction presenting a programme of electronic
rearrangements of classical music for soprano saxophone and Ableton Live and a
jazz quartet performance.
I am currently the leader of two projects
active in England:
One is an acoustic duo called Sloth in the City, formed in
2018 with percussive acoustic guitar player Andrea Martelloni. Our EP Remember
Music, recorded in 2021 in London, is composed of originals that blend jazz
forms with Celtic folk and Mediterranean music.
My main project is the Betty Accorsi
Quartet. This was founded with pianist Finn Carter and drummer Scott MacDonald;
they were the finest musicians in my year at Goldsmiths and very popular in the
South East of London. We are joined by in-demand bassist Andy Hamill (Van
Morrison, Martin Taylor, Ibrahim Maalouf).
In December 2020 we released “The
Cutty Sark Suite”, an album of my compositions blending Wayne Shorter, folk and
punk. The Quartet was also part of 2021 Brighton Fringe Festival, playing The
Cutty Sark Suite in its entirety on a live-streamed gig.
Our second album
“Growing Roots” will be released on the 15th July 2022 featuring pianist Daniel
Hewson (Groove Armada, Madonna, Incognito), Scott MacDonald on drums and Andy
Hamill on bass.
Photos by Zofia Szymanowska and Andrei Spiridon