Stefano Di Battista
Erik Truffaz

Stefano Di Battista’s career was launched and established itself in France, but the Italian saxophonist never forgets he grew up in Rome in the late 1960s. After letting us rediscover the maestro Ennio Morricone’s cinema music 4 years ago, he explores, in La Dolce Vita, the Italian popular music which nurtured his childhood, like the commercial music which never hesitates to blend the bel canto style and sentimental melodies. As always, Italian cinema is there too, with Nino Rota this time. Paolo Conte is combined with “Caruso”, Andrea Bocelli with hits from the 1960s, and Roberto Benigni films with Federico Fellini cinema. Italy is a musical land full of contrasts, where nobody fears feelings and emotions. Stefano Di Battista comes from this background: “It’s a bet to highlight the melancholy of a piece like “Volare” or the love of life of “Tu vuò fa l’americano” embodying the Neapolitan soul”. Within a luxurious and full of character French-Italian quintet, the virtuoso knows how to surrender to Italian-style lyricism, but also to make the musical culture alive better than anyone as he is the result of it. Italianissimo!

Line-up :

• Stefano Di Battista (saxophones)
• Matteo Cutello (trumpet)
• Fred Nardin (piano)
• Daniele Sorrentino (double bass)
• André Ceccarelli (drums)

If we had to find a permanent feature in the exceptionally diverse career of Erik Truffaz, it would probably be the novelty effect: from one project to another, the Swiss trumpet player always surprises everyone. Created especially for Jazz à Vienne, this symphonic piece entitled Side by Side is a chance to realise an old dream, which dates back to his very first experience on stage: when he was 16, he took part in a series of Italian concerts with the Orchestre du Collège de Genève. To reconnect with his first symphonic emotions, he evolves between classical music and jazz, writing and improvisation. He works with an international quartet (Stefano Di Battista, Estreilla Besson, Alexis Anérilles and Sandrine Bonnaire), a new French-Swiss ensemble composed of musicians from the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie and the Orchestre de chambre de Genève, but also twenty students from Annecy-Seynod benefiting from the national “Orchestre à l'École” program. It is an opportunity for Erik Truffaz, in turn, to give a chance to young talents on one of the most prestigious stages.

Line-up :

• Erik Truffaz (trumpet)
• Sandrine Bonnaire (vocals)
• Stefano Di Battista (saxophones)
• Estreilla Besson (piano)
• Alexis Anerilles (percussion)
• The Orchestre des Alpes & du Léman
• Students from Annecy-Seynod participating in the “Orchestre à l’École” program