Duccio Bertini is on demand as arranger, composer and conductor in Italy as well in many other european countries such as Spain.

Born in Florence in 1968, he began the study of piano at the age eight under the guidance of his father Sergio, a pianist, who introduced jazz music to Duccio and so at an early age his passion for jazz ignites. At the age of 14, he starts the study of the clarinet with Dario Goracci of Maggio Musical Fiorentino Classical Orchestra and later he studied saxophone with Mirko Guerrini, Nico Gori, Marco Bini, Renato Cordovani, Daniele Malvisi, Pietro Tonolo and Barend Middlehoff. In 2008 he takes the Bachelor’s Degree of Jazz Music (of three years) at the Music Conservatory of Bologna “G.B. Martini” (score: 110 out of 110).

He has studied jazz composition and arrangement with Giancarlo Gazzani, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Bruno Tommaso, Mario Raja, Roberto Spadoni, Klauss Lessmann. He attended as auditor film scoring music courses with the Oscar Prize Luis Bacalov at Scuola Chigiana (Siena).

He has studied orchestra conducting with Fabrizio Dorsi, Carlomoreno Volpini, Alan Freiles Magnatta and conducting for Jazz Orchestra with Bruno Tommaso. In 2022 he takes the Diploma in Orchestra Direction (DipABRSM) of Associated Board of the English Schools of Music.

In the 2003 he wins the first prize at the 16th edition of the International Competion for Arrangement and Composition of BargaJazz, for the section C (with the presence in the jury of saxophone player Lee Konitz). From December 2003 and January 2004 he is assistant of Mario Raja for a Masterclass of jazz composition for combo. In 2004-2005 he is assistant of Giancarlo Gazzani for a Masterclass of jazz composition for bigband at SienaJazz course. In 2004 and 2005 he is finalist at the International Competition for Arrangement and Composition of BargaJazz, for the section B and A. In 2006 he is one of finalist of the 1st edition of International Competition for Arrangement and Composition of PiacenzaJazz. In 2005 he attends to Arrangement Workshop directed by Roberto Spadoni and Bruno Tommaso, at “Chieti in Jazz”.

He has collaborated as conductor, arranger and composer in various groups of different types (combo, band, big band, symphonic orchestras) such as (list not comprehensive): “Millennium Bug’s Orchestra” directed by Mirko Guerrini (2004–2005), the “Blue JazzBand” (since 2001); “Verona improvisers Orchestra” (2007), Futura Jazz Orchestra (2007-2011), deciBel Orchestra (2008, 2014), Cromatos Project (2009), Barcelona Jazz Orchestra (2012), Big Band Banda Municipal de Granada (Retroback Festival, Granada 2012), Cam Big Band (2012), Rainbow Jazz Orchestra (since 2012), Andalucia Big Band (2012, 2014, 2019), Original Jazz Orquesta del Taller de Musics (Barcelona, 2013, 2014, 2015), Royal Big Band (Stockholm, 2013), Collettivo Musicadabra Extended (Giotto Jazz Festival, 2013), USAL Big Band (Salamanca, 2013, 2015), Eskimo Jazz Band (2013, 2014), Città di Grosseto Symphonic Orchestra (tour summer 2013), La Locomotora Negra (Voll-Damn Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona, 2013), EMM Big Band (Vilafranca, 2015), Duccio Bertini Big Band (since 2015), LJP Big Band (2016), Clasijazz Big Band (since 2016), UMKC Big Band (Kansas City, USA, 2016), Florence Art Ensemble Symphonic Orchestra (La La Land in Concert Italy Tour, 2017), Micaela Chalmeta Big Band (Barcelona, 2017), Ad Libitum Symphonic Orchestra (Valencia, 2018), Swing Ambassodors (France, 2018), Fima Symphonic Orchestra (Almeria, 2018, 2019, 2021), Oolyakoo Big Band (Granada, 2018), Croatan Television Jazz Orchestra (Zagabria, 2019), Clasijazz Big Band Pro (2022), Blue Note Brass Sextet (Sassari, 2022), Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna (2022), Tarragona Big Band (2023), Budapest Jazz Orchestra (2023).

In classical music, his compositions and arrangements have been performed by Indaco String Quartet (Milan, Italy), Ad Libitum Symphonic Orchestra (Spain), Orquesta Sinfonica Municipal de Campinas (Brazil), Alicante Symphony Orchestra (ADDA), Orquestra Simfonica de Valencia, Symphony Orchestra of Castellò (Spain), Thessaloniki Philharmonic Wind Orchestra (Greece), Yucatàn Symphonic Orchestra (Mexico) and Ensemble de Cuerda La Bramantina (Spain). He is also a versatile conductor working with symphonic orchestras in studio and live productions, such as La La Land in Concert (original american production) for Italy Tour.

In 2017 and 2019 he has been invited to partecipate at the Poster Session at International Jazz Composers Symposium organized by ISJAC (International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers) in USA, in Tampa, Florida and Greeley, Colorado.

He got the 3^rd position among the best italian jazz arrangers for Jazzit magazine (2018 Readers Poll). In 2018 he was member of the Jury of International Competition for Arrangement and Composition for Big Band in Granada (Spain), conducting also the orchestra that performed the finalist compositions. In 2022 he was member of the Jury of International Competition in Composition and Arrangement for Jazz Orchestra “Scrivere in Jazz" (17th edition).

As professor, he taught courses and Masterclass on Big Band Conduction, Jazz Arranging and Composition for combo or large ensembles at many schools, such as Taller de Musics (Barcelona, Spain), Universidad de Salamanca (Spain), Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Malaga, Conservatori Superior de Musica de Castellò “Salvador Segui" (Spain), SedaJazz (Valencia, Spain), ClasiJazz (Almeria, Spain) and Scuola CAM (Florence, Italy).

He taught as Professor on contract of Jazz Arranging, Jazz Composition and Jazz Ensemble at Music Conservatory of Perugia, Cesena, Avellino, Pavia, Piacenza and Potenza.

He has participated at various Festivals as conductor, arranger and composer such as (list not comprehensive): International Festival of Dixieland in Tarragona 2006 (Spain), Jazz Italiano per le Terre del Sisma 2018, Giotto Jazz Festival 2013, Sesto Jazz Festival 2016, Jazzit Festival 2016, Grey Cat Jazz Festival 2019, Retroback Festival 2012 (Granada, Spain), TschirgArt Jazzfestival 2007 (Imst, Austria), Santander Jazz Festival 2023 (Spain), (To) be in Jazz 2022 (Sassari), Valdarno Jazz Festival 2014 and many others.

His works have been performed in Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, France, Croatia, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Brasil, Singapore, Mexico and USA.

He has collaborated with Benny Golson, Arturo Sandoval, Scott Hamilton, Bobby Watson, Randy Brecker, Jesse Davis, Dick Oatts, Alex Sipiagin, Joe Magnarelli, Ben Van Gelder, Dena DeRose, Perico Sambeat, Roberta Gambarini, Pietro Tonolo, Claudio Fasoli, Flavio Boltro, Fabrizio Bosso, Marco Tamburini, Fabio Morgera, Nico Gori, Mirko Guerrini, Emilio Soana, David Pastor, Ruben Simeo, Ignasi Terrasa and many others. In pop music he has collaborated with Achille Lauro, Karima, Dirotta su Cuba, and latin artists such as Fermin Muguruza, Antonio Zambujo, Stefano Palatchi and Fundacion Tony Manero.

His biography is quoted in the encyclopedia of italian jazz “Dizionario del Jazz Italiano” (edited by Feltrinelli, 2014) by Flavio Caprera.

Selected Discography

As a Leader:

Bobby Watson, Duccio Bertini & Clasijazz Big Band Pro – “In The Valparaiso Foundation” (Clasijazz, AL 3457-2022)
Duccio Bertini & Susana Sheiman – “A Day in Barcelona” (Temps Record, TR1604-GE16)
Duccio Bertini & Rainbow Jazz Orchestra – “A View on Standards” (Temps Record, TR1474-GE14)
Franco Nesti & Duccio Bertini – “Cromatos Project” (Caligola Records 2136)
Duccio Bertini Quintet – “Moving Off” (Splasc(h) Records CDH1539.2)

As a Featured Composer/Arranger:

Back to Brass – “Back To Styles” (BtB 2021)
Francesco Cusa & The Assassins meets Duccio Bertini – “Black Poker” (Clean Feed Records, CF504CD)
Dino Plasmati & LJP Big Band w/Bobby Watson – “Matera Encounters” (Alfa Music AFMCD207)
David Pastor & Back To Brass – “Engantxats a Monk” (Omix Records – Warner Bros Music Spain 5419705912)
Franco Nesti – “Versus” (FN1 – 2015)