Anais Drago

Bio

Anais Drago, born in 1993, is an Italian violinist and composer.

She began studying violin at the age of three under the guidance of Robert Lee Mosca at the Suzuki Talent Centre school in Turin.

From the very beginning, she took part in many concerts and tours, both in Italy and abroad, with the school orchestra (in Geneva in collaboration with UNICEF, in Thailand at the headquarters of the United Nations to denounce the exploitation of children in the Third World).

Since 2007 she has studied under the guidance of Liana Mosca.

As a student of violin and classical music since childhood, Drago developed a keen sense of respect for music as a high art and profound method of expression. Her passion and her education led Drago to embrace the depth of the violin by experimenting constantly, playing into new sounds and new directions, never in the mode of cliché.

Drago graduated with a degree in jazz composition. She practices between the margins of jazz, rock and avant-garde sounds. Dedicated listening and meticulous transcription of the greatest artists’ works have delivered inspiration and history into her love of playing, and have back-boned the development of her own sound.

In the last year she focused her attention to her debut album with the band Anais Drago&The Jellyfish, a septet of which Drago is the leader, besides of violinist and composer of the music. She also takes around festivals and clubs a Solo Project based on jazz repertoire and original compositions re-arranged for violin, with multi effects and loop station.

Anais Drago has published her debut album in October 2018 with her band Anais Drago&The Jellyfish, published by the French label Another Music Records.

The album has been presented in many of the most important Italian jazz festivals and got the prize of best concert during Bollate jazz meeting festival in March 2019.

She collaborates with Yamaha Music Europe - Branch Italy

She uses Schertler Dyn-V to amplify her acoustic violin, electric violin Silent Yamaha and multi effect Helix Line6.

Certificates, prizes and acknowledgements

Violin degree, Academy of Music ''A. Steffani'' in Castelfranco Veneto, 2013. Grade 10/10.

Master degree in jazz composition and arrangement, Music Academy ''A. Vivaldi'' in Alessandria, 2017. Grade 110/110, graduated with high honours.

Scholarship for Berklee of Boston, 2014.

First Prize at Anna Lokas competition, 2017.

Winner Ghislieri prize, 2017.

Winner of the AIR (Artists in Residence) competition (2018 ed.) sponsored by the Italian association MIDJ (jazz Italian Musicians), by SIAE and MIBACT (Culture Ministery); thanks to this winning she spent six weeks in Bangkok as jazz Italian ambassador.

Winner of Amadeus Factory contest, jazz category,2018.

Semifinalist at Massimo Urbani contest, 2019.

Finalist at Conad jazz contest (Umbria Jazz), 2019.

Winner of the announcement for ''Orchestra chironomica'' (SIAE - Auditorium Parco della musica) in Rome, at Casa del jazz.

Winner of the Italian-French artistic residency at ''Una striscia di terra feconda'' festival, Rome.

Collaborations
Ultimo, Gonzalo Bergara, Pier Michelatti, produzione RAI ''Fabrizio de Andrè-Principe libero'', Ellade Bandini, Custodie Cautelari, Giorgio Cordini, Giovanni Tommaso, Nicola Angelucci, Alberto Mandarini, Enrico Fazio, Stjepko Gut, Gianni Coscia, Andrea Beccaro, Gabriele Ferro, Sade Mangiaracina, Cesareo, Giuseppe Scarpato, Giacomo Castellano, Luca Colombo, Maurizio Solieri, Ricky Portera, Carlo Palmas, Susanna Parigi, Gilson Silveira, Ruben Bellavia, Davide Liberti, Joao Pedro Teixeira, Roberto Morbioli, Fabio Marza, Accordi Disaccordi, Joachim Florent, Francesca Remigi, Livio Bartolo, Francesco Fiorenzani, Valentina Ciardelli, Daniele Pecci, Fabio Giachino, Paolo Damiani, Tonino Battista, Daniele Roccato, Ambrogio Sparagna.

Festivals, shows & clubs

Lucca jazz Donna (2014, 2018), Umbria Jazz Winter Orvieto (2014), Novara StreetJazz (2015), Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Bucarest (2015), Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Bratislava (2016), festival Risonando De Andrè (2013, 2014), Circolo Sociale di Biella (dal 2012 al 2018), Moncalieri Jazz Festival (2015), Centro Congressi di Lugano (2015, 2017, 2018), rassegna Un paese a sei corde (2016), Notte delle Chitarre (2016), Teatro civico di Varallo (2016), rassegna Monferrato on Stage (2016, 2017), rassegna L'altra Musica (2017), rassegna Aperto Per Cultura (2017), rassegna Suoni Oltre le Nuvole (2016, 2017), Associazione Quattroesessanta del parco nazionale del Gran Paradiso (2017), Teatro Sociale di Biella (2017), Mediolanum Forum (2017), teatro di Sondrio (2017), Alpàa di Varallo (2016, 2017), Jazz club di Torino (2017), Le Quecumbar jazz club di Londra (2017), rassegna FuoriLuogo di Biella (2017), rassegna Su di Tono di Cassolnovo (PV) (2017), InCanto Summer Festival (2018), jazz Around the clock (2018), EuroJazz Festival (2018), rassegna Autunno Musicale di Beinasco (2017, 2018), EverGreen fest di Torino (2018), Saxophone Pub di Bangkok (2018), Cinema Politeama di Ivrea (2018). Jazz Club Torino, Teatro dal Verme di Milano, Opificio di Novara, Mare culturale urbano di Milano, Flashback Torino (2018), Bollate Jazz Meeting (2019), Parco della Musica di Roma (2019), Che Tempo che fa - Studio RAI Milano(2019), Tour ''Colpa delle favole'' di Ultimo nei Palazzetti Italiani (2019), La parrocchia del blues (2020), Festival MutaMenti Massa (2019), Fondazione Palazzo Tè Mantova (2019), Alessandria jazz club (2019), Canal street festival Arendal-Norvegia (2019), Il jazz italiano per le terre del sisma, L'Aquila (2019), Novara jazz (2019), Associazione XMito onlus (2019), Avant Tout Festival (2019), Pianfiorito jazz festival (2019), Edinburgh Jazz&blues Festival (2019), Fano jazz festival (2019), Stadio Olimpico di Roma (2019), Teatro Franco Parenti Milano (2020), Fano Jazz - Exodus stage (2020), Strade del cinema Aosta (2020), Torino jazz festival (2020), La grande Invasione - Ivrea (2020), Casa del Jazz Roma (2020), Besnate Jazz (2020), Parma Frontiere festival (2020)

Discography

Wabi Sabi - Enrico Fazio Critical Mass; LeoRec, 2018 (Top jazz 2019)
Anais Drago & The Jellyfish - Anais Drago & The Jellyfish; AnotherMusicRecords, 2018.
Luna Nuova - Fabrizio Zanotti; Fabrika Musika, 2018.
Sonore Colonne - ObaMundo; autoproduzione Loris Deval, 2018.
Caravan - Caravan Trio; JCT Records, 2017.