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Stefano Bollani (born 5 December 1972) is an Italian composer, pianist and singer, also active as a writer and a television presenter.
He has worked with such musicians as Gato Barbieri, Chick Corea, Bill Frisell, Sol Gabetta, Richard Galliano, Trilok Gurtu, Chuco Valdes, Egberto Gismonti, Lee Konitz, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Caetano Veloso, Phil Woods, Hector Zazou and has recorded more than 15 albums with trumpeter Enrico Rava. Bollani has performed with several symphonic orchestras (La Scala, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, among others) and with directors such as Riccardo Chailly, Daniel Harding, Kristjan Järvi, Zubin Mehta, Gianandrea Noseda and Antonio Pappano. He has also played with Italian pop-rock artists and has participated in and hosted TV and radio shows. Currently, he has published 49 albums alone (31 studio).
Between 2002 and 2006, Bollani recorded six albums for French Label Bleu. The series began with Les Fleurs bleues (2002), inspired by the novel by Raymond Queneau and recorded with Scott Colley and Clarence Penn, followed by Småt Småt (2003) highlighted by English magazine Mojo as one of the best albums of the year. In 2004 Concertone was released, the first album Bollani recorded with a symphonic orchestra – the Orchestra della Toscana directed by Paolo Silvestri – based on which choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti crafted a ballet for the Stuttgart Ballet. In the same year Bollani also won the New Star Award, conferred for the first time to a non-US musician by Japanese magazine Swing Journal. The last of the four albums was released in 2006, titled I visionari and recorded with the homonym band formed by Mirko Guerrini, Nico Gori, Ferruccio Spinetti and Cristiano Calcagnile, with special features by Mark Feldman, Paolo Fresu and Petra Magoni (at the time his wife).
During these same years, Japanese label Venus Records released four albums by the “Stefano Bollani Trio” formed with Ares Tavolazzi on contrabass and Walter Paoli on drums: Black and Tan Fantasy (2002), Volare (2002), Falando de amor (2003), Ma l'amore no (2004) and I'm in the Mood for Love (2007). At the same time Bollani began an intense collaboration with contrabass player Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Morten Lund, with whom he formed the “Danish Trio”. In a three-year span, Stunt label released Mi ritorni in mente (2003), Close to You (2004, with Danish singer Katrine Madsen) and Gleda: Songs from Scandinavia (2005). Finally, in 2009, ECM published Stone in the Water.
In 2006, Piano Solo was released and the Italian magazine Musica Jazz awarded it the best album of the year and nominated Bollani for the best Italian musician of the year. The following year, Bollani tackled classical repertoire with the Filarmonica '900 of the Teatro Regio of Turin, directed by Jan Latham-Koenig, by recording the Concert champêtre, Les Animaux Modèles, and the Improvisations number 13 and 15 by Francis Poulenc. A few months later BollaniCarioca came out, recorded with important Brazilian artists. In 2007 he played a piano in a Rio de Janeiro favela: only Antônio Carlos Jobim had done this before. In the same year he won the Hans Koller European Jazz Prize as the best European musician of 2007 and was listed among the five most important musicians of the year by American website All About Jazz alongside Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins.
Around this time, Bollani appeared again in the Italian pop music scene, but the most relevant collaboration was that started in 2009 with jazz pianist Chick Corea, with whom Bollani toured through various Italian cities showcasing a totally new duo performance. The live album Orvieto is based on these performances.
In 2012, Bollani and Chailly played again with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to record Sound of the 30s, which includes great classics from the Thirties: Piano Concerto in G major by Maurice Ravel, Tango by Igor Stravinsky, Tango Ballad (from The Threepenny Opera) and Surabaya Johnny (from the Happy End musical) by Kurt Weill, and A Thousand and One Nights by Victor de Sabata. The two played with the Orchestre de Paris, in Paris, and with the La Scala in Milan. The Milan concert was broadcast live in movie theaters of about 20 countries on April 21, 2012, and recorded on the Live at La Scala DVD (2013) that includes pieces by George Gershwin ( Catfish Row, An American in Paris, Concerto in F, Rialto Ripples), by Scott Joplin ( Maple Leaf Rag) and by Joseph Kosma ( Autumn Leaves).
The numerous concerts with symphonic orchestras – directed by Daniel Harding, Kristian Järvi, Zubin Mehta, Gianandrea Noseda and Antonio Pappano among others – did not keep Bollani from recording various albums with other artists, such as Big Band!, with the Hamburg NDR Bigband directed by Norwegian saxophonist Geir Lysne (2011; Echo Jazz 2013), Irene Grandi & Stefano Bollani (2012), O que será with Hamilton de Holanda (2013), Sheik Yer Zappa, a tribute to Frank Zappa's music (2014). Also in 2014, Bollani again recorded with the Danish Trio releasing Joy in Spite of Everything featuring Mark Turner and Bill Frisell, which was conferred the Best Album of the year award by Musica Jazz. On September 26, Bollani received another International award, namely the JTI Trier Jazz Award.
In 2015, Bollani recorded his first album as singer-songwriter Arivano gli alieni. The following year the new album Live from Mars was released and the project Napoli Trip begins: Bollani pays tribute to Neapolitan music accompanied by Daniele Sepe, Nico Gori, Manu Katché and Jan Bang, and alongside Arve Henriksen, Audun Kleive and Hamilton de Holanda. Also in 2016, Bollani participated in Hamilton de Holanda's recording of Samba de chico and played with Chico Buarque in Vai trabalhar vagabundo. In 2017, he played at the Berliner Philharmonie with Jesper Bodilsen, Morten Lund, the French accordionist Vincent Peirani, and 14 members of the Berliner Philharmonic, paying homage to Italian composers such as Monteverdi, Leoncavallo, Giacomo Puccini, Rossini, Nino Rota, and Ennio Morricone. Directed and arranged by Geir Lysne, the concert became an album entitled Mediterraneo. In May 2018, Bollani released Que Bom, the first album of his own label, Alobar; made of new songs and entirely recorded in Rio de Janeiro, it features artists such as Caetano Veloso, João Bosco, Jaques Morelenbaum and Hamilton de Holanda. His latest albums include Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar, a solo piano tribute to Jesus Christ Superstar released on the 50th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera, and El Chakracanta, a live recording from Buenos Aires with the Orquesta Sin Fin, conducted by Exequiel Mantega.
In 2024 he was made Flaming Minister of the Etoile d'Or of the Vitellianense Pataphysical Institute
In 2024, the collaboration with Lorenzo Hengeller was important in Il pianerottolo (tracks Frasi fatte – Cantieri – Disaccordi – Il giorno dell’amore) and in 2025 he collaborated with Christian Mascetta in Ricami (track Il suono di casa mia).
Bollani has also worked in theater, both as musician-actor and as composer. During the 2015/2016 season he co-wrote, co-directed and acted in La regina Dada with his partner Valentina Cenni.
Bollani has published several books, including the novel La sindrome di Brontolo (2006) and three works on the world of music: L'America di Renato Carosone (2004), Parliamo di musica (2013) and Il monello, il guru, l'alchimista e altre storie di musicisti (2015).
There is also a cartoon character based on Bollani, named Paperefano Bolletta, who appeared for the first time in the Italian version of the Disney Magazine, Donald Duck pocket books ( Topolino), on 22 September 2009.
Il tempo della stravaganza is his latest book released in March 2025.
| 1998 | Gnòsi delle fanfole | Sonica | With Massimo Altomare (vocals, guitar), Beatrice Bianchi (violin), Mirko Guerrini (sax, flute, clarinet), Riccardo Onori (guitar), Milko Ambrogini (bass), Walter Paoli (drums, percussion), Emy Berti and Riccardo Pangallo (vocals) |
| 1999 | L'orchestra del Titanic | Via Veneto Jazz | With Antonello Salis (accordion), Riccardo Onori (guitar) Raffaello Pareti (bass), Walter Paoli (drums) |
| 1999 | Mambo Italiano | Philology | With Ares Tavolazzi (bass) |
| 2000 | The Macerata Concert | Philology | Duo, with Franco D'andrea (piano) |
| 2000 | Abbassa la tua radio | Ermitage | With Massimo Altomare, Simona Bencini, Emy Berti, Stefano Bollani, Barbara Casini, Monica Demuru, Elio, Irene Grandi, Marco Parente, Peppe Servillo (vocals), Elena Gallafrio (violin), Roberto Gatto (drums), Javier Girotto, Mirko Guerrini (sax), Raffaello Pareti, Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Gianluca Petrella (trombone), Damiano Puliti (cello), Enrico Rava (trumpet) |
| 2001 | Il cielo da quaggiù | Via Veneto Jazz | Most tracks with Antonello Salis (accordion), Riccardo Onori (guitar) Lello Pareti (bass), Walter Paoli (drums); Petra Magoni (vocals) added on three tracks |
| 2002 | Black and Tan Fantasy | Venus Records | Trio, with Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Walter Paoli (drums) |
| 2002 | Les fleurs bleues | Label Bleu | Trio, with Scott Colley (bass), Clarence Penn (drums) |
| 2002 | Volare | Venus | Trio, with Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Walter Paoli (drums) |
| 2003 | Falando de amor | Venus | Trio, with Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Walter Paoli (drums) |
| 2003 | Småt Småt | Label Bleu | Solo piano, accordion, vocals |
| 2003 | Suite for Paolo | Philology | Duo, with Lee Konitz (sax) |
| 2004 | Concertone | Label Bleu | With Orchestra della Toscana |
| 2004 | Ma l'amore no | Venus | Trio, with Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Walter Paoli (drums) |
| 2004 | Mi ritorni in mente | Stunt Records | Trio, with Jesper Bodilsen (bass), Morten Lund (drums) |
| 2005 | Gleda | Stunt Records | Trio, with Jesper Bodilsen (bass), Morten Lund (drums) |
| 2006 | I Visionari | Label Bleu | Most tracks quintet, with Mirko Guerrini (saxes, flute), Nico Gori (clarinet), Federico Spinetti (bass), Cristiano Calcagnile (drums) some tracks with Paolo Fresu (trumpet), Mark Feldman (violin), or Petra Magoni (vocals) added |
| 2006 | Piano Solo | ECM Records | Solo piano |
| 2007 | BollaniCarioca | Universal | With Marco Pereira (guitar), Jorge Helder (bass), Jurim Moreira (drums), Armando Marçal "Marçalzinho" (percussion), Zé Nogueira (soprano sax), Nico Gori (clarinet, bass clarinet), Mirko Guerrini (tenor sax); Zé Renato and Mônica Salmaso (vocals) added on one track each |
| 2007 | Francis Poulenc: Les Animaux modèles; Concert champêtre; Improvisations 13, 15 | Avie Records | With Filarmonica '900 del Teatro Regio di Torino |
| 2007 | I'm in the Mood for Love | Venus | Trio, with Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Walter Paoli (drums) |
| 2008 | Stone in the Water | ECM Records | Trio, with Jesper Bodilsen (bass), Morten Lund (drums) |
| 2010 | Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F | Decca Records | With Gewandhaus Orchestra |
| 2010 | Orvieto | ECM Records | Duo, with Chick Corea (piano); in concert |
| 2011 | Big Band! | Verve Records | With NDR Bigband; in concert |
| 2012 | Sounds of the 30s | Decca Records | |
| 2012 | Irene Grandi & Stefano Bollani | Carosello | Duo, with Irene Grandi (vocals) |
| 2013 | O que serà | ECM Records | Duo, with Hamilton de Holanda (bandolin); in concert |
| 2014 | Joy in Spite of Everything | ECM Records | With Mark Turner (tenor sax), Bill Frisell (guitar), Jesper Bodilsen (bass), Morten Lund (drums) |
| 2014 | Sheik Yer Zappa | Decca Records | With Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Josh Roseman (trombone), Larry Grenadier (bass), Jim Black (drums) |
| 2015 | Arrivano gli alieni | Decca Records | Bollani is on vocals, piano and Fender Rhodes |
| 2016 | Live from Mars | Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso | |
| 2016 | Napoli Trip | Decca Records | With Daniele Sepe (sax, flute), Nico Gori (clarinet), Manu Katche (drums) |
| 2017 | Mediterraneo | ACT Music | With Jesper Bodilsen (bass), Morten Lund (drums), Vincent Peirani (accordion, accordina), Berlin Philharmonic; in concert |
| 2018 | Que Bom | Alobar | With Jorge Helder, Jurim Moreira, Armando Marçal, Thiago da Serrinha, feat. Caetano Veloso, João Bosco, Jaques Morelenbaum, Hamilton de Holanda) |
| 2019 | The Music of Sasha Argov (Live in Tel Aviv) | Alobar | With Jesper Bodilsen (double bass), Nico Gori (clarinet), Morten Lund (drums), Antonello Salis (accordion, handclaps, voice) |
| 2020 | Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar | Alobar | |
| 2021 | El Chakracanta (Live in Buenos Aires) | Alobar | With Orquesta Sin Fin, conducted by Exequiel Mantega |
| 2022 | Via dei Matti nº0 | Sony Music | With Valentina Cenni |
| 2023 | Blooming | Sony Music | |
| 2024 | 18 Preludi per pianoforte | Universal Music Italia |
| 2021 | Carosello Carosone | Universal | TV film directed by Lucio Pellegrini – Nastro d'Argento for Best Score |
| 2022 | Il pataffio | BMG | Film by Francesco Lagi |
| 2022 | Essere oro | Alobar, Vivo film | Film by Valentina Cenni |
| 2025 | Marcel Et Monsieur Pagnol | Film by Sylvain Chomet |
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