Paolo FRESU began to study the instrument at the age of eleven in the Band of his native village.

1980 - He discovers jazz after experiences in various music genres.

Degree Studies:

1982 - He began a professional activity by attending first the "Seminari Senesi" and recording for the RAI under Bruno Tommaso direction

1984 - He graduates in Conservatorio of Cagliari with Maestro Enzo Morandini and attends the University Faculty of DAMS (musical section in Bologna University)

Awards and special events:

1984 - Rai award "Radio Uno jazz" The "Arrigo Polillo" award, from Musica jazz Magazine

1985 - Radio Corriere TV prize

1986 - "Cadence", (American jazz Magazine), voted "Ostinato" as one of the best album of the year

1990 - "Top jazz" award for being the best jazz , the best group and the best album of the year with "Live in Montpelier

1994 - 1995 Jazzman (French jazz magazine) elected "Disque choc" the last releases, ("Ossi di Seppia", "Ensalada Mistica" and "Night on the City")

1996 - " Bobby Jaspar" award for the best European musician from "Académie du jazz de Paris

(February 96 in Pescara -Palermo -Catania), He plays as soloist in "Porgy and Bess" (Gershwin), with "Orchestra Siciliana di jazz", Under Guther Schuller Direction

"Django d'Or" (Paris Mai '96), award for the best European musician

Teaching Activity:

He has taught Musical Education in the State Middle Schools5 and for some years he has carried out an intense didactic activity:

Since '85 he tought in "Seminari Internazionali di Siena".

'87 to '91 in the "jazz University of Terni"

Since 1988 in '1CPM di Siena jazz" and "Semiari di Nuoro" in "San Lazzaro in Savena" master class

'Since '93 in the "Th. Monk di Vicenza" courses and "Corsi di Specializzazione CEE di Siena jazz" Beside this he has given occasional courses and Classes in various Italian and foreign cities as Pordenone, Palermo, Bari , Matera, Pisa, Segni, Sassari, Cagliari, Porto Torres, Ozieri, Brescia, Atlanta (Georgia Teach Univeristy), Boston (Berkley School of arts) Theatre, poetry, journalism and multimedia projects He contributes as reporter in various publications of musical character and Leeds radio broadcasts for RAI (Radio Televisione Italiana)

Compositions for Theatre

He collaborates with Spanish mime Joan Miguell for:
"Inner Voices" in Alghero
"Oltre" in Cagliari
"Mamut" in Barcellona
"Concerto per un attore" in Salerno
"sfera" in Barcellona, Sitges
"Sotto un sole di Mezzogiorno in una terra austera e dura", (duo) in Bologna
"Urlo" in Nuoro and Cagliari

Poetry

He collaborates with Patrizia Vicinelli and Joan MÔgueIl to realisation of 'Majakovskij, il 13 Apostolo" represented in 89' in many sonor poetry festivals, Parma, Salerno, Milano, Spoleto (Festival dei due Mondi).

Dance

"Verdi Colline" of Paolo Damiani

"A Mar Mediterraneo" of Falvia Buccero - Movimentinactor

"Ogni donna una sera diversa" of Giorgio Rossi

Live acts

"La fanciulia di Amaifi" a Paolo Fresu' Sextet composition, on the demand of "Midnight Movie Festival" - Salerno)

"Rapsodia Satanica" for "Musica e immagine" of Bologna University

"Ossi di Seppia" and "Le eta della vita" for Nuoro and San Lazzaro courses

"Regen" of J. Evens for Cinema Zero (Pordenone), and other short lenght films, (Milieu, Man Ray, Lumi­re).

Soundtracks

1992 - "One Absolutely Normal Day in East Berlin" of Roberto Tarallo, music of Fresu/Di Castri

1993 - "Naufraghi del Desiderio", a RAI production under M. Shirru's direction

1995 - "Sonos e Memoria" directed by G. Gabiddu

Artistic Direction

Since 1983 he has directed the artistic policy of the Festival internazionale "Time in jazz" (Berchidda) and since 1994 "Euro jazz", Conconrso Europeo for young jazz groups in Oristano.

Collaborations, Concerts Tours, Festivals

- He leads:

The Paolo Fresu' Quintet and Sextet
The "Paolo Fresu'/Furio Di Castri" Duo
The "Open Trio" with Di Castri and J. Taylor
The "Fresu 'Di Castri/Balke/Favre" Quartet
The "Paolo Fresu' Euro Quartet" with guitar player, NguyÃn L­

- He tours intensively in Italy and Europe, with:

Aldo Romano italian 4et
Palatino 4et (Ferris, Romano, Fresu, Benita)
"Celtic Procession" with J. Pellen "Vietnam" of NguyÃn L­ ,
the "Tenco" Group with T. Ghiglioni the "Tanit" Group

- He is member of:

Paolo Damiani Quartet, since '83
Roberto Ottaviano Quartet
Tiziana Ghiglioni Quartet
Bruno Tommaso Quartet
Mimmo Cafiero Trio
Enrico Rava Quintet Sessions

Performances with:

With the almost complete Italian jazz-scene (F. D'Andrea, Bruno Tommaso, GL Trovesi, E. Pierannunzi, M. Giammarco, P. Damiani, A.Romano, Tiziana Ghiglioni....)

With European and American musicians: K.Wheeler, K. Berger, J. Taylor, D. Liebman, T. Oxley , A. Mangelsdorff , P. Favre, G. Mulligan, D. Holland, Ph. Woods, B. Brookmeyer, J. Zorn, P. Danielsson, J. Abercrombie, A. Lande, J. Christensen, G. Ferris, J. Bergonzi, C. Bauer, J. Kühn, A. Pinho Vargas, M. Portal, R. Galliano, Jon Balke... )

Festivals

- Italy
Umbria jazz, Pescara, Cagliari, Roma, Milano, Clusone, Pisa, Rocella Jonica, Atina, Parma, Bergamo, Ravenna, Cremona...

- Outdside
Zurich, Paris, Nevers, Metz, Nantes, Grenoble, Albi, Montpelier, Le Mans, Toulouse, Amiens, Niort, Bordeaux, Coutances, Vienne, Nancy, Barcellona, Blakanell, Varsavia, Cracovia, Durham, Chicago, Atlanta, Bombay, New Delhy, Gerusalem, Geneve, Losane, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Melboume, Sevilia, Belfast, Dublin , Bruxelles, Liège, Dakar, Saint Louis, Ulm, Köln, Baden Baden, Nijmegen, Bejing, New York (The Blue Note), ...

He has an intensive concerts, festivals and recording activity in almost all French cities. And has been guest of ONJ (Orchestre National de jazz), in Olympia (Paris ).

Paolo FRESU has been associated with Belgian musicians such as saxophone player Erwin VANN (concerts and a CD), singer David LINX and pianist/composer Diederik WISSELS.