ABOUT ME
As a young girl I moved to the north to chase the dream of becoming a jazz composer and ensemble leader.
Anna Bignami is an Italian composer, big band leader and conductor based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Born in the northern italian town of Brescia, she moved to Dublin at the age of 18 to study in the BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance at Dublin City University. There, she had the opportunity to study with the leading jazz musicians on the Irish scene, such as Ronan Guilfoyle, Greg Felton, Chris Guilfoyle, and Patrice Brun.
After the conclusion of her studies in jazz guitar, she moved to Denmark to attend the master’s in Rhythmic Composition at the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus, which she completed with the highest grade.
During the past few years, Bignami has collaborated with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra on projects featuring well known local bands such as Kalaha, Abekejser and Athletic Progression, and collaborated with string ensembles in Denmark and abroad.
Her projects “Epitaphs from the Hill” and “Childhood Memories” saw the beginning of a collaboration with composer Laura Veltri on the creation of the jazz nonet Bignami Veltri jazz ensemble and her lates debut “Nocturnes” saw her writing also for a smaller constellation like the jazz sextet.
Recently Bignami has also been awarded first prize in the open category of the Sophie Desmarais International Composition Competition for Large Jazz Ensemble (open category) for her piece “The Blue Fairy”, which was performed in a world premiere on november 8th 2023 in the Cinquiemme Sal de la Place des Artes in Montreal. Moreover she was awarded the prestigious Aarhus Jazz Festival talent prize 2023.