Described by Jazz Views as “the missing link between Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and E.S.T.”, Lorenzo De Finti has become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary European jazz. A Swiss pianist and composer based in Milan, his work is centered on the Lorenzo De Finti Quartet, which he founded together with Stefano Dall’Ora on double bass, Marco Castiglioni on drums, and Alberto Mandarini on trumpet and flugelhorn.
Since 2018, the quartet has been at the heart of De Finti’s artistic vision. Their releases on the Norwegian label Losen Records – We Live Here, Love Unknown, and Mysterium Lunae – have been praised for combining chamber-jazz lyricism with Nordic atmospheres and rock-driven energy. Their upcoming album, Backlash of Uncertainty, will be released in November 2025 and further develops this unique sound world. Over the past years, the quartet has toured extensively, appearing in leading clubs and festivals across Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Lithuania, Poland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Canada, Turkey, Austria, Germany, France, and Finland. This global activity has been recognized internationally, with De Finti being named Jazz Top Artist (Musica jazz)in both 2023 and 2024.
De Finti’s career began much earlier with the Lorenzo De Finti Group, a project that blended electric jazz with international collaborations. The group’s debut album Beyond the Desert (1999), featuring saxophonist Eric Marienthal and percussionist Alex Acuña, became a success in America, Japan, and Northern Europe and was followed by extensive touring. In 2005, the group returned with Groove Connection, again featuring Marienthal alongside Stefano Dall’Ora, Giorgio Di Tullio, and Sandy Chambers. A third album, Colors of Life, included contributions from Fabrizio Bosso, Christian Meyer, Marco Castiglioni, and singer Kate Kelly. During this period, De Finti was also recruited as a Yamaha artist and toured internationally as part of the Yamaha Band.
Beyond performance, De Finti has established himself as a prolific composer and producer. His music has appeared in advertising campaigns for Reebok, Opel, Mercedes Benz, Sharp, and DeAgostini, and in programming for national broadcasters including RAI, Mediaset, RSI, and TVE. He has also written extensively for the stage, serving as musical director and co-writer for productions such as La Dodicesima Notte by William Shakespeare, staged at the Roman Theater of Verona with vocalist Rita Pavone and actor Renzo Montagnani.
Committed to education, De Finti has led seminars and masterclasses on piano and improvisation in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and Estonia, while continuing to share his expertise with younger generations of musicians. He is also active as a cultural organizer and curator, programming concerts and fostering cross-border collaborations, especially between Switzerland and Italy.
Alongside his performing and composing activities, De Finti plays an important role as a broadcaster. At RSI – Rete Due in Lugano he serves as jazz producer and host of the series Tra Jazz e Nuove Musiche, where he presents concerts, interviews, and features dedicated to contemporary jazz.
From his early training at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan with Remo Gelmini and Alberto Colombo, through his jazz studies with Sante Palumbo and Gil Goldstein, to his time at Berklee College of Music in Boston, De Finti has built a career that bridges deep tradition with bold exploration. Today, with his quartet at the forefront, he continues to expand his reach as both performer and composer, bringing a distinctive voice to the international jazz stage.
