Paolo starts studying the trumpet at the age of eleven with his hometown Local Band

Paolo Fresu: Miles Davis e Chet Baker a confronto

Paolo starts studying the trumpet at the age of eleven with his hometown Local Band. After different musical experiences, in 1980 he discovers Jazz and starts playing professionally in 1982 recording for RAI under the guide of M° Bruno Tommaso and attending Seminaries at Siena Jazz. In 1984 he graduates in trumpet at Cagliari Conservatory and in the same year he wins "RadioUno jazz", "Musica jazz" e "RadioCorriere TV" as Best Italian Jazz Talent.

In 1990 he wins "Top jazz" price with the review ‘Musica Jazz’ as best Italian musician, best group (paolo Fresu Quinet) and best record (Arrigo Polillo price for "Live in Montpellier"). In 1996 he wins the best European musician with one of his compositions for 'Académie du jazz' of Paris and the prestigious "Django d’Or" as best European Jazz Musician and in 2000 he is nominated Best Internationa Musician.

These are only the first of a series of awards that continue up to present.

Professor and responsible of various national and international institutions, Paolo has performed in each continent with the most important names of afro-american music of the last 30 years: Franco D'Andrea, Giovanni Tommaso, Bruno Tommaso, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Enrico Rava, Antonello Salis, Enrico Pieranunzi, Giorgio Gaslini, Gianluigi Trovesi, Aldo Romano, Glen Ferris, John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, Palle Danielsson, Jon Christensen, Gerry Mulligan, David Liebman, Dave Holland, Richard Beirach, John Zorn, John Abercrombie, Helen Merril, Ralph Towner, Richard Galliano, Michel Portal, Trilok Gurtu, Jeanne Lee, Gunther Schüller, Paul McCandless, Jim Hall,Lew Soloff, Uri Caine, Gil Evans Orchestra, Toots Thielemans, Omar Sosa, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard, Nguyen Le ecc.

He has recorded nearly three hundred records some in his name, others with Michael Nyman, Evan Parker, Farafina, Ornella Vanoni, Alice, Gunther Schüller, Negramaro, Stadio, ecc., and others cooperating in "mixed" projects…Ethnic Jazz Music, World Music, Contemporary Music, Ancient Music, ecc. He is artistic director of Berchidda Festival "Time in jazz", and Jazz Seminaries in Nuoro. He has often been guest in orchestras such as 'Grande Orchestra Italiana', French National Jazz Orchestra, NDR of Hamburg German Radio and the Italian Instabile Orchestra.
He has also coordinated many multimedia projects, cooperating with actors, dancers, painters, sculptures, poets, ecc., and has written musics for films, documentaries, viedeos, ballets and theatre pieces. At present the is in involved in numerous projects, which take him all over the world for more than 200 concerts a year.

Lots of his productions have been awarded in Italy and abroad.

He lives between Paris, Bologna and Sardegna and directs the Cultural Association Time in Jazz in Berchidda, with which he has organized the prestigious festival since 1998.
Vittorio Albani