Francesco Parsi

Francesco Valerio Parsi was born in Florence on February 20, 2001. He began singing in a choir at the age of 7 and playing drums at age of 12. In 2015, he began studying classical percussion and classical saxophone at Liceo Musicale Dante in Florence. From 2015 to 2018, he studied jazz drums with Claudio Sbrolli and since 2018 with Stefano Bagnoli. In 2019 and 2021, he performs at the Anfiteatro Romano di Fiesole for the festival Estate Fiesolana.

He attended masterclasses with, among others, Peter Bernstein, Tom Harrel, and Ambrose Akinmusire and participated in several jazz seminars including the Nuoro Jazz International Seminars in 2018, 2019 and 2021 editions, winning the penultimate scholarship for re-enrollment and in the last one the scholarship for the best students. Following this experience, he forms the Nugara Trio, with which he performs in various Italian clubs. He was presented at the Nuoro Jazz Festival 2022 and in Berchidda guest of the jazz production center Insulae Lab by which he has been selected for the final at the Bettinardi Prize.

Since 2021 he has collaborated with Orchestra Toscana Classica and Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina with which he takes part in several productions. In October 2021 he has been selected to take part in the artistic residency at Saint Louis College of Music for the European Jazz’s Cool project. This occasion gave him the possibility to perform at the Casa del Jazz in Rome, Helsinki and, Aalborg in Denmark.

Since 2020 he has been living in Den Haag (The Netherlands) where he attends the Bachelor in jazz drumming at the prestigious Royal Conservatory of The Hague and where he studies with, among others, drummer Eric Ineke and where he performs with local ensembles.

Photo credit: Darja Štavs Tisu