Drummer, Composer and Teacher

Born in the Republic of San Marino in 1991, Michele Pazzini started to play drums and piano at the age of seven. In May 2020 he graduated for the master jazz drums at the Royal Conservatory of Den Haag as a student of Eric Ineke, Felix Schlarmann and Stefan Kruger. In May 2018 he graduated for the bachelor jazz drums always at the Royal Conservatory of Den Haag. Previously Michele studied at the G.B Martini’s Conservatory of Bologna where he graduated for the Master Jazz Drums as a student of: Tomaso Lama, Giampaolo Ascolese and Stefano Paolini. Besides that he followed private lessons from Walter Calloni.

Michele is currently living in The Hague – The Netherlands from 2016. Besides the conservatory’s activities, he is teaching as a drum teacher at Vivaldi Music lessons, performing as a drummer in different projects and venues and working at his original quartet project. Besides drumming, Michele has always had a strong passion for composing and in 2018 he formed his own quartet with the aim of performing his compositions. The quartet consists of talented musicians who also study or have studied at the Royal Conservatory and Michele’s music is considered as modern jazz.

From 2015 to 2016 he has been the drum teacher in Scuola Comunale “Glenn Gould” Igea Marina – Italy. In June 2016 he played with the American clarinetist Bill Smith with C.C.C.B combo leaded by Paolo Ravaglia. During the last year of his Master study in Italy he did an Erasmus exchange at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp – Belgium, where he lived, studied and performed for one entire year.

After he came back in July 2015 from Belgium, he recorded with the guitarist and singer- songwriter Francesco Biadene the EP “Dei Sentieri” and won together with him the contest “Indie Time” in Fucecchio – Italy. In November he performed the Italian premiere of Bill Smith’s concert for clarinet and combo with the clarinetist Paolo Ravaglia and his combo. In the same month, after following master classes with Tim Berne, Piero Bittolo Bon and Alfonso Santimone, he played Tim Berne’s music during two other concerts at the Bologna Jazz Festival.

In 2014, he participated in a little tour with the Icarus Ensemble playing in different Italian conservatories between Rome, Bologna and Rovigo. The great Italian singer Diana Torto led this ensemble together with special guest Salvatore Maiore. In the summer of 2014, Michele played for a recording from the composer and arranger Stefano Dall’Osso, with the participation of musicians as Teo Ciavarella and Giorgio Santisi. In the same year he won with Francesco Biadene two contests; “Young Talent” organized in the Bravo Cafe in Bologna and “Labella Studio” in Tuscany. In 2014 he started also playing and touring in Italy and Europe with the “Paul Mad Gang”.

In 2013, he won a scholarship of five days at the European Jazz School in Germany. In the same year Michele had played a concert with Cristiano De Andrè as a special guest and he played in the educational project of the Bologna Jazz Festival with the group Moanin’, directed by the renowned American quintet Opus 5 with David Kikoski, Seamus Blake and Donald Edwards. He attended a master class with the same American teachers.

In 2012 he attended the Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz in Perugia and in the winter of 2012 he released the album “Seven Lights” with Francesco Biadene.