Gottfried di Franco

Gottfried di Franco stands for a kaleidoscopical, meaningful and euphoric musical language. With their compositions saxophonist Stefan Gottfried and guitarist Gabriele di Franco create, besides through composed passages, as much space as possible for creativity, spontaneous joy of playing and improvisation and hold up these immanent values in jazz far from shallow instrumental virtuosity. Stylistically, they meander subtly between their idols Kenny Wheeler, Wayne Shorter and Ralph Towner, an admiring fascination for impressionistic music and their naive curiosity for free improvised music.

Gottfried and di Franco combine their musical ideas, their visions as well as their stories which are being told out of the perspective of two young aspiring musicians who perceive the world with wide-opened eyes.

Since they got to know each other musically in Vienna more than three years ago, a lot has happened. They both changed their environment, Gabriele moved to Brussels, Stefan to the Netherlands, in which they quickly found themselves again. Encouraged through euphoric echo and the realization that they complement each other musically in a natural and lively way, they launched this unique collaboration.

The Austrian saxophonist and the Italian guitarist quickly found their congenial musical partners in the virtuosic Spanish pianist Raúl Santana, the extraordinary Brussels based bassist Diederik Billiet and the with creativity sparkling Portuguese drummer João Sousa. Five musicians whose roots couldn't be more different, find themselves to pursue a musical idea in developing the sound of the band that draws attention by subtle and meaningful expression rather than by screaming or impetuous articulation.

Gottfried di Franco has appeared in concert in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy and has reached the final of international competitions such as the Sibiu International Jazz Concours 2017.