Francesco Cafiso

At just nine years old, he began his musical journey, gaining experience alongside internationally renowned musicians such as Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, George Gruntz, and Gianni Basso, among many others.
A pivotal moment in his career came in July 2002, during the Pescara Jazz Festival, when he met Wynton Marsalis. Deeply impressed by Cafiso’s musical talent, Marsalis invited him to join his 2003 European Tour.
Since then, Francesco has performed at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals, theaters, and jazz clubs.
Over the course of his career, he has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Premio Nazionale Massimo Urbani (Urbisaglia), the EuroJazz Award (Lecco), the International Jazz Festivals Organization Award (New York), the World Saxophone Competition (London), and the Django d’Or (Rome), among many others.
To broaden his musical experience, he traveled to New Orleans, where he performed with Ellis Marsalis and other leading figures of the local scene.
In 2004, he appeared as a guest at the Sanremo Music Festival.
In 2005, the Japanese magazine Swing Journal awarded him the “New Star Award,” dedicated to emerging international talents. That same year, he was recognized as Best New Talent in the Top Jazz critics’ poll by the Italian magazine Musica Jazz.
Throughout the years, he has performed with world-renowned artists such as Hank Jones, Dave Brubeck, Cedar Walton, Mulgrew Miller, Jimmy Cobb, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Kenny Wheeler, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Enrico Rava, and Stefano Bollani, among many others.
In 2006, he graduated in flute from the “V. Bellini” Institute of Music in Catania.
Since 2008, he has been the Artistic Director of the Vittoria Jazz Festival in his hometown.
On January 19, 2009, he performed in Washington, D.C., during the celebrations for President Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
On July 17, 2009, Umbria Jazz named him “Ambassador of Italian Jazz Music in the World.”
In 2010, he earned a Master’s Degree in Jazz from the “Corelli” Conservatory in Messina and subsequently performed in China as part of “The Best of Italian Jazz” during the Shanghai Expo.
In 2012, he arranged “Don’t Stop,” the music for an ENI Station advertising campaign.
In July 2012, during the Olympic Games, he was invited to perform in London at Casa Italia, in the presence of the Italian Ambassador and CONI officials.
In September 2012, he held a series of saxophone masterclasses at the University of Pennsylvania.
In June 2013, commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in collaboration with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, he was selected to represent Italy during the Year of Italian Culture in the United States.
On February 20, 2014, in New York, he received the “Grand Award of Merit” from the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit for his contribution to the dissemination of jazz worldwide.
In March 2015, he released the recording project 3, consisting of three separate albums – La Banda, Contemplation, and 20 Cents Per Note – in which he appears as composer, arranger, and performer.
In 2016, he founded his own record label, EFLAT Records.
In 2017, he recorded the album We Play For Tips at the Vittoria Jazz Festival, released in 2018 by EFLAT Records and widely acclaimed by critics.
In 2019, he returned to the studio with the London Symphony Orchestra to create the project Irene of Boston – Conversation avec Corto Maltese, released in 2020.
On December 27, 2022, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, awarded him the honor of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
On May 19, 2023, he earned the Artist Diploma in Jazz from The Juilliard School in New York.
In 2024, the website JazzTokyo selected one of his performances at the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo as the best performance of the year.
In 2026, the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory of Music awarded him an Honorary Degree in Jazz Saxophone for his extraordinary artistic sensitivity and profound expressive research, blending tradition and innovation into an authentic and personal synthesis.
In the same year, he released his third recording project with the London Symphony Orchestra, titled Where It All Returns.
Francesco Cafiso continues to perform worldwide with various ensembles under his direction.