Marco Poggiolesi

Marco Poggiolesi
Marco Poggiolesi began playing the guitar when he was twelve years old. After studying Classical guitar at the Florence Conservatory of Music, in 2002, he became interested in jazz upon meeting Maestro Gianni Zei, who provided an excellent foundation in jazz improvisation.

In 2004-05, he attended the winter courses at the Siena Jazz Foundation, under Roberto Nannetti; here, he had the opportunity to participate in several seminars, including one with Maestro Enrico Rava. In 2006, his passion for flamenco music led him to deepen his knowledge of traditional styles under the guidance of Maestro Juan Lorenzo at the "Accademia de la Guitarra Flamenca," where he studied with guitarist Oscar Herrero. From 2008 to 2010, he studied jazz guitar with Sandro Gibellini. In 2011, he studied with Franco Cerri.
He has performed with prominent figures in the Italian music scene, both in jazz and singer-songwriter circles. He has also collaborated as a stage musician for nearly ten years with Maria Cassi, creating several performances, the most notable being “SuoniEmozioni”, dedicated to the works of Lucio Battisti, and has participated in numerous theater festivals in Italy and Europe. From 2008 to 2013, Poggiolesi wrote for the cultural magazine "l'Ambasciata Teatrale", where he also curated the music column.
In 2010, he recorded the album “Tandem”, in duo with double bassist Ferdinando Romano, released in 2011 by Philology Records. Two tracks from the album were included in the compilation “Italian Jazz, le cinquanta migliori tracce”. In December 2013, the duo released their second album “Tandem, A Ruota Libera” through Dodicilune. Both albums received excellent reviews in leading national and international music magazines, including Jazzit, Cadence Magazine New York, All About Jazz, Musica Jazz, Disk Union Tokyo, and more.
Together with Ferdinando Romano, and also with Simone Morgantini on saxophone, flute, and guitar, he created a show dedicated to Bob Dylan titled “Dylan Bob, dalle sue canzoni di protesta alle sue ballate d’amore.” Following a successful tour, which saw the show performed in numerous Italian theaters, a live album was released.
In October 2014, he released a CD with Il Cantautore, the official magazine of the “Premio Tenco”, featuring the eleven tracks from “Concerto del primo maggio” in honor of the “I Cavalli del Lavoro” award, conceived by Sergio Staino and Sergio Sacchi, held at the Obihall in Florence, where he performed as a solo guitarist.
He maintains an intense concert schedule, performing in major theaters across Italy and Europe, including the Théâtre du Rond-Point in Paris, the Arcub Theatre in Bucharest, the Casinò Theatre in Locarno, the Niccolini Theatre in Florence as part of the Amici della Musica series, and the Franco Parenti Theatre in Milan. He has been a guest at various prestigious events, such as Premio Tenco, Musicultura, Festival della Letteratura, and Umbria Jazz.
In 2021, he co-founded the project “Contrabanda” alongside Francesco Birardi, with Michele Staino on double bass, Luca Imperatore on guitar, Paolo Casu on percussion, and Serena Moroni on violin, dedicated to Cuban traditional music. The quintet recorded an album entirely of original compositions, written in the style of various Cuban genres, which was released in 2023. The success of this album led to a well-received tour, which in 2024 took Poggiolesi to Havana, where he performed not only with Contrabanda but also as a guest with the prestigious Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro.
In 2024, he recorded “Meu Violao”, an album entirely dedicated to the work of the great Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, the creator of bossa nova. Featuring ten of Jobim's most famous compositions along with two original pieces, this is Poggiolesi’s first solo guitar album, set to be released in 2025 by Da Vinci Publishing.
For over ten years, he has taught classical and jazz guitar at various music schools in Florence. Since 2021, he has been teaching at the Centro Studi Musicali Forte dei Marmi, where he directs the modern music department and teaches ensemble music and improvisation