Ilario Ferrari Trio & Friends
Lineup
About the Event
Italian-born singer-songwriter, pianist and multi-instrumentalist Ilario Ferrari celebrates his 40th birthday with a one-off two-set concert bringing together the music and friendships that have shaped his journey.
The first set looks forward: Ferrari on voice, electric guitar and keyboards with Will Davis, Eric Young, three backing vocalists and Berlin-based guitarist Enrico Olivanti. The second returns to the expansive acoustic world of the Ilario Ferrari Trio with Charlie Pyne, Cuban violinist Omar Puente and the Jam Strings Collective.
From reimagined music from Above The Clouds to glimpses of forthcoming album Letters From Myself, expect songs, improvisation, friendship and celebration.
Ilario Ferrari is an Italian-born, UK-based singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and composer. Rooted in jazz but unconstrained by genre, his music brings together intimate songwriting, lyrical melodies, improvisation, Mediterranean influences and a deep commitment to emotional connection.
Born in Terracina, Italy, Ferrari began his musical journey on guitar before discovering piano, composition and songwriting. After initially studying medical engineering, he chose to devote himself fully to Music, graduating with First Class Honours in Jazz Piano from the Licinio Refice Conservatory and moving to the UK in 2015.
His evolving catalogue includes the early projects Spread and Be Yourself—which brought him to London’s Kings Place—and the Ilario Ferrari Trio albums Childhood Memories and Above The Clouds. The latter received international recognition, with airplay across more than 200 radio stations worldwide. Ferrari’s music has been featured by BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM, which selected the title track of Above The Clouds as its Track of the Week, and has drawn praise from publications including All About Jazz, Jazz Journal and Tinnitist.
Alongside his trio, Ferrari has built enduring collaborations with artists including Cuban violinist Omar Puente, exploring the meeting points between Mediterranean music, jazz, song and improvisation. His wider work also includes the Italian-language project Giornate a Righe and the community concert series Conversations in Jazz, which he curates in Watford.
Ferrari is now entering a new creative chapter with Letters From Myself, his forthcoming sixth studio album: a deeply personal, song-led work placing his voice, piano and electric guitar at the centre. His 40th-birthday concert at PizzaExpress Live Soho brings these different chapters—and many of the musicians who shaped them—together for one milestone celebration.
"“Uplifting Gorgeous new album” " - Tinnitist Magazine on Above The Clouds