A little chat with Federica Michisanti

11 March 2019

Bass and double bass player Federica Michisanti (IT) performed live at inJazz 2018. Her drumless trio with tenor sax and piano mesmerized the audience. Not only the audience was excited, Federica looks back on a perfect performance and some successful networking. Thanks to meeting other professionals during the Matchmaking Sessions she got two gigs in Manchester and Newcastle.

Learning from other professionals
Federica: “For me, visiting the conference programme was fundamental. You get to see and meet international professionals which is important for your career. In 2018 I visited 4 panels, mainly about how organizations in Austria, Switzerland and Italy deal with booking bands. They also told us about festivals and labels. A great way to find out how to play in another country than your own, how to play abroad. I would like to join everyone at the upcoming edition of inJazz, but if I can’t make it then it definitely will be next year!”

A relaxed vibe in Rotterdam
As the festival and the conference programme took a lot of their time, Federica and her friends didn’t get the chance to explore every inch of Rotterdam. They did love the ‘Kop van Zuid’ and ‘Katendrecht’. Federica: “It was my first time in Rotterdam and it really is an amazing city, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We stayed close to the inJazz venues, such a nice area. Everyone we have met was very relaxed and kind. I wouldn’t say it is like home in Rome, but we certainly felt very welcome!”

Happy audience, happy band
When Federica looks back on her performance during the festival in 2018, she is very pleased. “The technicians did a great job, the sound was perfect! When you play on such a big stage as we did at LantarenVenster, it is nice to get to hear yourself that good. It makes you enjoy the performance even more. Our stage felt like playing in a theatre, which was also perfect for our music. And you could really notice that the audience enjoyed our music, they were happy.” At the festival, they got to see other performances as well. Federica: “I really enjoyed listening to the Alex Simu Quintet and also liked Sanne Huijbregts. Sanne’s voice is great!”

Networking at inJazz
At both the conference and the festival Federica made sure to speak to international bookers. One of them was Steve Mead, artistic director and co-founder of the Manchester Jazz Festival. Federica: “At the conference he was one of the professionals I got to speak during the Matchmaking Sessions. Turned out he already knew about me! Apparently someone from Spain told him about my music. Later on at the festival, he saw us playing and because he liked it, he said he would try to host us at his festival.” And so he did. The Federica Michisanti Trioness is part of this year’s line-up and plays on Monday 27 May in Manchester. Federica: “At the conference I also met Paul Bream from Jazz North East. In collaboration with Steve Mead he booked us. We’ll be performing in a concert series on Sunday 26 May at the Bridge Hotel in Newcastle Upon Tyne. You can imagine we’re glad that we did some networking at inJazz 2018!”