Bio
"Bruno is a very curious and courageous musician, composer and band leader with a unique, personal and interesting approach to composing and performing."
"His musical approach balances between different components such as drones, pulse and great dynamics, atmospheric sound paintings and esoteric colors of impressionistic minimalism."
"Bruno is an expressionistic, attentive and excellent drummer, always playing with a tasteful understated elegance. He shows a high level of technical ability, always with a keen focus on sound, touch, textures and flow. In short words: Bruno, a true artist."
A versatile drummer with refined taste, Bruno Tagliasacchi Masia has showcased his musical prowess across various European countries, collaborating with a diverse array of musicians. Born on the island of Sardinia, Bruno's musical journey took him to different cities, shaping his drumming style and expanding his rhythmic vocabulary.
In 2012, Bruno relocated to Porto, Portugal, to study under the guidance of Michael Charles Lauren, an American educator, drummer, and founding member of The Drummers Collective academy in New York. Lauren's mentorship exposed Bruno to a vast array of rhythms and rhythmic subdivision systems, transforming his approach to drums into a melodic and experimental exploration.
Lauren played a pivotal role in introducing Bruno to the concept of silence and the spectrum of inner subdivision systems, aiding in the internalization of pulse and a deeper control of time.
Inspired by "The Book of Silence" introduced by Michael Lauren, Bruno embarked on a research journey at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, focusing on the potential of silence as a creative tool in musical performance. Bruno graduated from the ESMAE music academy in Porto and returned to Sardinia for his final jazz drums bachelor concert, collaborating with Portuguese musicians Wilson Correia and Goncalo Sarmento.
Following six months of preparation, he moved to the Netherlands to study with Erik Ineke and Jasper Somsen. However, the allure of the Nordic region led him to Denmark in 2015.
In that year, Bruno commenced a master's degree in music education at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. This period marked the initiation of his empirical exploration of silence as a creative tool.
Throughout his master's studies, Bruno conducted workshops at various institutions across Europe, from the FìH Music Academy Reykjavik in Iceland to the Ponferrada Jazz Festival in Spain.
Bruno actively engaged in supervising master's theses at the Sibelius Academy and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. His expertise culminated in a lecture at Steinhardt University in New York during the IMPACT Conference 2017, titled "Silence and Subdivisions: A Creative Tool for Performance and Composition."
During his teaching residency at the Sibelius Academy, Bruno was invited to write an article detailing his experiences with local students. This article was published in the Finnish Journal of Music Education in January 2017.
Currently based in Oslo, Bruno remains deeply involved in Denmark's national jazz scene, particularly in Copenhagen. His musical repertoire spans various genres, including modern jazz, mainstream, contemporary, avant-garde, jazz-fusion, and advanced rhythmical improvisation.
Over a decade, Bruno has recorded 13 albums, three of which are live performances. Two upcoming albums recorded in 2023 are noteworthy "Lithodrum" and his latest work TIDENS DANS with his septet BTM 7tet.
Bruno leads diverse projects as a drummer, composer, and artistic director. He is associated with the Italian cultural association Dante Alighieri Copenhagen and serves on the board of the music committee at Start! Frederiksberg.
His international presence is marked by performances at renowned jazz festivals, including the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Aarhus Jazz Festival, Nuoro Jazz Festival, Ponferrada Jazz Festival, Piacenza Jazz Festival, European Jazz Expo, Sant´Annarresi Jazz, and Time in Jazz Festival.
Bruno has collaborated with acclaimed musicians such as Jorge Rossy, Thomas Hass, Rob Waring, Kathrine Windfeld, Jesper Bodilsen, Thomas Clausen, Richard Andersson, Eladio Diaz, Sebastian Zawadzki, Dave Liebman, Francesco Venerucci, Adele Pardi, Snake Platform, Niels Wilhelm Knudsen, and many others.
Since the fall 2022 Bruno has been working as a guest teacher at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, participating in a traineeship exchange program with The Royal Conservatory of Music in Aarhus, Denmark.
In this capacity, he is spearheading a visionary project that explores complex yet musical rhythmic structures, fostering creativity through improvisation and the strategic use of silence.
Beyond his musical pursuits, Bruno freelances as a musician and drum teacher. Notably, he taught at Rolf-Erik Nostrøm's improvisation class at NMH, Oslo, in March 2022. In previous years, he contributed as a drum teacher in various music schools in Denmark, including The Rytmisk Center Copenhagen, LOF and FOF Roskilde, MGK-Helsingør, and KKU Copenhagen.
Recognizing his commitment, Bruno received an award within the "Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs" program funded by the EU, leading to a semester-long collaboration in Spain.
Bruno has earned an advanced post-graduate diploma from the Royal Conservatory in Aarhus, Denmark, along with a master's degree in music education from the Rhythmic Conservatory of Music, Copenhagen.
He achieved a bachelor's degree in jazz drums from the Conservatory of Music in Cagliari, Sardinia, complemented by a supplementary diploma issued by the Portuguese jazz academy, ESMAE.
Throughout his educational journey, Bruno actively participated in various seminars and workshops conducted by renowned global music performers and educators.
Bruno initiated an ongoing research project at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, commencing in the fall of 2020.
This innovative endeavor explores intricate yet melodious rhythmic structures, fostering creativity through improvisation and the freedom of deliberate silence, where not playing becomes a deliberate choice.
The performer is skillfully guided to maintain focus on the given rhythmic structure while enjoying the liberty to improvise based on the organic flow suggested by the rhythmic framework, devoid of harmonic and melodic constraints.
Moreover, the research welcomes any spontaneous ideas emerging during performances and rehearsals. The current ensemble features a double bass, trumpet, alto sax, drums, vibraphone, and piano. Future expansions include the addition of two cellos and other instruments from the classical realm.
Ultimately, the project aims to culminate in a ten-member ensemble where classical and rhythmic musicians collaboratively improvise, yielding a fresh, exhilarating, and unpredictably innovative musical experience.