Bettini
Francesco Bettini

Technical Jury

Born in Ferrara in 1974 and trained at the Liceo Classico Ludovico Ariosto, Francesco Bettini completed his studies graduating in Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the University of Bologna (Ravenna branch). Leaving aside the crowd of seasonal jobs carried out in his youth, he began his real professional activity in 1994, parallel to enrolling in university.

Following a study and work trip to Jordan, he was hired by the G.R.A.A.S. with whom, for over five years, he worked on various construction sites specializing in the restoration of stone elements. In this same period Francesco became passionate about music, undertaking the amateur study of the guitar and the saxophone.

The primeval passion for rock years slowly slips towards jazz, through a backward path, which leads him to appreciate the whole time span of African American music from its origins to the present day.

He took his first steps in the world of concert production by holding, on several occasions, courses in “Approach to Jazz Music” at the Liceo Ariosto and the Ludovico Einaudi Technical Institute. And it is thanks to this experience that, in 1997, he joined the Cultural Jazz Club Ferrara, starting to collaborate as a volunteer in the organization of the concerts and festivals that the association produces. In recent years, he first took care of the secretariat, then of the press office and, subsequently, of the production alongside the artistic direction entrusted to Alessandro Mistri.

In 1999, the Jazz Club Ferrara Association obtained the prestigious headquarters of Torrione San Giovanni and Bettini combined the activity of the association with that of road manager for Alberto Alberti (founder of Umbria Jazz) and Toti Cannistraro (booking agency Caleidoscope Jazz).

The following fifteen years are characterized by participation in a dense series of Italian and European tours, which allow him to enrich his professional background.

In parallel, he also contributes to the realization of numerous events, such as: the San Vito Lo Capo Jazz Festival, the production of the documentary film on Tony Scott by Franco Maresco and the seminars of Tuscia in Jazz. Also worth mentioning are the Albinea and Elba Musical Island Festivals of Europe, of which he is still an artistic consultant today. Starting from 2005, following a change in the structure of the Ferrara Jazz Club, which saw the election of Andrea Firrincieli as President of the cultural association, Bettini took over the reins of the Artistic Direction. Only two years later, he becomes Artistic Director of the prestigious Bologna Jazz Festival alongside Massimo Mutti (founder of the Festival), and subsequently independently (since 2012).

Since 2014, with the Bologna in Musica Association, Bettini has also produced the jazz concerts of the Centro Unipol Bologna during the summer season.

In 2016, the Jazzit Awards (referendum organized by the bimonthly Jazzit) elected him “Best Artistic Director” of the boot.

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