Flavio Boltro was born in Turin, Italy, on May 5, 1961. His father was a trumpet player and jazz enthusiast, and his mother was a teacher. Immersed in jazz from a young age, he began playing the trumpet at nine under his father's guidance. At thirteen, he enrolled at the G. Verdi National Conservatory in Turin, where he studied for seven years with Carlo Arfinengo (first trumpet of the Turin Symphony Orchestra), who prepared him for the conservatory entrance exam. ITALIAN PERIOD At the age of 25, he joined a group known as Lingomania, featuring Maurizio Giammarco on sax, Umberto Fiorentino on guitar, Roberto Gatto on drums, and Furio Di Castri on bass, which won the award for best record and best band of the year for two consecutive years. Around the same time, he began collaborating with Steve Grossman, performing in international clubs and festivals in a quintet with Cedar Walton, Billy Higgins, and David Williams in the rhythm section, as well as with Clifford Jordan and Jimmy Cobb. Another decisive and original group for his musical career was the trio with Manhu Roche and Furio Di Castri, which later transformed into a quartet with Joe Lovano. In 1988, he performed at the Ivrea Festival and the Jazz Club Capolinea in Milan with the great Freddie Hubbard in a two-trumpet quintet. In 1984, he was elected "Best New Talent" of the year by *Musica Jazz* magazine, and the following year, "Best Musician of the Year." FRENCH PERIOD In the early nineties, he formed a quartet with Antonio Faraò on piano, Manhu Roche on drums, and Paolino Dalla Porta on bass, performing at the Calvi Festival in Corsica, where he was noticed by composer and arranger Laurent Cugny. In 1993, Cugny chose Boltro and Di Battista as soloists for the ONJ (Orchestre National de Jazz) in Paris. After this three-year experience, he joined Michel Petrucciani's sextet, remaining with him until 1999, the year the legendary Petrucciani passed away. In 1997, he and Stefano Di Battista formed a quintet with Eric Legnini on piano, Benjamin Henocq on drums, and Rosario Bonaccorso on bass. In 2000, he began a collaboration in the Michel Portal quintet, staying until 2005. In 2003, Flavio Boltro formed a quartet with Eric Legnini, Remi Vignolo, and Franck Agulhon, recording the album *40 Gradi* for Blue Note Records. In 2003, he participated in the AIR trio with Giovanni Mirabassi on piano and Glenn Ferris on trombone. The album *AIR* won the award for Best International Record of the Year. In 2007, popular Italian singer Gino Paoli realized a dream: to form a group with jazz musicians. A quintet was born with Flavio Boltro, Roberto Gatto, Danilo Rea, Rosario Bonaccorso, and Paoli on vocals. The group recorded two albums: *Milestone* for Blue Note and, in 2007, *Un Incontro in Jazz* on the Parco della Musica label. In 2011, the ACT Music label proposed that Flavio Boltro record a duo album with pianist Danilo Rea featuring great Italian opera arias, both having solid classical training. The album was recorded in one day (live recording) at Schloss Elmau. The duo performs today in theaters across Europe and Asia (Japan, China, and South Korea). Seeking the spirit of the extraordinary 1960s and paying homage to trumpeter Lee Morgan, Boltro assembled a new quintet in 2012: *Joyful*, an All-Star quintet composed of Rosario Giuliani on sax, Pietro Lussu on piano, André Ceccarelli on drums, and Darryl Hall on bass, with guest singer Alex Ligertwood (vocalist for Carlos Santana in the 70s). In 2008, he formed an Italian quartet with Giovanni Mazzarino on piano, Marco Micheli on bass, and Francesco Sotgiu on drums. He is currently producing his trio BBB, with Mauro Battisti on bass and Mattia Barbieri on drums, in anticipation of recording an album. In memory of the great Petrucciani quartet, Flavio Boltro also performs "Play Petrucciani," featuring Andrea Pozza on piano, Paolo Ghetti on bass, and Manhu Roche on drums.