Pietro Bonelli began studying classical guitar at the age of seven. By the end of the ‘eighties he had become a promising concert performer specializing in the technique of fingerpicking.

Pietro Bonelli

In the meantime, inspired by the great musical upsurge of the ‘eighties, he became more and more interested in jazz music, attending lessons with Ivo Meletti (noted jazz musician and recording studio sideman) and later obtaining a Masters in Functional Harmony and Jazz Improvisation Technique at Milan’s CDM, studying under Filippo Dacco’.

The late ‘eighties and early ‘nineties were a crucial period in the development of the artist. Strengthened by intense concert activity, he formed the Pietro Bonelli Group and in 1999 they made a recording of Latin jazz influence with the collaboration of famous guests such as Emilio Soana and Guido Bombardieri.

In 2001, with Rodolfo Pereira, he founded the Brasil Project, a samba and bassanova quartet, and went on to promote a new project with the extraordinary vocalist Dora Marchi called Gangs’ Road (funky rap and soul).

In the summer of 2002 he founded New Voice, an electric jazz group that turned out to be an absolute novelty on the live circuit and then the Funky Five, who offered themselves as an alternative to the jazz repertoire of New Voice project.

In March 2003, he launched an Italian tour, reuniting in his Brasil Reuinion project several extraordinary brazilian musicians who boast prestigious international collaborations.

In January 1994, he recorded a new CD called Soleà with the Pietro Bonelli Group, which featured a standout contribution by the celebrated trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso. Following this he founded, along with the acrobatic Pavese singer Sergio “Tamboo” Tamburelli, Swing Brother Swing, a project that was characterized by a repertoire of swing jazz numbers typical of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Since April 2005, he has been the official guitarist of the newly formed Big Band of Pavia. In 2006 he made a fruitful collaboration with the Pavese singer Alberto Tava, building on the ashes of the defunct Progetto Bossa to set out a new direction for the Brasil Project. He then went on to found Somewhere Bound with Andrea Rotoli, a project which is characterized by its freshness, energy and creativity. In the same year Bonelli was the promotor of the the new Pavia Marching Band, whose members were leading musicians in the Lombardy Dixieland scene.

In 2012, with the project String & Voices after many concerts in the most famous jazz club, like Blue Note in Milan, Cantina Bentivoglio in Bologna, he releases a new album Live at Milestone recorded in Piacenza.

Always in 2012, he starts a collaboration with Osvaldo Di Dio, who become part of Latin mood project; later he founds the project Strings & Voices jazz trio.

In April 2014, with his hystoric band, Pietro Bonelli Group, he releases a new cd called Shag’s Airport.

In the same year, he strengthen the Brasilian Music Quartet (Quarteto Brasil), with the collaboration of famous Brasilian musicians, such as Rodrigo Amaral and Uccio Gaeta.

In May 2014, he releases a new album with the Gezzz project, with the famous pianist and singer Angelo “Gange” Cattoni.