Jacopo Taddei is one of the leading Italian saxophonists on the international classical scene. Described as a “sax hero” by Corriere della Sera, he is praised for his brilliant technique combined with delicacy and exuberance.
After beginning his studies with the Filarmonica di Portoferraio, he studied with Valter Barbieri, Francesco Mondelci, and Marco Marzi, graduating with honors and receiving the highest distinction from the Conservatory of Music “G. Verdi” in Milan.
He is a member of the SIGNUM Saxophone Quartet, with whom he regularly tours internationally. Their most recent album, Chameleon, was released by Berlin Classics in 2024.
Winner of 26 first prizes in national and international competitions, including the CIM International Music Competition in Barcelona, the Francesco Cilea Prize, the Enrica Cremonesi Competition, the Gran Prix Povoletto, the International Chamber Music Competition “Salieri Zanetti”, the Soroptimist International Prize, and the Saverio Mercadante International Competition, he has been recognized for his talent since a very young age, receiving the prestigious Claudio Abbado Prize and the Milan Conservatory Prize. In 2015, at Umbria Jazz, he won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he was also awarded a substantial fellowship.
He has collaborated with orchestras such as the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Orchestra della Toscana, the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, the Orchestra UniMi, the Divertimento Ensemble, and the Roma Tre Orchestra, under the direction of, among others, Riccardo Chailly, Antonio Pappano, Daniele Gatti, Yuri Bashmet, Thomas Brock, Filippo Korobov, and Igor Dronov.
He has performed in prestigious venues in Italy and abroad, including New York, Miami, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, Argentina, and Switzerland, and has appeared on Rai Radio 3, Rai 5, RaiPlay, and Radio Popolare.
He has been an Artist in Residence for the Società dei Concerti di Milano and is an official ambassador for Henri Selmer Paris. He is the dedicatee of works by Claude Lauba, Fabrizio Libetta, Azio Solbiati, Valerio Montalti, Riccardo Esposito, Federico Ciurlo, Edoardo Imondi, and Francesco Falleri.
In 2017, he was awarded the Medal of the Chamber of Deputies in recognition of his talent. Since 2019, he has held the position of principal soprano saxophone at the Teatro Regio di Torino.