Martina Zambelli
Graduated from the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan, she is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, choir and orchestra conductor, music popularizer and writer.
She met Gianfranco de Nicolo while conducting the first eco-sustainable vocal and instrumental ensemble on the planet, Voci della Terra, in which he plays as a bassoonist. Always a great innovator and experimenter in all the artistic contexts in which she is involved, she was one of the first musicians to test the densoon and to believe in Mawip, as well as in its extraordinary team, which she joined with enthusiasm, passion and total dedication.
She is one of the main testimonials of the company as well as the first densoonist in the world.
"The densoon is the natural evolution of the bassoon and Mawip will make that of all woodwinds possible. I, a little dreamy musician, was asked to be an active part of the history of musical organology: I couldn’t be more grateful and proud."
Leonardo Dosso
Bassoon teacher at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, he is one of the greatest living Italian bassoonists: touring all over the world, founder and active performer of the ARNOLD Quintet, he has played as principal bassoon in the RAI orchestra of Milan.
Before studying the bassoon he was an estimated guitar player in Milan, in the "progressive rock" area in the first 70‘s with the band "Gruppo d’alternativa"
Also a lover of the baroque bassoon and an open mind to innovations, he contributed, with his illuminated guidance, to preparing the first artisanal prototype of 2022, which he jokingly nicknamed "Frankestein".
That the densoon is useful for spreading the knowledge and practice of the bassoon is a shared mission, for him, with the creator of Mawip, which is why he currently carries out practical consultancy activities for those who are approaching the bassoon, in order to facilitate the learning the embouchure and the emission of the breath. Very soon we will be able to host some of his video tutorials on this site to help all those who want to play... the densoon!
The network of testimonials is growing
Mike Rossi
“It is a great pleasure and honor to be involved with one of the Densoon prototypes, thanks to Gianfranco de Nicolo’s generosity and his passion for the creation of the first hybrid bassoon. Having not played bassoon for many, many years, I found the Densoon to be a woodwind doubler’s dream with the simplified key system. With a little bit of practice, I was soon off and running, playing simple standards and etudes. The sound of the instrument is amazing and the practical range is that of a traditional bassoon. The redesigned key system eliminates many of the optional and tricky cross fingerings that bassoon players routinely use, thus allowing for the student and professional alike to quickly get to the enjoyment of music making. At a lower cost than a traditional bassoon, Schools, Community and University programs can all benefit from having the Densoon as part of their instrumental equipment arsenal, and as an important and often underused voice of the woodwind section. Throughout my teaching career, I would have loved to have the Densoon in my studio as part of a fully comprehensive woodwind course that included saxophone, clarinet, and flute students. For present and future woodwind doublers, the transition to the Densoon will be less complicated, due to its simplified fingering system and pleasing tone production. Bravo to Gianfranco de Nicolo and his fine team for creating an extremely versatile acoustic – analogue instrument.”
Mike Rossi
Fermo, Italy
Professor Emeritus: Jazz and Woodwinds
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Mike Rossi is Professor Emeritus in Jazz and Woodwinds at the South African College of Music, University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is an exceptional saxophone and woodwind player, and artist for Rampone & Cazzani Handmade Italian saxophones. He has performed around the globe in small and large ensembles and gives workshops and masterclasses worldwide. As a composer and performer, he has appeared on numerous jazz and classical recordings, and has written a series of method books on jazz improvisation, with translations in other languages. He was awarded the Cavaliere Ordine della “Stella d’ Italia” in 2018 for promoting and contributing to the arts in South Africa and in Italy especially in the field of jazz and jazz education. He served as President of the South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) for many years. His achievements include numerous recordings, and international stage appearances as leader, soloist, and sideman with some of the world’s most distinguished musicians including Tony Bennett, Dave Liebman, and Darius Brubeck. Since 2011 Rossi has taught at the Arcevia Jazz Feast in Marche, Italy and since 2018 in Kanazawa, Japan.
Rossi currently lives in Fermo, Italy with his wife Diane.
