Manuel PADULA

Manuel Padula, saxophonist and Cannonball artist, was born in 1993. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in 2012 from the “U. Giordano” Conservatory in Rodi Garganico-Foggia, in the class of Maestro Gabriele Buschi, then in 2014 a master’s degree with distinction in saxophone at the same institution.

In 2017, he earned a master’s degree in chamber music with honors at the “G.B. Martini” Conservatory in Bologna, under Maestro Guido Felizzi, while further refining his playing with Daniele Faziani. His training was enriched by numerous masterclasses with major saxophone figures such as Federico Mondelci, Mario Marzi, Hans de Jong, Jerome Laran, Arno Bornkamp, and Marco Gerboni.

Currently, he is pursuing a master’s degree in saxophone at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp under the direction of Hans De Jong. Winner of numerous national and international competitions, he took 1st prize at the “Garganum” International Competition in 2015, and in 2016 and 2018, 1st prize at the “Alberghini” Competition in both soloist and chamber music categories.

On stage, he has performed as a soloist at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, collaborated with the Bologna Philharmonic alongside Stefano Bollani and Kristjan Jarvi, as well as with prestigious institutions such as the conservatories of Bologna, Foggia, and Antwerp.

His intense and varied concert activity has taken him to perform throughout Italy and across Europe.