Biography

Fabio Melis was only 11 when he started studying saxophone. He later graduated magna cum laude in clarinet at the “A. Buzzolla” State Conservatory in Adria (Italy), under the supervision of Mo. L. Guzzoni. Born in Sardinia, a land abounding with a rich and ancient musical tradition, Fabio was always attracted to arcaic cultures and musical instruments with a unique sound.

His passion for the launeddas, an ancestral Sardinian instrument, blossomed during a concert by Mo. L. Lai, Sardinia’s top launeddas maestro. In 2005,  Italian composer C. Gentilini wrote for him Aulos, the first ever modern-key solo composition for launeddas. During a long stay in the Netherlands, Fabio acquainted himself with didgeridoo, a fascinating Australian Aboriginal reed instrument, which reminded him so much of his native launeddas.

Fabio Melis has held concertos in theatres and other public venues in Italy, France, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Canada and Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth).

In Australia, Fabio met Aboriginal didgeridoo player Adrian Burragubba, from the Wiri Clan, and Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie, who introduced him to the traditional didgeridoo playing technique.

Fabio Melis has been invited to various international music festivals: EMMAS – Ethnic  Meeting of Music and Arts in Sardinia in 2005, III° Giornata Nazionale della Musica Popolare in Sassari, and as the only European player invited at FESTURI, a Multicultural Celebration 2005 in Caloundra, Queensland, Australia. He has been guest in various radio and tv shows, such as MTV Music, Antenna 1, Videolina, Sardegna Uno and Radio Italia in Melbourne, Australia.

Fabio also founded the Fabio Melis Sax Quartet and the The Hillside Sax Quartet, and has played with world-famous artists such as Roger Bobo, Steven Mead, Jacques Mauger, B Wattè e John Terpstra.

He has recorded several albums, where ancestral reeds and jazz go hand in hand. In 2005 Fabio was granted tenure at the  prestigious Arrigo Boito Conservatory of Music in Parma.  The dissertations he presented were titled “The Launeddas” and “Music in Aboriginal Tribal Practice”.

Fabio is currently working on a couple of World Music projects, as he continues to contaminate his ancient reeds with various other instruments and musical genres such as blues and jazz.