Pietro Tonolo was born in Mirano (Venice) in 1959, and began to play jazz professionally in 1979, leaving behind an alredy blossoming career as a classical violinist. Moving to Milan in 1979, he there worked with some of the leading Italian jazz musicians including Franco D'Andrea, Luigi Bonafede, Gianni Cazzola, Larry Nocella, Massimo Urbani. From 1981 to 1986 he was often a member of Enrico Rava's group. In the summer of 1982 he played in the “Gil Evans Orchestra” with musicians such as Steve Lacy, Lew Soloff and Ray Anderson; he also played with this ensamble at the “Sweet Basil” in New York in 1984/85 and at the “Umbria Jazz Festival” in 1987.\r