Betty Accorsi is an Italian saxophone player, multi-instrumentalist and composer, currently based in the United Kingdom.   

I studied classical saxophone, piano and composition at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan. I was involved in projects spanning from contemporary music ensembles with composer Salvatore Sciarrino to the progressive rock band Psicosuono, which released two albums (Eta Carinae, Metropoli).

In 2018, I moved to London and started an MMus in Jazz Saxophone at Trinity Laban Conservatoire with a scholarship. Trinity's academic environment included leaders in the London jazz scene such as saxophonist Jean Toussaint and composer Bruno Heinen. Searching for a more open-ended approach to artistry and composition, I moved to Goldsmiths University of London in 2019, completing my Master's degree in Performance under the guidance of Mick Foster, Paul Bartholomew and Dr Pete Furniss.

I graduated with a distinction presenting a programme of electronic rearrangements of classical music for soprano saxophone and Ableton Live and a jazz quartet performance.   

I am currently the leader of two projects active in England:

One is an acoustic duo called Sloth in the City, formed in 2018 with percussive acoustic guitar player Andrea Martelloni. Our EP Remember Music, recorded in 2021 in London, is composed of originals that blend jazz forms with Celtic folk and Mediterranean music.    

My main project is the Betty Accorsi Quartet. This was founded with pianist Finn Carter and drummer Scott MacDonald; they were the finest musicians in my year at Goldsmiths and very popular in the South East of London. We are joined by in-demand bassist Andy Hamill (Van Morrison, Martin Taylor, Ibrahim Maalouf).

In December 2020 we released “The Cutty Sark Suite”, an album of my compositions blending Wayne Shorter, folk and punk. The Quartet was also part of 2021 Brighton Fringe Festival, playing The Cutty Sark Suite in its entirety on a live-streamed gig.

Our second album “Growing Roots” was released on the July 2022 featuring pianist Daniel Hewson (Groove Armada, Madonna, Incognito), Scott MacDonald on drums and Andy Hamill on bass.