Joan Gatti is an Italian fiddle and hardanger fiddle player and composer based in Norway. His playing style draws heavily from the the musical traditions of Ireland and Norway, in which he is deeply involved, but often touches contemporary music and early/baroque music especially in his solo works.
Born and raised in Turin (Italy), Joan began studying classical violin at the age of 7 and completed his diploma at the “G. Verdi” Conservatory of Turin in 2020. Alongside his classical studies, he began exploring Irish folk music at the age of 14, and over time became one of the most active and recognized Irish fiddle players on the Italian scene, as well as internationally. As an independent musician and as part of his bands, he has received support from entities such as Italia Music Export, Culture Moves Europe and Goethe Institut. He has collaborated and shared the stage with musicians such as Birkin Tree and Enda Scahill from WeBanjo3, his band Gadan having been touring the United States for several years. Since august 2024, he plays alongside Enda Scahill at festivals as big as Milwaukee Irish Fest and Dublin Irish Fest.
In 2020, he began exploring Nordic folk music, with a particular interest in Norwegian folk music, and moved to Norway a short time later. He graduated in 2025 from a master’s program in Nordic folk music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, focusing on a creative approach to fiddle tunings in Nordic folk music. In 2025, he also won the open call for young composers ArCombin – I sentieri del violino.
Joan Gatti: violin and hardanger fiddle player 