Carlton Granberry Award winner in 2003, guitarist, Stefano Kalonaris was born in Florence. After graduating at the National Conservatoire, P. Mascagni, in Livorno, Italy, he continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he obtained his Master's Degree in Music Performance.

During his studies in Ethnomusicology at the University of Bologna, the results of his research on Tarantismo (traditional trance music of South Italy) were published in 'Intense Emozioni in Musica' (1993). Naturally curious, he expanded his knowledge of world music by travelling extensively in Central and South America, where he studied Afro-Cuban and Brazilian percussion and string instruments such as tres, cavaquinho and 7 string guitar.

Stefano performs with samba schools, Paraiso (winner of the Notting Hill Carnival), Verde Vai and Rhythms of the City. He plays with Afro-Peruvian group, Calle Limon and leads his own bands Tumbatimba (Cuban Son and Salsa Band) and Regional Bola Oito (Brazilian chorinho). He also writes for and performs in the Stefano Kalonaris Group and Bes.

He has collaborated with artists such as Martin Speake, Tony Kofi, Tim Garland, Marvin Stamn, Grupo Sambnado, Psychic Phenomena and Lyric L.