Sanremo 2026: who is the violinist who plays with J-Ax

There is a special guest next to J-Ax on the stage of the Ariston Theatre, to the tune of “Italia starter pack”, the song that the Milanese rapper is presenting in competition at the 2026 Sanremo Festival. She is a young violinist. Her name is Maria Adelaide Molinari, she is just 15 years old and J-Ax discovered her, as he himself said, while surfing the net. The musician, who studied at the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Parma and has been playing the violin since she was 5 and a half years old, is one of the key elements of the atmosphere that the rapper wants to build at the Ariston. For now, not much else is known about her: just a talent intercepted online and the trust of one of the best-known names on the Italian music scene.

J-Ax’s choice is not random. The former Article 31 explained that he wanted to fully embrace country imagery, a genre that he has felt close to him for some time. The country world also includes the presence on stage of the banjo player Stefano Brandoni, a Milanese guitarist and composer.

For J-Ax it is yet another transformation in a career built precisely on change: from rap to pop, passing through country. He has dedicated his entire new album, soon to be released, to the genre: it will be his first in five years since “Surreale”.

On the covers evening, Friday 28th, Ax will perform together with the members of the Ligera County Fam. The names of its members have now been revealed: alongside the rapper there will be Cochi Ponzoni, Paolo Rossi, Ale e Franz and Paolo Jannacci. With them he will sing “E la vita, la vita”, the song – written by Enzo Jannacci and Renato Pozzetto – which Cochi and Renato brought to success in 1974.