Biography

"Special Prize of the Jury" at the Prix Ravel and Laureate of the Fondation Gautier Capuçon, Italian cellist Francesco Tamburini is co-founder and co-director of the VIVACISSIMO Festival and the Armonie nel Tempo Festival in Italy. He is also a member of the cello ensemble Capucelli and a founding member of the Berlin-based EMANON Project. The Berlin collective's debut album, Ravel – Chamber Music, is scheduled for release in summer 2026, produced by OnClassical and Naxos of America. 

The VIVACISSIMO Festival, an Artistic Residency for chamber music established in 2023 in southern Italy, co-directed with pianist Paolo Tirro will hold  its fourth edition in August 2026.

The fruitful collaboration with his friend and colleague gave birth to a new experience, based in and around Cremona (Italy): Armonie nel Tempo Festival. The Artistic Residency will debut in June 2026 with four chamber music concerts.

A passionate advocate of interdisciplinary artistic performances, Francesco is a co-founder and core member of the Berlin-based chamber music collective EMANON Project.

The EMANON Project is an innovative chamber music collective founded on the principles of collaborative artistry. “EMANON” is the mirror of “no name”, a manifesto of its commitment to collective identity over individual distinction. 

Based in Berlin, it operates without a fixed artistic director, as every member is encouraged to actively participate in shaping the creative operations of the collective.

As a member of the Capucelli, Francesco has recorded for Warner Classics/Erato with Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley and Jerome Ducros for the recent album release GAÏA. Francesco regularly tours world-wide with the ensemble.

His chamber music performances have been broadcast by prominent European radio and television channels, including RAI Radio3, Rai 5, RTS, BNR, NDR, and BR Klassik.

He is the recipient of the 2024 Stauffer Academy/Rotary Club Biannual Scholarship, the 2025 Irene und Walter Kley Award, the 2025 Gordon Clark Scholar at IMS Prussia Cove, supported by the Gordon Clark Trust (UK), winner of the 2024 and 2025 Landessammlung Streichinstrumente Baden-Württemberg Stiftung's Scholarship.

Francesco is an Opal Gold Ambassador, as he recently joined the For-Tune Strings family alongside acclaimed musicians such as A. Kobekina and J. Reuling.

A keen chamber musician, he performs in prestigious venues such as the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg, Victoria Hall Geneva, Fondation Louis Vuitton and Beethoven-Haus Bonn. Francesco has shared the stage with internationally acclaimed artists such as V. Mullova, S. Accardo, A. Grosz, J.-G. Queyras, V. Stanculeasa, G. Capuçon, T. Riebl, N. Imai, O. Meir-Wellber, M. Costea, H. Winkelman, M. Piketty, B. Giuranna, K. Armstrong. In 2023 Francesco stepped in for cellist Sol Gabetta to perform a solo recital at the Museo del Violino in Cremona, Italy, performing on the rare Antonio Stradivari ‘Stauffer – Ex Christiani’ cello.

Francesco has been invited to international festivals including IMS and OCM Prussia Cove, Mozartwoche Salzburg, Écoles d’Art Américaines de Fontainebleau, Mozartwoche Salzburg, NUME Academy & Festival, NUME Risonanze, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland, Ravinia’s Steans Institute, Schiermonnikoog Festival, Toronto Summer Music, Trame Sonore, Villars Music Academy, Cello Biennale Amsterdam, Oropa Festival.

Francesco joins Musethica International for the 2025/2026 seasons.

Since 2022, he has been a guest player with the Camerata Salzburg.

In his orchestral experience, he has worked with esteemed conductors such as C. Eschenbach, M. Honeck, T. Koopman, K. Urbansky, D. Gatti, and K. Yamada, performing in prestigious concert halls including the Elbphilharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, KKL Luzern, Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum, Athenaeum Bucharest, and Wiener Konzerthaus.

Francesco’s enthusiasm for contemporary music has led to collaborations with H. Lachenmann, A. Solbiati, Ensemble Intercontemporain, and Ensemble Dallapiccola. Brazilian composer Ernst Mahle has dedicated his new composition “Ponteio” for piano and cello to Francesco.

A passionate improviser, Francesco has performed live improvisations across Europe, collaborating with G. Vracheva and M. Barley.

He has the opportunity to play a fine instrument from Testore’s workshop, courtesy of a private sponsor.

Francesco is currently a Master's student at the Hochschule fuer Musik Freiburg, where he pursues his Master's degree under the guidance of Jean-Guihen Queyras. He received an Artist Diploma at the Stauffer Academy in Cremona with Antonio Meneses, as well as a Bachelor of Music at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Giovanni Gnocchi. In 2019, he graduated from the “Giuseppe Verdi” Conservatory in Milan.

He is grateful to his mentors S. Isserlis, S. Doane, T. Riebl, G. Hoffmann and J. Reuling for their regular and fundamental contributions to his musical growth, which includes historical performance practice with C. Dangel (baroque cello).

He has been coached by illustrious musicians including C. Martinez-Mehner, P. Muller, N. Imai, D. Geringas, R. Kirshbaum, D. Waterman, S. Harada, J. Steckel, J. Pernoo, Quatuor Ébène, R. Latzko, and L. Hopkins.