Biography

Master’s student at the Musikhochschule Freiburg with Jean-Guihen Queyras, Italian cellist Francesco Tamburini 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.
Francesco is grateful to his mentors S. Isserlis, S. Doane, T. Riebl, G. Hoffmann and J. Reuling for their fundamental contributions to his musical growth, which includes historical performance practice with C. Dangel (baroque cello).
Francesco is the co-founder and co-director of the VIVACISSIMO Festival, an Artistic Residency for chamber music established in 2023 in southern Italy, organized in collaboration with pianist Paolo Tirro. In August 2025, the VIVACISSIMO Festival will hold its third edition.
Since 2024 Francesco is a Laureate of the Fondation Gautier Capuçon.
He is the recipient of the 2024 Stauffer Academy/Rotary Club Biannual Scholarship, the 2025 Irene und Walter Kley Award and the 2025 Gordon Clark Scholar at IMS Prussia Cove, supported by the Gordon Clark Trust (UK).
In 2023, Francesco was awarded the Special Prize of the Jury at the Prix Ravel International Competition (Paris), alongside Canadian violinist Yan Li.
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 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, E. Van Poucke, J. Ducros, O. Meir-Wellber, M. Costea, H. Winkelman, K. Armstrong, F. Braley, M. Piketty, and B. Giuranna.
He has recorded for Warner Classics/Erato with the cello ensemble Capucelli, led by Gautier Capuçon, with whom he also toured Taiwan in May 2025.
His upcoming engagements include chamber music debuts at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Grafenegg Festival, Septembre Musical Montreux-Vevey, IIC Bruxelles. 

As co-founder of the Berlin-based music chamber collective EMANON Project, a CD produced by Naxos of America and OnClassical Records is scheduled for release in winter 2025.
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.
His performances have been broadcast by prominent European radio and television channels, including RAI Radio3, Rai 5, RTS, NDR, and BR.
Francesco joins Musethica International for the 2025/2026 seasons.
Since 2022, he has been a guest player with the Camerata Salzburg.
Francesco has been invited to international festivals and masterclasses such as IMS and OCM Prussia Cove, Écoles d'Art Américaines de Fontainebleau, NUME Academy & Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland, Ravinia's Steans Institute, Schiermonnikoog Festival, Toronto Summer Music, Saline Royale Academy, Villars Music Academy, Apeldoorn Masterclasses, Cello Biennale Amsterdam, and Oropa Festival.
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 and a Giovanni Battista Grancino cello, generously loaned to him by respectively a private sponsor and the Landessammlung Streichinstrumente Baden-Württemberg Foundation, following a successful audition in February 2024.
He has studied with distinguished musicians including C. Martinez-Mehner, P. Muller, N. Imai, D. Geringas, D. Waterman, S. Harada, J. Steckel, J. Pernoo, R. Kirshbaum, Quatuor Ébène, R. Latzko, and L. Hopkins.