Erica Piccotti is an Italian cellist born in 1999. She is currently pursuing her Professional Studies degree with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy for Young soloists. She graduated at 14 years old obtaining the highest degree cum laude and honors at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Music in Rome. She continued her studies with Antonio Meneses at Höchschule der Künste in Bern, at Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona and at Accademia Chigiana in Siena. Highlights of her 2021-2022 season include performances as soloist with conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, Daniel Oren, her appearance at IUC as closure of the season with Orchestra Canova and Enrico Pagano.
She won first prizes in national and international competitions including “Rassegna Nazionale d’Archi di Vittorio Veneto”, “Premio Nazionale delle Arti” run by Italy’s Ministry of University and Scientific Research, earning herself the title of “Best Cellist of the Italian Conservatories”, “Premio Città di Padova”, “Jugend Musiziert” Nuremberg, “NYIAA Competition” whose victory allowed her to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, “10th International Competition Antonio Janigro” for young cellists, “Crescendo International Competition” in Florence and “Maura Giorgetti” by Filarmonica della Scala in Milan. In 2017 she won the 2nd prize at the “International Johannes Brahms Competition” in Pörtschach, Austria. Recently, she has been selected as a YCAT 2020 Finalist and recently semi-finalist at Queen Elisabeth Competition.
She received high recognitions such as the 2020 ICMA Award as “Young Concert Artist of the year”, in 2019 the prestigious “Honorary Diploma” by Accademia Chigiana di Siena, and she also was awarded the “Landgraf von Hessen Preis” by Kronberg Academy, “Premio Giannuzzi” as the best cellist in the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, the “Rotary Club Cremona” prize, the prize “Banca Monti dei Paschi di Siena” for young talents of the “Accademia Chigiana di Siena”, the “Inner Wheel” prize.
She was awarded the Scholarship of “De Sono Associazione per la Musica”, “Foundation Boubo-Music”, since 2017 she is supported by the “Associazione culturale Musica con le Ali”.
She has appeared in prestigious festivals, such as “Janigro Festival” in Porec, “Supercello Festival” in Beijing, “Chamber music Connects the world” in Kronberg, “Verbier Festival Academy”, “Schloss Elmau Festival”, “La Musica Festival” in Sarasota, “Aurora Festival” in Vanersborg, “Al Bustan Festival” in Beirut, “Ciao Festival” in Chengdu, “Festival de Cordas e Piano” in Belo Horizonte, Festival “La lumière du Roman” in Conques, Festival “Les Nuits du Chateau de la Moutte” in Saint Tropez, “Paganini Genova Festival”, “International Cello Festival Alfredo Piatti” in Bergamo, “Rome Chamber Music Festival”, “Festival dei Due Mondi” in Spoleto, “Chigiana International Festival” in Siena and “IUC” in Rome.
She has performed in some of the most important Italian theaters such as Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona, Il Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, il Teatro Ristori di Verona, il Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza. Abroad she has appeared at Konzerthaus Berlin, at Carnegie Hall in New York and in many other countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, France, England, Croatia, Lebanon, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Brazil, Mexico, China.
As soloist she has played with “Zagreb Soloists”, “La Verdi” in Milan, “I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra”, “Sinfonica Abruzzese Orchestra”, “Orchestra della Toscana”, “Teatro Carlo Felice Orchestra”, “Serbian National Theater Orchestra of Novi Sad”, “Kodaly Philarmonic Orchestra Debrecen”, “Orquestra Sinfonica del Estado del Mèxico”.
She has collaborated with Gidon Kremer, Sir András Schiff, Christian Tetzlaff, Antonio Meneses, Mario Brunello, Augustin Dumay, Louis Lortie, Miguel Da Silva, Massimo Quarta, Bruno Giuranna, Salvatore Accardo, Julius Berger, Andrea Lucchesini, Robert McDuffie. On 8th March 2013, the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano has awarded her the Certificate of Honor “Alfiere della Repubblica” for outstanding achievements in music obtained at a very young age. In 2018 she recorded her debut CD for the label Warner Classic playing with pianist Itamar Golan.
Erica Piccotti plays a cello by Ettore Soffritti, Ferrara, 1925
