Vittorio Ceccanti
Violoncello

Born in 1972, Vittorio Ceccanti began studying the cello at age five. He studied with Mischa Maisky, David Geringas and Natalia Gutman, graduating under Gutman's guidance with honors from the Stutgard Hochschule for Music. He also attended master classes of Yo Yo Ma, Anner Bijlsma, Valentjn Berlinsky, the Trio di Trieste, the Trio di Milano, and studied conducting with Piero Bellugi in Italy and Martyn Brabbins in Scotland.

Winner of several international prizes, Ceccanti made his debut as a soloist at age 17, performing the Lalo Cello Concerto with the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra (ORF) conducted by Pinchas Steinberg at the Musikverein Saal in Vienna and the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, which was televised by RAI-TV. Since then, he has been regularly invited to perform as a solo artist in Europe, South America and Asia.

Vittorio Ceccanti is the president and solo cellist of the ContempoArtEnsemble, and the founder of the ContempoPratoFestival both of which promote contemporary music. He has premiered pieces dedicated to him by Peter Maxwell Davies, Luciano Berio, Fabio Vacchi, Ivan Fedele, Luis De Pablo, Nicola Campogrande, Michele Dall'Ongaro, Carlo Boccadoro, Nicola Sani, Giorgio Colombo Taccani and Luca Mosca.

Mr. Ceccanti regularly performs as solo cellist and as conductor in Europe and Asia, gaining great critical and audience success. He plays a cello built in Venice in 1720 by Carlo Tononi, which once belonged to Amedeo Baldovino.

Vittorio Ceccanti's playing combines poetry and temperament. His rare qualities make him one of the great talent cellist of today's music world. - Natalia Gutman

From the first time I met Vittorio Ceccanti I was impressed by his maturity and his intelligence. He is a very exceptional musician, both technically and intellectually. He is gifted with remarkable instrumental skill and deep musical insight - Luciano Berio.