“Young Artist of the Year” 2020 at the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), Erica Piccotti performs an intense concert activity in Italy and abroad, both as a soloist and in chamber ensembles. Born in 1999 in Italy, she graduated at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome at the young age of 14, obtaining the highest degree cum laude and honors, and 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. She is currently pursuing her Professional Studies degree with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy for Young soloists in Germany.
Highlights of her 2022-2023 season include performances as soloist with conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, Daniel Oren, her appearance at IUC in Rome 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, “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, “Maura Giorgetti” by Filarmonica della Scala in Milan, and the Scholarship of “De Sono Associazione per la Musica” and “Foundation Boubo-Music”.
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 in London and semi-finalist at Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2022.
She received high recognitions such as the prestigious Honorary Diploma by Accademia Chigiana di Siena in 2019, and she also was awarded the “Landgraf von Hessen Preis” by Kronberg Academy, “Premio Giannuzzi” as the best cellist in the Santa Cecilia Conservatory.
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, Al Bustan Festival in Beirut, Ciao Festival in Chengdu, Festival de Cordas e Piano in Belo Horizonte, Paganini Genova Festival.
As soloist she has played with Zagreb Soloists, La Verdi and I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra in Milan, Sinfonica Abruzzese Orchestra, Orchestra della Toscana, Teatro Carlo Felice Orchestra, Kodaly Philarmonic Orchestra Debrecen, Orquestra Sinfonica del Estado del Mèxico.
She has collaborated with Gidon Kremer, Sir András Schiff, Christian Tetzlaff, Antonio Meneses, Augustin Dumay, Louis Lortie, Miguel Da Silva, Bruno Giuranna, Salvatore Accardo, Julius Berger, Andrea Lucchesini, Quartetto di Cremona. 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.