Born in Rome in 1999, cellist Erica Piccotti first came to national attention at the age of 13 with her debut for the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She gained international recognition when she was named “Young Artist of the Year” at the 2019 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA). Since then, she has performed at major festivals and in prestigious venues in Italy and abroad, including Teatro alla Scala, Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Konzerthaus in Berlin.
A prizewinner at numerous national and international competitions, she has appeared under the baton of renowned conductors such as Antonio Pappano, Daniel Oren, and György Győriványi Ráth. She has shared the stage with artists including Sir András Schiff, Mischa Maisky, Gidon Kremer, Itamar Golan, Mario Brunello, Salvatore Accardo, Bruno Giuranna, and Enrico Pace. A Warner Classics recording artist, she has been featured in several broadcasts on Italian national radio and television (RAI). In 2013, she was awarded the honorary title of “Alfiere della Repubblica” by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, for her exceptional musical achievements at a young age.
She studied with Francesco Storino at the Conservatorio S. Cecilia in Rome, graduating with highest honors and distinction at the age of 14. She continued her studies with Antonio Meneses at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern, as well as at the Stauffer Center for Strings and the Accademia Chigiana. She later completed a Master of Music degree with Frans Helmerson and took part in the “Professional Studies” program at the Kronberg Academy.
She is currently studying with Jens Peter Maintz at the Universität der Künste in Berlin.
Erica Piccotti plays a 1925 cello by Ettore Soffritti (Ferrara).