Born in Sicily, 1989 into a family of musicians, cellist and composer Alessio Pianelli was only ten when he was accepted in Giovanni Sollima's class in Palermo Conservatory, where he soon graduated with top marks and distinction.

He has been awarded prizes in several national and international competitions such as Ibla Grand Prize, first prize and "City of Porec" special prize at "Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition 2006"(Croatia), first and audience prize at "Schenk Stiftung Wettbewerb 2013" (Switzerland), 2013 "Premio Renzo Giubergia" and the third prize at the International Cello Competition “B. Mazzacurati” in 2016.

He was also awarded important scholarships by the Swiss Government, "Lyra Stiftung" and "Nicati de Luze Stiftung" to study cello with Thomas Demenga at the Basel Hochschule für Musik, where he graduated in 2014. His training and growth has also been influenced by renowned artists such as M. Polidori, M. Brunello, R. Latzko, M. Kliegel, G. Gnocchi and W.Boettcher.

Alessio has regularly performed as a soloist in Italy and abroad with symphony and chamber orchestras such as Orchestra 1813 del Teatro Sociale di Como, Neues Orchester Basel, Orchestra dell'Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, I Musici di Parma, Aargauer Sinfonie Orchester, Desono chamber orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Philarmonie Baden-Baden, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI.

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His performance activity also led him collaborate with outstanding musicians such as M. Brunello, G. Tavares, G. Sollima, I. Monighetti, T. Demenga, S. Simionescu, V. Jacobsen, A. Oprean, M. Maisky, T. Mork, F. Benda, A. Kernjak, M. Piketty, T. Schabenberger.

Next to his solo performing, Alessio also enjoys chamber music and has toured Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium and Japan as a member of the Avos Piano Quartet.

 

Alessio is considered an ideal cello consultant and interpreter by numerous same-age composers, whose solo and chamber music works Alessio regularly performs and premieres.

In 2012 he started a musical project to innovating the traditional sicilian Puppet Theater as a member of the Giacomo Cuticchio Ensemble. This sicilian project debuted at the Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome, Italy) in December 2013, after the recent publication of the Ensemble's first album "Quaderno di Danze e Battaglie dell'Opera dei Pupi" (Sonzogno/Egea).

In 2014 he has brought out 2 chamber music CDs: chamber music works by Marco Nodari for label “Concerto” and piano quartets op. 47 by R. Schumann and op. 25 by J. Brahms for the japanese label “Livenotes Nami Records”.

 

From 2014 Alessio is an Almendra Music recording artist. From this collaboration were produced his debut solo album "Prelude" and “Hindemith, Beethoven, Brahms” with the pianist Mario Montore. In February 2017 it will be released the album “Sulla Quarta” with music for cello solo by Bach, Sollima and a piece by Alessio for two cellos.

 

In 2016 Alessio’s “Tanzen wir!” won the first prize at “In clausura” international composition competition organized by Ravenna Festival and 100cellos. This piece will be published by Sonzogno and will be recorded for Decca.

His composition for 2 cellos “Sulla Quarta” is published by publisher  Mueller&Schade.

 

Alessio plays an Evasio Emilio Guerra cello made in Turin in 1921.