Nicolò Neri

Nicolò Neri - Cellist Nicolò Neri is an Italian cellist residing in Lugano who has had the opportunity to perform under the direction of renowned conductors and to step on some of the most important stages in the international music scene. He is currently completing his studies at the Zurich University of Arts, in the class of C. Herrmann, principal cellist of the Zurich Opera. He obtained a Master of Arts in Music Performance and a Master in Music Pedagogy at the Conservatory of Italian Switzerland, under the guidance of Asier Polo, after studying with Johannes Goritzki. He attended the Hochschule für Musik, Drama und Medien in Hannover, studying with Tillman Wick. Passionate about the symphonic repertoire, he has collaborated with important European institutions. He was a member of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, performing under the baton of Daniele Gatti and Jakub Hrůša, performing in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world: - Musikverein in Vienna - Salzburg Festival - Concertgebouw in Amsterdam - Teatro alla Scala in Milan - Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg - Konzerthaus in Berlin - Gewandhaus in Leipzig - Festspielhaus in Dresden - Wiesbaden Concert Hall In parallel, he was selected for the Orquestra Sinfonica de Castilla y León and reached the final stages of auditions for orchestras and academies such as the orchestras of Basel, Lucerne, Winterthur, and Zurich. Additionally, he was selected to participate in auditions, among others, of Concertgebouw Amsterdam, NDR Hamburg, Staatskapelle Berlin. Another key experience in his orchestral journey is his participation in the Campus Grafenegg Academy Orchestra, also as principal cellist under the direction of Jonathan Bloxham in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions. Here he had the opportunity to play in chamber and orchestral ensembles alongside musicians of the caliber of Alina Ibragimova, Håkan Hardenberger, Andrej Power, Alexander Gordon, Robin Michael, and Sławomir Grenda. In addition to these experiences, he has collaborated with other significant orchestral realities, including: - Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, conducted by M. Poschner - Aurora Symphony Orchestra (Stockholm), conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Johannes Gustavsson - Youth Orchestra "Luigi Cherubini," founded by R. Muti - Sanremo Symphony Orchestra Foundation - Philharmonic Orchestra of Turin - Orchestra of the Teatro Regio di Torino, internship - "Leonore" Orchestra of Pistoia Alongside his orchestral activity, he has always nurtured a strong passion for chamber music, collaborating with significant musicians and participating in international festivals. He was invited to the Ticino Musica Festival, where he performed with Marco Rizzi, Nils Mönkemeyer, and Giovanni Gnocchi, and participated in the Zaragoza International Chamber Music Festival 2023, within the activities of Musethica Organisation. His interest in contemporary repertoire has led him to work with prominent composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Stefano Gervasoni, Philippe Hurel, and Philippe Leroux, and with internationally renowned ensembles like the Divertimento Ensemble of Milan, Court-Circuit of Paris, and LUX:NM of Berlin. He has also participated in important projects of the Ulysses network, performing at festivals such as: - Mixtur Festival in Barcelona - Royaumont Festival (with recordings for France Musique) - Akademie Kontemporär at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg In 2023, he was selected as a member of the Ensemble Voix Nouvelles of the Royaumont Foundation (Paris), continuing his exploration of contemporary repertoire with high-profile musicians. His training has been enriched through masterclasses with some of the greatest cellists on the international scene, including Mario Brunello, Tillman Wick, Giovanni Gnocchi, Daniel Grosgurin, Thomas Carroll, Robin Michael, Torleif Thedéen, Franz Bartolomey, and Massimo Polidori. He has also worked in a chamber music context with leading artists such as Marco Rizzi, Alina Ibragimova, Andrej Power, Alexander Gordon, Nils Mönkemeyer, and Pavel Berman, and has participated in high-level seminars on contemporary music with figures such as Eric-Maria Couturier, Jean-Philippe Wurtz, and Camilla Hoitenga. In addition to the classical repertoire, since 2019 he has begun a collaboration with singer and composer Chiara Dubey, with whom he has participated in several discographic projects and tours. He is a cello teacher in Lugano at MAT, the Donald Swann Academy, IST, and the Steiner School. He collaborates with the United Soloist Orchestra and its conductor A. Shkaptsov since the inception of the Orchestra, with which he has performed in recordings and international tours.