Alessio Pianelli - About

I still vividly remember the day I received the wonderful news about my BBT Fellowship. In that moment I felt several emotions: happiness, satisfaction and gratitude. Consistent economic support for the advancement of one’s own career is a dream for any artist. Pretty soon my life (and my vision of it) changed; not only could I realise projects that would otherwise be inconceivable, but BBT also helped my development both artistically and as a person. I would define BBT as a family because it gave me the chance to meet people who are always ready to help, listen, and advise. I will be grateful to them forever. Humanity, the support of beauty, and good values are the foundation of this organisation and that is why I wish every artist could have the gift of a family like this!

Imbued with the sunny disposition you might expect of a native Sicilian, cellist Alessio Pianelli is not only a soloist but a composer, arranger and teacher as well.  As much at home in contemporary repertoire (including his own compositions) as in the classical, romantic and 20th century repertoire, Alessio’s enthusiasm is infectious and he holds a particular passion for involving the community in his work.

Besides some new photographs and a contribution towards the cost of a new bow, rarely has an artist’s creative choice been such a personal project tied to their home. Alessio’s A Sicilian Traveller, released on Rubicon Classics, features the music of the many cultures that have swept through Sicily and left their mark. Accompanied on the disc by the strings of the Avos Chamber Ensemble in Rome, which Alessio co-founded, the project proved to be the ideal focus for a BBT Artist profile film, and despite the multiple challenges of filming in the midst of the Covid pandemic, it makes for one of BBT’s most evocative films.

Alessio is one of the first recipients of the BBT Artist Encore Award, having conceived and developed a project that will bring music to a community – in this case, Alessio’s hometown Trapani in northwest Sicily – to build respect and love for music while encouraging the preservation of the natural environment, championing a clean-up of plastic waste from local beaches.

Alessio was supported with a BBT Fellowship between 2018 and 2023.

For a current biography please visit alessiopianelli.com

Press Release: A Sicilian Traveller

Photographs by Francesco Ferla