Pannon Philharmonic

Cellist Pierluigi Ruggiero began studying cello, chamber music and composition at the age of 11. In 1993, he left his hometown to attend the cello and chamber music master classes held by A.Baldovino, D. De Rosa, A. Nannoni, P. Farulli (of the Quartetto Italiano) and M. Skampa, with whom he studied at the Fiesole Music School (Florence). Between 1994 and 1996, he was a member of the Italian Youth Orchestra, with which he performed under the baton of conductors such as Giuseppe Sinopoli, Carlo Maria Giulini and Riccardo Muti. In 1995, he graduated with full marks at Rome’s Santa Cecilia Conservatory, under the guidance of George Schultis. Immediately after, he attended several advanced master classes held by Ivan Monighetti, Michael Flaksmann and George Schultis, earning several acknowledgements, worth certificates and study grants. In 2001 he was the only Italian to earn a fellowship at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, where he studied with Csaba Onczay, László Mesö and Miklós Pérenyi. M° Ruggiero has performed extensively since his student years both as a soloist and as a member of chamber music ensembles, and distinguished himself in several competitions before winning 1st prize at the International chamber music competition “Città di Acqui Terme”, in 1996. He has toured time and again in more than a score of countries, including the United States, The UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Serbia, Morocco, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Brazil and Japan, performing in the most prestigious concerts halls. He has also been very active as a recording artist (with Hungaroton and Bongiovanni Records) and has broadcast for the Italian Radio Television (RAI), Vatican Radio, Belgium National Radio, Hungarian National Radio, SBS Nippon Radio and ERT3 Greece National Radio. In 1999, he established the cultural association Espressione d’arte of which he has been the musical director ever since, as well as the general manager of the closely associated Italian Modern Ensemble. In this double capacity, he is the main force behind “Il Gusto dell’arte”, a touring festival of the performing arts that takes place each year. Among M° Ruggiero’s next engagements, is a tour of Japan and Germany and several concerts in Greece, Turkey, Brasil and Mexico. In 2007 M° Ruggiero has been designate from National Hungarian Association “ARTISJUS Music” foreign artist of the year with “Pro Artibus” prize for cultural exchange between Hungary and other countries.