Francesco Nicolosi graduated with honours when very young and then moved to Napoli to study with Vincenzo Vitale becoming one his last students. In 1980 he won the International Piano Competition in Santander and the second prize at the International Musical Performance Competition in Genève .
He performed at the most important concert halls from Kennedy Center in Washington to Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall in London , from Victoria Hall in Genève to Radio Nacional in Madrid, from Salle Gaveau in Paris to Teatro alla Scala in Milano, Teatro dell’Opera and Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Roma, Teatro di San Carlo in Napoli, Herkulessaal in München , Brahmssaal in Wien .
Beyond Europe he has toured in Iceland , Rusia, United States , Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Singapore, Japan, and China , he was invited by the most exclusive festivals such as : Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Rossini Opera Festival, Ravenna Festival, Festival in Ravello, Festival Pianistico in Brescia and Bergamo, Estate Musicale Sorrentina, Taormina Teatro Musica, Settimane Musicali in Stresa, Settembre Musica in Torino, Mittelfest, Weimar Kunstfest, Budapest Liszt Festival, Emilia Romagna Festival, Festival Ljubjana, Vilnius Piano Festival .
Nuova Era, Naxos and Marco Polo publish his CDs highly appreciated by the most quoted European , American and Asian music magazines . His CDs are often broadcasted by the classical radio channels all over the world . About the Nazos recordings of two rare concerts by Paisiello, Paolo Isotta wrote : (…) we must recognise that nobody today can be compared to Nicolosi for the brightness of sound, the ability to sing (…) he has to be considered one of the best living pianists (…) Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli performed 18th-century music drawing inspiration by the same general criteria adopted by Nicolosi but maybe not with the same lucidity and consistency . Nicolosi bring to completion what Benedetti Michelangeli announces . For Sony he will record all the Brahms Sonatas for violin and piano with the violinist Uto Ughi.
He has been rewarded with prestigious national and international prizes: the ‘Bellini d’oro’ in 1994, the ‘Japan Chubu University Award’ in 1996 and in 2001, the Award ‘Ara di Giove’ in 2004, the Award ‘Aci Castello Riviera dei Ciclopi’ in 2008, the Award ‘Note nell’Olimpo’ in Bari in 2012, the Award to carrer ‘Domenico Danzuso’ in Catania in 2012, the Award ‘Cosimo Fanzago’ in Napoli in 2013, ‘Sergei Rachmaninov International Award’ in Mosca in 2017.
University professor , he hold the chair of “Performace practise and piano repertoire” at Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella in Napoli. He is in charge of mastercalsses in Italy and abroad , takomg part to conferences and conventions on musicology, besides being president and member of juries in national and international piano and singing competiotions .
From 2015 to 2019 he has been the Artistic Director of Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini in Catania, he still is the President and Artistic Director of Centro Studi Internazionali Sigismund Thalberg, study center headquartered in Napoli which since 1996 is carring out a recognized activity of studies and research focused on revaluation of Sigismund Thalberg, founder of Neapolitan piano school . Artistic Director of Premio Pianistico Internazionale Sigismund Thalberg , competition which takes place in Napoli since 1998 , Artistic Director of Salotti di Thalberg , concert series which since 2012 is located in some of the most prestigious historical houses in Napoli. Artistic Director of the Jeux d’Art Festival in Villa d’Este, international concert series which took place from 2006 to 2014 in world heritage site UNESCO Villa d’Este in Tivoli. From 2004 to 2014 he was Artistic Director of I concerti d’Estate in Villa Guariglia, classical music , regional-folk and jazz festival organized in Amalfi Coast . From 2002 to 2013 he was Artistic Director of Roccaraso in Musica Festival, itineerant event between art and nature, through some of the most charming places in Abruzzo.
