Simone

Simone Pirri is a captivating and rising young violinist from Italy, London based, who performs primarily on period instruments. A recent masters graduate with distinction at both the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Simone specialised in historical performance practice with leading experts such as Rachel Podger, Simon Standage and Nicolette Moonen. Since completing his postgraduate studies, Simone has played with Il Pomo d’Oro (with whom he also appeared as a soloist), Ensemble Diderot, La Nuova Musica, Dutch Baroque Orchestra, Musica Poetica, Devon Baroque, Welsh Camerata, Réjouissance, Eboracum Baroque, Allabastrina Choir & Consort, Ensemble Symphosium and many others. He had the privilege to perform at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Centre (New York City), New England Conservatory (Boston), Thomaskirche (Leipzig), Wigmore Hall and St. George Hanover Square (London), Saffron Hall (Saffron Walden), Gulbenkian (Lisbon), Muziekgebouw (Amsterdam), Kölner Philarmonie (Cologne). Simone has taken part in various recordings including the world premiere film of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion translated into Welsh which aired on Good Friday 2017 on TV channel S4C, while he also appeared as a guest on an episode of the BBC Radio Wales “Arts Show” and performed live on Radio 4 with his own ensemble FIGO. He was the winner of London’s Nancy Nuttall Early Music Prize for two consecutive years and has been a recipient of funding awards by The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Loan Fund for Musical Instruments, The Gane Trust, The Kirsten Scott Memorial Trust, Settimana Mozartiana and Help Musicians UK. In May 2017, after winning an online world contest, he was invited to join Symphoniacs (a Berlin based classical electro crossover band signed to Universal Music Group) on their European tour receiving great acclaim. Simone, together with other three colleagues, is founder and member of FIGO, an exciting period group which has been ensemble-in-residence at both Clifton International Music Festival 2018 in Bristol and Exon Singers Festival 2018 in Tavistock (Devon) and has also been selected for the next Brighton Early Music Festival Live Scheme for emerging early music ensembles. Since early 2018 Simone has been part of Ystradivarius, an exciting early music sextet based in South Wales with whom he explores chamber music from the 17th and 18th century. Having recently been awarded the Belsize Scholarship 2018/2019, Simone is looking forward to being the next leader of London’s Belsize Baroque. His forthcoming engagements include performances with Arcangelo, Ensemble Diderot, La Nuova Musica, Brecon Baroque, Collegium 1704, FIGO, Ystradivarius and Eboracum Baroque