Praised by The Daily Telegraph for “his beautifully light touch and lyrical grace” and called by Gramophone “one of the more original thinkers of his generation”, Federico Colli has been rapidly gaining worldwide recognition for his compelling, unconventional interpretations and clarity of sound. The remarkable originality and highly imaginative, philosophical approach to music-making have distinguished Federico’s performances and recordings as miraculous and multidimensional. Federico’s first release of Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, recorded on Chandos Records for whom he is an exclusive recording artist, was awarded “Recording of the Year” by Presto Classical. The second volume of Scarlatti’s Sonatas was named “Recording of the Month” by both BBC Music Magazine and International Piano Magazine and it has been chosen by BBC Music Magazine as one of the best classical albums released in 2020.   

Following his early successes including the Gold Medal at the 2012 Leeds International Piano Competition, the International Piano magazine selected him as one of the ‘30 pianists under 30 who are likely to dominate the world stage in years to come’. In 2023 he was also selected for Fortune Italia’s ’40 under 40’ list of most influential people in Arts and Culture. Federico has performed with renowned orchestras including the Mariinsky Orchestra and St Petersburg Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, RAI Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre national d’Île-de-France. He has also worked with esteemed conductors including Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yuri Temirkanov, Juraj Valčuha, Ion Marin, Thomas Søndergård, Ed Spanjaard, Vasily Petrenko, Sir Mark Elder, Dennis Russel Davies and Sakari Oramo. 

One of the most prolific and intriguing recitalists, Federico showcased his mastery in some of the world’s most famous halls such as Vienna Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Berlin Konzerthaus, Munich Herkulessaal, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw, London Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall, Prague Rudolfinum, Paris Philharmonie, Rome Auditorium Parco della Musica, Tokyo Nikkei Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, Seoul Kumho Art Hall, New York Lincoln Centre and Chicago Bennet Gordon Hall. He has appeared in festivals such as Klavier Festival Ruhr in Dortmund, Dvorak International Festival in Prague, Chopin and his Europe International Festival in Warsaw, Lucerne Festival, and Ravinia Festival in Chicago. 

In 24/25 season, Federico is Artist-in-Residence with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava in Czech Republic. Throughout the season he will perform Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with conductor Tomáš Netopil, a recital, and a chamber music concert with the musicians from the orchestra. In the same season, he will also perform twice with Orchestre national d’Île-de-France at the Philharmonie de Paris (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no 3 and a chamber music programme); tour the UK with Nürnberger Symphoniker (Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 5 and Grieg Piano Concerto), debuts with the Warsaw Philharmonic (Grieg Piano Concerto), and the ‘George Enescu’ Philharmonic in Bucharest (Shostakovich Piano Concerto no. 1). In recitals, Federico will return to Prague Rudolfinum, play twice at the Bechstein Hall in London and perform in Ravenna, Rovereto, Chiasso and Vilagarcia. In February 2025 Federico will collaborate with the Calidore String Quartet in concerts at the Warsaw Philharmonic and Louisiana Museum of Modern Arts in Denmark.

In addition to live performances, Federico maintains a busy recording schedule exclusively for Chandos Records. Inspired by his love for Mozart’s music, during the pandemic, Federico created an educational series of short videos for his YouTube channel aimed at rediscovering Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor, K475, and placing Mozart’s musical ideas in a historical and cultural context. Drawing from his deep-dive research into Mozart’s biographies, letters, and 18th-century history and culture, Federico crafted an invigorating story inspired by the mystery surrounding the genesis of the piece. The first in a series of Mozart albums is a disc featuring works for solo piano, released in May 2022, followed by the release of Mozart’s Piano Quartets in August 2023, which have already gathered positive reviews. The Times wrote: ‘His [Colli’s] crisp, inquisitive phrasing is promptly displayed in the more turbulent of the two quartets (K478, in G minor). Without being mannered he grabs your attention, while leaving plenty of space, as Mozart does, for the other performers to spread delight.

Federico’s future recording plans for Chandos include Russian project focused on Shostakovich and Prokofiev.  

Born in Brescia in 1988, he has been studying at the Milan Conservatory, Imola International Piano Academy and Salzburg Mozarteum, under the guidance of Sergio Marengoni, Konstantin Bogino, Boris Petrushansky and Pavel Gililov.