Fabio Cesare

Born in 1995, Fabio Cesare graduated with Honours from Nicola Sala Conservatory of Music of Benevento (Italy), under the guidance of M° Paolo Rigliari. He is then admitted to the Conservatoire de Strasbourg (France) in the class of Philippe Geiss, where in 2018 he obtains his “Diplôme de Spécialisation” in Saxophone whit full marks and High Honours. He continued his studies at the Académie Supérieure de Musique de Strasbourg, where in 2020 he completed his Master of Arts in Chamber Music with his ensemble Quatuor Avena. He deepened the study of Jazz with Michael Alizon at the Strasbourg Conservatory (France).

He has been awarded international and national prizes, as a soloist and in chamber music groups, among which are: Prix d’honneur at the Leopold Bellan Competition in Paris (France), Prix de la Ville de Boulogne-Billancourt and Special Prize APEC at the Musique de chambre des XXe et XXIe siècles Competition in Paris (France), First Prize in the Chamber Music category and Special Prize Kazuo Tomioka at the International Saxophone Competition in Kurashiki (Japan), First prize at the XIXth international music competition Città di Mercato S. Severino (Italy).

He performed in important festivals, theaters and institutions all over the world, among which are: San Carlo Theater in Naples (Italy), Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier (France), Mozart Pravets Festival (Bulgaria), World Saxophone Congress (Croatia), Luxembourg Philharmonie (Luxembourg).

With the Quatuor Avena he has toured South Africa, Zimbabwe and Japan, playing in over eighteen different cities, including: Tokyo, Osaka, Kurashiki, George, Grahamstown, Bloemfontein, Mossel Bay, Bulawayo, Northwards.

Since 2015 he has been regularly invited to perform with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Benevento (IT) and since 2017 with the Orchestra of the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli (IT). He has played under the baton of famous conductors, such as Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Chailly, Antonio Pappano, Daniel Oren, Juraj Valčuha, Timothy Brock, Vello Pähn, Francesco Ivan Ciampa, Elio Boncompagni, Alberto Nanetti, Valerio Galli and many others.

As a soloist and chamber musician he has given first performances in Italy and abroad, including: Stabat Mater by Gaetano Panariello, world premiere at the Center for Ancient Music Pietà de'Turchini, Naples (Italy); Massar by J.-Ch. Richard, world premiere at the “Festival de Chaillol” in Gap (France). The French composer Gilles Arcens dedicated to him a Sonata for saxophone and piano and a Quintet for string quartet and alto saxophone.

In 2015 he began his teaching experience as assistant professor in the saxophone class of Paolo Rigliari at the N. Sala Conservatory of Benevento (IT). Subsequently, he gave saxophone master classes in universities and conservatories, such as the Gap Conservatory (France); the Harare International School in Harare (Zimbabwe), The School of Music at the North-West University & Conservatory in Potchefstroom (South Africa), the Nancy Conservatory (France).

Photo credit: Séverine Million