Biography

Francesca Verunelli studied composition with Rosario Mirigliano and piano with Stefano Fiuzzi at the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence where she earned both diplomas summa cum laude. She concluded her studies at the Accademia Santa Cecilia, with Azio Corghi.
She went on to attend IRCAM’s cursus in Composition and Computer Music. The same year,  at La Biennale di Venezia, she was awarded the “Leone d’argento” prize.

She received commissions from important musical institutions and festivals such as IRCAM, NeueVocalsolisten Stuttgart, La Biennale di Venezia, Orchestre Philarmonique de Radio France, Milano Musica, Accentus Chamber Choir, Lucerne Symphonic Orchestra, Court-Circuit ensemble, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, GMEM de Marseille, CIRM de Nice, the French State, the FACE Foundation, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, International Contemporary Ensemble, Donaueschinger MusikTage, ECLAT, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Klangforum Wien, musica viva of the Bayerischer Rundfunk – Munich.

She has been composer in residence at Ircam, at GMEM of Marseille, at Casa de Velasquez (Madrid – 2015/2016) et at Villa Médicis (Académie de France à Rome – 2016/17).

The Zaïde Quartet tour – from November 2015 to August 2016 – brought her Secondo Quartetto, commission of the ECHO – Rising Stars program, in Köln, Luxembourg, Baden Baden, Barcelone, Paris, Budapest, Vienne, Hambourg, Bruxelles, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Londres, Lisbonne, Stockholm, Porto.

In October 2017 Michael Schmid premiered the first part of a 45′ cycle for player-piano and flute : Man sitting at the piano I. The second part of the cycle – Piano (without the man) sitting – having been premiered in Rome at Swimming is Saving exposition (July 2017) curated by Chiara Parisi. The third and last part of the cycle – Man sitting at the piano II, for bass-flute and player-piano – has been commissioned by Klangforum and has been premiered in February 2020.

During the summer of 2021, she will be composer in residence at Festival des Quators du Luberon, where the Zaïde Quartet will premiere Unfolding II.

Upcoming projects also include Tune and retune II for SWR Orchestra (@Donaueschinger Musiktage) and an accordion concerto for Krassimir Sterev.