Francesco Negrini

Francesco Negrini is Principal Clarinetist of Argovia Philharmonic (Switzerland) and of Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg (Austria). He is Professor of Clarinet and Chamber Music at the Stella Vorarlberg Musikhochschule in Feldkirch, Austria, since 2014.

Negrini is frequently invited to perform as guest Principal Clarinetist with leading European orchestras and ensembles, including the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Kammerorchester Basel, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Orchestra della Toscana, Swiss Chamber Soloists, Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein. His performances have taken him to prestigious concert halls across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, where he has worked under the batons of conductors such as Kent Nagano, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Daniele Gatti, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Yuri Temirkanov, and Kirill Petrenko. His discography includes recordings with labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, SRF, RAI, France Musique, and Amadeus.

As a soloist, Francesco Negrini has performed a wide range of clarinet concertos, including works by Mozart, Nielsen, Françaix, Weber, Finzi, Crusell, Tischhauser, and Herbert Willi.

Francesco’s artistry has been recognized with over 25 national and international awards, including the Valentino Bucchi International Prize for Contemporary Music in Rome, the Swiss Tonkünstlerverein Prize, the Nicati-Deluze Prize in Lausanne, the C & M Dienemann Stiftung Award in Lucerne, and accolades from competitions such as AUDIMozart in Trento, the G. Bergamo Music Award Lugano, the Luigi Nono Competition, and the Orpheus Swiss Chamber Music Competition.

Francesco graduated from the Conservatorio “Rossini” in Italy with top honors in 1999, and later studied with Th. Friedli, A. Carbonare, and F. Benda, by whom he earned his Soloist Diploma with distinction from the Basel Music Academy. He also specialized in historical performance practice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and pursued orchestral conducting studies at the Zürich University of the Arts.

Francesco is a founding member of several chamber music ensembles, such as Trio Degas, Musique des Lumières, Chant du Vent, and The Quinten Project. He is actively involved in contemporary and historically informed music projects.

In addition to his performance career, Francesco is dedicated to teaching and has nurtured many students who have gone on to win music competitions and positions in major orchestras and institutions across Europe. He also offers an annual summer masterclass in Arosa, Switzerland, and serves as a juror at national and international music competitions and awards.