Maria Clara Mandolesi

Biography

Maria Clara Mandolesi (2003) is attending W. Stauffer Academy and Chigiana Academy with Antonio Meneses. She’s also persuing her Bachelor degree with Asier Polo at the Conservatorio Svizzera Italiana.

Maria Clara has won several international competitons: the last one is the “Vienna New Year’s Competition”, with debut as soloist with the Wiener StadtOrchester in 2022, performing Elgar Cello Concerto. 

In 2020 she won first prize at the International Music Competition Paris and at the award ceremony she made her debut at the Wiener Saal of the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Always in 2020, at just 16 years old, she was a finalist at the "Anton Rubinstein Competition" in Dusseldorf, as the youngest competitor among more than 60 candidates from all over the world.

In 2019 she second prize at the Antonio Vivaldi International Competition, debuting in WDR’s Haydn Hall, and first prize at Grand Prize Virtuoso competition in Bruxelles. 

Other awards: first prize at the 12th International Competition "City of Padua Prize" (10 years old), first prize at the XXV Riviera della Versilia D. Ridolfi Competition (12 years old), first prize at the 18th Valsesia Musica Juniores International Competition (13 years old).

Maria Clara has held many concerts as a soloist, soloist with orchestra and in chamber music groups in various Italian and European cities, such as Salzburg, Vienna, Bruxelles, Rome, Siena, Turin, Bologna, Tarquinia, Vercelli, Verona, Lugano, Sion.

She has attended numerous masterclasses of renowned cello and chamber music teachers like Steven Isserlis, Frans Helmerson, Antonio Meneses, Asier Polo, Mario Brunello, Jérome Pernoo.