Riccardo Palmeri

Winner of the 2026 Massimo Marin International Violin Competition, Riccardo Palmeri began studying the violin at the age of three with Maestros J. Hamza and S. Dima. At just four years old, he made his first public performances and started participating in national and international competitions, quickly achieving top prizes.

Despite his very young age, he has already won around 30 national and international competitions, including Crescendo (Florence), Diapason d’Oro (Pordenone), Mandanici (Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto), Benedetto Albanese (Caccamo), Gewa (Cremona), Ethos, among others. He has also been awarded the Leonardo Sciascia Prize and the Famiglia Albanese Prize.
Born into a family of musicians—his father an oboist and his mother a flutist—he frequently performs with relatives as part of the Palmer Ensemble.
In 2021, he was admitted with special merit to the Conservatorio “A. Scarlatti” in Palermo, where he is currently enrolled in the undergraduate program under the guidance of Maestro Donato Cuciniello.

Among his many awards:

• Absolute First Prize at the 12th International Diapason Competition (Campobello di Licata)
• Absolute First Prize at the 6th and 8th National Competition (Serradifalco)
• First Prize and Benedetto Albanese Prize at the 22nd National Competition (Caccamo)
• Absolute First Prize at the Vittorio Blanco National Competition (San Gregorio, 2018)
• Absolute First Prize at the Ethos National Competition (Centuripe, 2018)
• First Prize at the VIVART Competition (Cammarata)
• Absolute First Prize and Leonardo Sciascia Prize at the Rahal Competition (Racalmuto)
• Absolute First Prize and “City of Siracusa” Prize at the International Competition (Siracusa, 2018)
• Absolute First Prize and Special Prize at the 24th Benedetto Albanese Competition
• Absolute First Prize at the 21st Placido Mandanici Competition (2019)
• First Prize and finalist prize at GEWA Young (Reggio Calabria, 2019)
• Absolute First Prize at the Serradifalco National Competition (2019)
• First Prize at the International Amigdala Competition (2021)
• Third Prize at the Opus International Competition (Poland, 2021)
• First Prize at the F. Busoni Orchestra Competition
• First Prize at the U. Giordano National Competition (Foggia)
• First Prize at Crescendo Competition (Florence, 2021)
• Absolute First Prize and “Young Promises” Prize at the 22nd Placido Mandanici Competition (2021)
• Absolute First Prize and Diapason d’Oro at the 6th International Competition (Pordenone, 2021)
• Absolute First Prize at the Salina International Music Competition (2023)
• Absolute First Prize at the Valle dell’Etna International Competition (2024)
• Absolute First Prize at the Città di Palermo National Competition (2025)
• Absolute First Prize at the Premio Abbado (2025)
• First Prize and scholarships at the Massimo Marin International Violin Competition

He maintains an active concert career, often performing in duo with pianist Vincenzo Indovino.

In 2023, he appeared on the Italian TV program La TV dei 100 e uno, hosted by Piero Chiambretti on Canale 5.

In August 2024, he performed in duo with American pianist Angel Verdera at Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music in London.

He is currently a student in the class of Maestro Pavel Berman at the Fondazione Accademia Perosi in Biella.