Luiz Fernando Venturelli is a Brazilian cellist who is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the most promising young musicians in the country.
Luiz’s performances have spanned North and South America, Europe, and Asia, encompassing recital programs, chamber collaborations, solo concertos, and international competitions. In 2023, Luiz was awarded the second annual $50,000 Gurrena Fellowship from the Meadowmount School of Music and was the winner of the Astral Artists National Competition. He was also recognized as a prize winner of the 24th annual Sphinx Competition, the Paulo Bosisio, and the Samuel and Eleanor Thaviu Strings competitions, as well as the concerto competitions of the Goiás Philharmonic and the Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo.
As a soloist, Luiz made his performance debut at the age of nine at Sala São Paulo, the largest hall in Latin America, and has since been regularly invited to solo with several international orchestras. In 2023, Luiz premiered a concerto composed by Jorge Grossmann, commissioned by and performed with the Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo. He has also appeared as a featured soloist with the Peninsula Music Festival, the Bahia Symphony, the Goiás Philharmonic, the Espírito Santo Symphony, the Campinas Symphony, the Piracicaba Symphony, the Heliópolis Symphony, the São Paulo University Symphony, and the SESI Chamber Orchestra.
An avid chamber musician, Luiz is a founding member of the Galvin Cello Quartet, an ensemble rapidly gaining attention since their silver medal win in the 2021 Fischoff Competition, and as the winner of the 2022 Victor Elmaleh Competition, success which led to exclusive professional management by Concert Artist’s Guild.
Born and raised in a musical family, Luiz began his musical studies at the age of three and took up the cello at the age of eight at the Instituto Baccarelli, a non-profit social organization based in São Paulo’s Heliópolis, which provides free music education to children. Luiz subsequently pursued his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at Northwestern University, graduating with Honors Distinction under the acclaimed pedagogue Hans Jørgen Jensen.
Luiz plays on an 1850 Giovanni Dollenz cello generously loaned by anonymous sponsors. His primary teachers include André Micheletti and Hans Jørgen Jensen.
During his free time, Luiz is an enthusiast of other musical genres, having led a rock band and performed and recorded alongside multiple artists in Brazil.