Francesco Barbaria is a classical and contemporary saxophonist who demonstrated outstanding musical skills early on. He was in his second year of conservatory when he recorded A. Glazunov’s Concerto op.109 for saxophone and orchestra live. He graduated in saxophone and subsequently obtained a specialist degree with honors.
He has won eleven first prizes in international competitions, including: the „VIII National Competition for Young Musicians“ promoted by the Amici della Musica B. Albanese association in Caccamo (Pa), the VII International Competition City of Palermo organized by the Ars Musica association of Palermo, the XV National Competition for Young Musicians in the city of Caccamo (PA), the XVI National Competition for Young Soloists in the city of Palermo, the VI Competition in the city of Bagheria (PA), the XVI New Horizons Competition in the city of Arezzo, the XXVIII A.M.A. Competition CALABRIA in the city of Lamezia Terme (CZ), the XVI International Competition Premio Crescendo in the city of Florence, and the XIV International New Horizons Competition in the city of Padua.
He has studied with Fabrizio Mancuso and Mario Ciaccio, and also perfected his skills with Géraud Etrillard, Claude Delangle, Fabrice Morettì, Ernie Watts, Herrero Sixto, Antonino Mollica, Simone Diriq, Sergey Kolesov, Vincent David, Jilles Tressos, Jean Marie Londeix, Christian Wirth, Jean Ives Formeau, Jerome Laran, Pascal Bonnet, Arno Bornkamp, Lars Mlekusch, and Jean-Yves Chevalier.
He has participated in both the XVII World Saxophone Congress, collaborating with Giovanni Sollima and Claudio Gabriele, and the XVIII World Saxophone Congress, collaborating with Stefano Gervasoni and Giuseppe Mazzamuto.
He has collaborated with the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Teatro Massimo V.Bellini in Catania, the Teatro Al Massimo in Palermo, the July Music Board of Trapani, and the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra Foundation in Palermo, with whom he performed André Waignein’s Rhapsody in its first performance in Italy.
He has also collaborated with the Friends of Music Association of Palermo, Termini Imerese (PA), Caltanissetta, and Cefalù (PA), A.M.A. Calabria of Lamezia Terme (CZ), and the Musical Cultural Association „Antonino Palminteri“ of Menfi (AG). He has been invited as a teacher in various masterclasses held in the municipalities of Trapani, Buseto Palizzolo (TP), Santo Stefano di Camastra (ME), Custonaci (TP), and Palermo.
He currently teaches saxophone at the „Giovanni XXIII“ secondary school in Trabia (PA).
