Flavio Ferri Benedetti was born in Scandiano, Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy) in March 1983.

At age 11, he settled with his parents in eastern Spain, where he finished High School in 2000 with honours in Latin, Ancient Greek, English, Spanish History and Art History. He studied Piano, Analysis, Music Theory and Harmony/Counterpoint during 1994-2004. He obtained his Piano Diploma at the Conservatorio Mestre Goterris in Vila-real (Spain) in June 2004 with full marks. This was combined with his University studies. In June 2005 he received his MA degree in Translation Studies (English, Spanish, German and Catalan). He works occasionally as a freelance translator.

After years of self-training he started receiving voice lessons from 2002 to 2005 with soprano Marián Torres, tenor Achim Schulz Anderson and countertenor Sergio Iglesias in Alicante and soprano María de los Llanos in Valencia. He has attended several baroque summer courses from 2000 to 2004, with professors such as David Thomas, Jennifer Smith, Nancy Argenta, Ian Partridge, Gerd Türk and Mark Padmore. In March 2006, Flavio was awarded the First Velluti Award in Velluti's birthtown (Corridonia, Italia) - as young promising countertenor.

Flavio was admitted in June 2006 to begin his vocal studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel (Switzerland) with Prof. Gerd Türk. In July 2008 he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Early Music (specialization Baroque Singing), with Distinction (Auszeichnung) - and will obtain his Master of Arts in singing in 2010.

He has been giving concerts and recitals in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany since 2000 as an alto soloist, with a repertoire ranging from medieval to romantic music. He had his operatic debut in October 2007 with Stradella's Il Barcheggio in Basel, with the Ensemble Musica Fiorita conducted by Daniela Dolci. In August 2008 he sang the role of Madama Garbata in the opera Arcifanfano Re dei Matti by B. Galuppi in Germany and Switzerland. In 2009, he sang the role of Lutezio in Scarlatti's Penelope la Casta in Basel (CH) - the production was nominated by the magazine OPERNWELT as one of the discoveries of the year, and Flavio as one of the revelation artists of  2009.

In May 2010, he debuts at THEATER BASEL as Linfea, in Francesco Cavalli's Calisto, under the direction of Andrea Marcon and the baroque orchestra LA CETRA.

Academic Education