Born in 1980 in Apulia, Giuseppe Carabellese showed a strong attraction to music from an early age. He
began his musical studies at the school of Don Salvatore Pappagallo in Molfetta, initially as a treble voice in
the choir, with a particular interest in Renaissance polyphonic repertoire. His focus later shifted to the cello, which he began studying under the guidance of Maestro Antonio Malisievich. At the age of twelve, he was admitted to the Conservatory of Bari in the class of Maestro Vito Paternoster, graduating six years later in 1998. In the same year, he ranked first in the selections for the Apulian Youth Orchestra, was the top Italian candidate for the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), and successfully passed the entrance examination to join the class of Maestro Arturo Bonucci at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where he completed the three-year advanced specialization course in cello in 2001. From that time, and for the following fifteen years, with the permission of Maestro Bonucci, he performed on an exceptional early 19th-century Neapolitan cello by Lorenzo Ventapane, which he used throughout his solo career. In 2002, he placed first in the selection for the Orchestra of the Accademia della Scala in Milan, where he held the position of principal cello and soloist for all productions. During this period, he further developed his solo repertoire with Sandro Laffranchini, his chamber music repertoire with Massimo Polidori and Danilo Rossi, and his orchestral repertoire with Giuseppe Laffranchini. In the same year, he began a long-standing collaboration with the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, performing under some of the world’s leading conductors, including Riccardo Muti. In 2003, he was among the prize winners at the Bonucci Competition and was awarded a scholarship for advanced studies at the International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA) in Switzerland. During his years at the Menuhin Academy, he studied with one of the greatest cellists of all time, Radu Aldulescu. For four years, he performed as a soloist with the Camerata Lysy at major Swiss festivals and concert seasons, including the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Casino in Bern, and Victoria Hall in Geneva. He also performed in duo, trio, and quartet with the renowned violinist Alberto Lysy, touring the major theaters of Argentina. At the Menuhin Academy, he additionally studied with Daniel Grosgurin, whom he later followed to the Geneva University of Music. During the same years, he participated as an active student in masterclasses held by the celebrated János Starker. In 2005, he was the only candidate admitted to the Konzertexamen program at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, where he studied under the distinguished Wolfgang Mehlhorn. He obtained the Solistendiplom in 2007 with highest honors and distinction. From December 2006 onward, he has pursued an intense teaching career at the conservatories of Taranto, Monopoli, Potenza, and Foggia, where he currently holds a permanent professorship in cello. Starting in 2010, he has researched, practiced, and developed an innovative technical and interpretative approach to cello study based on yoga, a discipline in which he is a certified advanced-level instructor recognized by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). Alongside his teaching activity, he has worked as principal cellist with some of Europe’s leading musical institutions, including the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Orchestra Regionale Toscana, Collegium Musicum of Bari, the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Metropolitana di Bari. He was personally selected by the renowned conductor Daniel Oren to serve as principal cellist at the Teatro Verdi in Salerno. From 2020 to 2024, he was Principal Cellist of the Orchestra of the Petruzzelli Foundation in Bari, where he also appeared as a soloist. His collection of cellos includes an Antonio Guadagnini (1868), a Massimo Negroni (1999) — part of a string quartet built specifically for the Carabellese Quartet — and an elegant 2022 Bruno Di Pilato cello with one-piece back. In recognition of his artistic achievements, he was awarded the medal of “Benemerito della Scuola, della Cultura e dell’Arte” by the President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.