Virginia Ceri

Born in Florence, she began studying the violin with the Suzuki Method and, at just eighteen, graduated as a private student from the “Luigi Cherubini” Conservatory in Florence with top marks and honors.

In the years 1983-84-85, she attended the Advanced Courses at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena with Masters Piero Farulli, Riccardo Brengola, and the Trio di Trieste, earning a scholarship and a Diploma of Merit each year. At the Accademia S. Cecilia in Portogruaro (VE), she studied under P. Vernikov, I. Grubert, and Z. Gilels.

For two consecutive years (1986-87), she won the Città di Portogruaro Competition. She later refined her skills at the Chamber Music Academy in Mestre (VE) with D. Asciolla, at the Academie de Musique de Sion (Switzerland) with S. Gheorghiu, and in Rome with V. Brodski.

She has collaborated as a duo with Gioventù Musicale Italiana. Additionally, she has performed with the Carme and Divertimento Ensemble of Milan, the Nuovo Gruppo Strumentale Italiano, Hyperion Ensemble, Agimus Firenze, the "Solisti" and "Cameristi" of La Scala, the ORT Ensemble, Gli Archi della Scala, and the Ensemble Respighi of Bologna.

As concertmaster and soloist, she has collaborated with the following orchestras: Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, RAI Orchestra of Milan, and the Stabile Orchestra of Bergamo.

In May 1991, she won the audition for the concertmaster position at the Orchestra della Toscana (ORT).

She was subsequently invited to perform in the same role by the Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese, Milano Classica, Orchestra Pomeriggi Musicali, Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Orchestra of the Teatro V. Bellini in Catania, Camerata Strumentale di Prato, Orchestra Sinfonica della Valle d’Aosta, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Orchestra of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra in Orlando, Florida (USA), Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, and the Filarmonica Gioacchino Rossini in Pesaro, upon invitation by Maestro Renzetti.

She collaborated for seven years, at the invitation of Maeatro Riccardo Muti as a principal player with the Filarmonica della Scala under his direction and that of C.M. Giulini, V. Gergiev, Chung, Temirkanov, Sawallisch, Maazel, Prêtre, Chailly, Sinopoli, among others. With the Filarmonica della Scala, the Orchestra della Toscana, and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, she has participated in numerous international tours in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Lebanon, Russia, Turkey, Portugal, and beyond.

Since January 2018, she has been the Concertmaster of the Orchestra della Toscana. She is also the first violin of the Open Strings Quintet and has been a member of the ORT Florentia Quartet, ORTAttack, and ArkAttack, always in the same role.

She is the founder of the Suzuki Music Center in Florence, where she served as President for 13 years. She continues to teach violin using the Suzuki Method. For 21 years, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Istituto Suzuki Italiano, holding positions as Artistic Director, Vice President, and President. She taught Suzuki violin for 12 years at the Suzuki Music Center in Milan.

For the European Suzuki Association, she is a Suzuki Violin Teacher Trainer and conducts teacher training courses in Florence at FloriviAcademy (Florence International Violin Academy) in collaboration with the EU Expert Academy Association Eurethics ETSIA, where she is an Academy Professor.

She is the founder of FloriviAcademy (Florence International Violin Academy), where she conducts violin masterclasses, and  founder of Violin Suzuki Method Genova, where she teaches Suzuki violin courses.