Orchestra Teatro alla Scala & Filarmonica della Scala
Born in Naples into a family of musicians, Roberto Nigro began studying piano and violin at a very young age. He graduated at the age of eighteen from the “Luigi Cherubini” Conservatory in Florence, where he studied under Renato Zanettovich, and continued his violin training with Giulio Franzetti and Ana Chumachenco.
In 2001, he won the competition for the position of Principal Second Violin at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari and, in 2002, the international violin competition at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he continues to serve as a member of the Orchestra. Throughout his professional career, he has collaborated with major Italian musical institutions, including the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. He has also served as Concertmaster of the Orchestra Regionale del Lazio and at the Luglio Musicale Trapanese Festival. In 2001, he participated in tours with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
Alongside his orchestral career, he maintains an active commitment to chamber music, performing in a variety of ensembles and projects, ranging from piano quartets to larger chamber formations. This activity has taken him to numerous cities throughout Italy, including performances of Igor Stravinsky’s Histoire du soldat.
His concert career is complemented by a strong commitment to educating and mentoring younger generations of musicians. In April 2025, he was invited to Hong Kong by the Musicus Society, as part of the Jockey Club Musicus Heritage Stories programme, to give a violin masterclass for young musicians. In August 2026, he served as a second violin coach for the Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra, contributing to the orchestral training and preparation of its young musicians.
In 2022, he resumed his studies of historical performance practice and, together with Simone Groppo, founded the ensemble Capriccio Armonico, with which he made his debut in the chamber music season of Teatro alla Scala. More recently, together with four colleagues from the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra, he founded the Quintetto di Milano, a chamber ensemble created with the aim of exploring new perspectives in the string repertoire. The ensemble made its debut in July 2026 with three concerts as part of the Emilia-Romagna Festival.
Since 2006, he has served as General Manager of the Cameristi della Scala Chamber Orchestra.
Roberto Nigro plays a Giovanni Gagliano violin dating from 1810.