lia Cecino is the first Italian winner of the first prize at the 22nd Iturbi International Piano Competition in València, in which the jury chaired by Joaquín Achúcarro also awarded him special prizes for the best performance of a Concerto by Beethoven (Concerto op. 58) and for the best interpretation of the music by Chopin (Sonata op. 35). He previously won the competitions in New Orleans, James Mottram in Manchester and Ricard Viñes in Lleida. He is a laureate of the 17th Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv and the 8th New York Vendome Prize.

He performed as soloist with orchestras including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Israel Philharmonic, Israel Camerata Jerusalem, Louisiana Philharmonic, Simfònica del Vallès, Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta de València, Düsseldorf Symphony, Sichuan Philharmonic, Bacau Philharmonic, Sinfonica di Milano, FVG Orchestra, Sinfonica Città di Roma, collaborating with conductors such as Riccardo Frizza, Oleg Caetani, Paolo Paroni, Yoel Levi, Avner Biron, Joshua Weilerstein, Thomas Wilkins, Timothy Muffitt, Xavier Puig, Victor Pablo Pérez, Álvaro Albiach.

Since 2014 Elia is regularly invited to play recitals in venues such as Merkin Hall in New York, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Künstlerhaus in Munich, Ehrbar Saal in Vienna, Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Teatro Municipale in Piacenza, Teatro Sannazaro in Naples, Teatro Lauro Rossi in Macerata, Auditorium Cariplo in Milan, Fazioli Concert Hall in Sacile, Sala dei Notari in Perugia, Sala Maffeiana in Verona, Ateneul Roman and MNAR in Bucharest, Rosey Concert Hall in Rolle, Auditori Enric Granados in Lleida, Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. In 2016 he took part in a concert tour in the USA.

Elia has also an intense chamber music activity with strings in duo, trio and quintet, with whom he performs in halls such as the Sale Apollinee of Teatro La Fenice in Venice and Teatro Comunale di Monfalcone. In December 2020 he collaborated with cellist Mario Brunello on the occasion of 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

Born in Italy in 2001, Elia began his studies at 9 with Maddalena De Facci and at 17 graduated Summa cum Laude from Cesena Conservatory.
The following year Elia won the XXXVI Premio Venezia, competition reserved for the best graduates of the Italian Conservatories. Later he studied with Andrzej Jasinski achieving in 2021 the Master Diploma at Accademia del Ridotto di Stradella. He is currently specializing with Eliso Virsaladze and Boris Berman.