Francesco Cera applies his distinctive interpretative approach not only to original keyboard instruments, but also to Baroque vocal and instrumental music.
After his partnership with Il Giardino Armonico, Francesco Cera has founded the Ensemble Arte Musica, with whom he performs an Italian vocal repertoire covering the period from Gesualdo’s madrigals to 18th century cantatas  (recordings on the Tactus label). He has performed as a soloist in important international festivals such as “Musica e poesia in S. Maurizio” in Milano, “Le Feste di Apollo” in Parma, Festival of Flanders in Bruges and Gand, and on early organs in the whole of Europe.

Francesco Cera is well-known as a performer of 17th century harpsichord and organ music and his complete recordings of Michelangelo Rossi, Tarquinio Merula, Bernardo Storace and Antonio Valente keyboard works (Tactus) were highly praised by important music magazines such as Goldberg, Répertoire, Diapason and Amadeus. His interpretation of Domenico Scarlatti’s harpsichord Sonatas has been considered a revelation: the innovative dramatic, as well as brilliant character of these works is revealed through his lively and intense performance. Francesco Cera has recorded three CDs of Scarlatti’s Sonatas from the manuscript dated 1742, for Tactus. For the French label Tèmperaments he has recorded an anthology entitled “Rome Baroque”, performed on the 1612 Guglielmi organ in Rome.

Francesco Cera has held masterclasses and seminaries at the Accademia di Musica Italiana per Organo, the Royal Academy of Music London, the University of Berkeley and the Acadèmie d’Orgue de Fribourg.

Since 2001 he has been living in Rome and he was appointed Honorary Inspector of historical Organs.

Label: TACTUS