Francesco Stefanelli reaches the final of The World’s Biggest Stage 2026

Francesco Stefanelli, a Stauffer student in Frans Helmerson’s class, is among the four finalists of The World’s Biggest Stage 2026, the prestigious international competition now in its eleventh edition and dedicated to the cello this year.

The final took place at Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center in New York, where the young cellists performed a new cello sonata composed by Julian Gargiulo especially for the competition, interpreting movements that had been assigned randomly.

Congratulations to Francesco on this brilliant new achievement!