Ricciardi began to play the cello at the age of six, and as a boy he studied under
Michael Flaksman. He graduated from the
Niccolò Paganini Conservatory in Genoa. He embarked on a solo career, and has performed with major symphony orchestras in different countries. He has won numerous competitions including the international competition for the city of
Stresa, the international competition for the Premio Rovere d'Oro, and the national competition for
stringed instruments in Genoa. He has recorded several
CDs on a very wide repertoire ranging from
Bach to
Vivaldi,
Pergolesi,
Debussy,
Fauré,
Schumann, and
Brahms. In 2015 he was a supporter and musical director of the first reunion of over 120 cellists in Genoa, a historic event for the city. ==References==