Francesco Barfoed is a Danish-Italian pianist, born and raised in Copenhagen. A young artist on the rise, he frequently collaborates with singers and accompanied both Megan Moore (2020) and Joseph Parrish (2022) for their winning auditions for Young Concert Artists. Megan and Francesco also won 1st prize in the Copenhagen Lied-Duo Competition and 2nd prize at the Naumberg Foundation International Vocal Competition, and they have performed throughout the United States, including in Birmingham, Alabama, Des Moines, Iowa, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center. This season, Megan and Francesco will perform at The Morgan Library in New York, premiering a brand-new song cycle by Jake Heggie.

Last season, Francesco performed song recitals at the Usedomer Musikfestival in Germany, Berkshire Opera Festival in Massachusetts, partnered with Carnegie Hall Citywide in NYC, and was broadcast on WQXR, New York’s Classical Music Radio Station. Other recent highlights include song recitals in NYC and South Carolina, and performances with the principal string players of the Austin Symphony Orchestra in Texas.

Francesco works extensively in opera and has assisted Juilliard with the productions of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (which he co-arranged and performed for two pianos), and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica. He also assisted Aspen Music Festival with Mozart’s Don Giovanni and has been on the coaching faculty at Saluzzo Opera Academy in Italy and Canto Vocal Programs in Virginia.

Francesco has participated twice in Renée Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall (2021 & 2022) as well as in SongFest as a fellow, and has performed in Masterclasses with renowned pianists such as Martin Katz, Roger Vignoles, Malcolm Martineau, and Leif Ove Andsnes.

Francesco is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The Juilliard School, where he also completed a master’s degree as a Kovner Fellow. He holds degrees from The Royal Danish Academy of Music and Rutgers University, where he won the concerto competition. The area of focus in his doctoral studies is Danish songs, and he specializes in coaching singers in the Danish language.

Francesco is a passionate promoter of cultural exchange between Denmark and the United States. In addition to collaborating with the Museum of Danish America in Iowa, his studies in the U.S. have been supported by several prizes and scholarships from organizations like Denmark-America Foundation, Bikuben Foundation, and perhaps most notably the Victor Borge Scholarship.

Francesco holds Danish and Italian citizenship, and is fluent in Danish, Italian, and English.