Ettore Causa

Winner in 2026 of the 75th Queen Elisabeth Competition in Bruxelles, Ettore Pagano was born in Rome in 2003, and began studying Cello at the age of nine.

A graduate of the Conservatory of S. Cecilia in Rome with honors and honorable mention, he began at an early age an intense concert activity in Italy and abroad, coming to play in institutions of the utmost prestige, including his debut with the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, both in the season in Torino with live RAI 5 broadcast, and live RAI 1 broadcast on the 78th anniversary for the Republic Day at the Quirinale in the presence of the Head of State, as well as his very recent debut with the Accadeia Nazionale di S.Cecilia.

In June 2022 he won First Prize, Best Sonata Prize and two other Special Prizes at the 18th Kachaturian International Competition.

Ettore obtained the Artist Diploma at the Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona under Antonio Meneses and previously attended the Pavia Cello Academy with Enrico Dindo. A student at the Accademia Chigiana under A.Meneses and David Geringas ( where he also obtained the Diploma of Honor and in 2020 the Scholarship of the Rotary Club of Siena), he is currently attending Jens Peter Maintz’s courses at the Universität der Künste, in Berlin.

n. He also received the Second prize (as well as two special jury prizes) at the Enescu international Cello Competition in Bucharest (2024). 
Winner in the 2025 edition of the prestigious Abbiati Prize awarded by the Italian Music Critics and the influential “Classeek Award” at the ICMA (International Classical Music Awards).

Ettore performs on a cello by Ongaro brothers (Venice 1777), entrusted to him through the cultural and philanthropic initiative “Adopt a musician”. He also performs on the 1733 “Casals” cello by Matteo Goffriller, generously loaned from the Fundació Pau Casals.

From October 2026 he studies with Jens Peter Maintz at Kronberg Academy.