Born in 1973 in Pisa, he studied at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatoire in Florence and the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris.

His many accolades include the City of Salzburg Förderpreis (2006), a commendation by the IRCAM Reading Panel (2006), Takefu International Prize (2007), Carl von Siemens Foundation Förderpreis (2009), Picasso-Miró UNESCO Medal (2011), Grand Prix of Académie Charles Cros (2016), and a commission from the Cino Del Duca Foundation, awarded by the French Academy of Fine Arts (2018). 

He has been composer-in-residence at Akademie Schloss Solitude (2006), Casa de Velázquez in Madrid (2007), Villa Médicis in Rome (2012), and DAAD in Berlin (2015). In 2016 he was made Knight of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Since 2018, he consults for the I Teatri Foundation in Reggio Emilia and is artistic director of the Controtempo festival at Rome’s Villa Médicis. 

He has been invited to leading new music festivals including Darmstadt, Donaueschingen, Hudders eld, Wien Modern, Musica in Strasbourg, Venice Biennale, Milano Musica, Printemps des Arts in Monaco, IRCAM’s Agora, and Mata Festival in New York. In 2019, he was featured in monographic concerts in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. 

As a composer and organist, he has been recorded by Radio Tre, RadioFrance, SWR, and RSR. His works are published by RAI Com and Ricordi and performed by ensembles such as 2E2M, Musikfabrik, Linea, Itinéraire, Alter Ego, Ensemble intercontemporain, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Klangforum Wien, Recherche, Ascolta, Next Mushroom Promotion, Ars Ludi, Ictus, Neue Vocalsolisten, OSN RAI, WDR, SWR, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. 

Francesco Filidei’s first opera, Giordano Bruno, was premiered in 2015 in Porto, while the latest, L’Inondation, was composed in 2019 for Paris’s Opéra Comique. 

Selected works (from 2005): Azione, Variazione for six performers (2005), I funerali dell’anarchico Serantini for three or six players (2005), Macchina per scoppiare i pagliacci for double orchestra (2005), Ossa acida for four performers (2006), Puccini a caccia for ensemble (2006), Ricercare for organ (2006), Trio Sonata for three players (2006), Concertino d’autunnofor seven players (2007), N.N. for six voices and six percussion (2007), Sonata a sette for seven players and amplifier (2007), Concertino di Aix for piano and ensemble (2009), L’Opera (Forse) for six players (2009), Liebestod for six voices (2009), Ogni gesto d’amore for cello and orchestra (2009), Corde vuote for piano trio (2010), Finito ogni gesto for six instruments 2010), Ballade no. 1 for organ, ensemble, electronics and amplifier (2011), Ballade no. 2 for ensemble (2011), Filastroccafor piano (2011), Walking for K. Haring for student ensemble (2011),Dormo molto amore for six voices (2012), Esercizio di pazzia for four players (2012), Fiori di fiori for orchestra (2012), Ballade no. 3 for piano and ensemble (2013), Due sigle per Riccardo for piano (three interpreters) (2013), Due trascrizioni da Merula e Trabaci for string quartet (2013), Poemetto for ensemble (2013), Silence = Death (Democracy) for four percussionists (2013), ...And Here They Do Not for voice and viola da gamba / cello (2014), Missa super l’Homme armé for 12 players (2010–14), Esercizio di pazzia II for four players (2014), Giordano Bruno, opera (2014), Ballade no. 4 for viola da gamba and ensemble (2015), Ballade no. 5 for trumpet and ensemble (2015), Killing Bach for orchestra (2015), Ballade no. 6 Canzone for harmonica and ensemble (2016), Notturno sulle corde vuote for smart string quartet (2016), Sull’essere angeli for flute and orchestra (2017), L’Inondation, opera to a libretto by Joël Pommerat (2018), Quadro per l’autunno for orchestra (2018), Ballade no. 7 for ensemble (2018), Berceuse for piano (2018), Quasi una bagatella for piano and orchestra (2019), Requiem for voices, choir and orchestra (2020), Tutto in una volta for double choir (2020), Poesie: Libro I for voice to words by Federico Maria Sardelli (2020), Tre Quadri for piano and orchestra (2020), Lied for violin / cello (2020), Nightfor baritone, strings and percussion (2021), Ballade no. 8 for ensemble (2021), The Red Death for three choirs and orchestra (2021), Stèle pour Vierne for orchestra (2022).