Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, winner of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, has been hailed as an “amazing talent” (Gustavo Dudamel) and “frighteningly awesome” (Buffalo News). His solo violin album Bach’s Long Shadow was named BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Choice of the Month, which praised him for combining “Itzhak Perlman’s warmth with the aristocratic poise of Henryk Szeryng.”

A native of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Francisco is a distinguished performer, fearless leader, and innovative educator. As a soloist he has appeared with the Bayerische Philharmonie under Sir Colin Davis, the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony under Gustavo Dudamel. His versatility has brought him to numerous ensembles across the artistic spectrum: from Birmingham, Charlotte, SWR Deutsche Philharmonie, Pacific and Buffalo Symphonies, the chamber orchestras of Saint Paul and Philadelphia, the baroque ensemble Apollo’s Fire, and the new-music-focused Metropolis Ensemble. He has worked under the batons of Hans Graf, Alondra de la Parra, François López Ferrer, Christoph Poppen, and Jeannette Sorrell.

Francisco’s recordings have garnered over ten million streams and multiple chart-topping releases, including Album of the Month honors from Apple Music and BBC Music Magazine, and a Top Ten Classical Album of the Year nod from The Times. His discography spans a debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, a fiery Vivaldi Four Seasons with Apollo’s Fire, and an upcoming Lalo and Ginastera album with Carlos Miguel Prieto and the Sinfónica de Minería. His latest release, Cosmopolitan with pianist Matthias Kirschnereit, was released in June 2025 on Berlin Classics.

Francisco’s love for conductor-less leading and program curating has led to his new roles as Artist-in-Residence of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia at Kimmel Center and Artistic Advisor and Curator at The Orchestra of San Antonio. Recent and upcoming engagements highlights include appearances with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra, Phoenix, Jalisco, Minería, Recife, and Łódź Symphonies, as well as debuts with Indianapolis, Omaha, and Las Vegas Symphonies, and returns to RTVE, Xalapa, Málaga, and Apollo’s Fire.

Fullana is one of the first international solo violinists to fully embrace and absorb the baroque language of historical performance. His passion for gut strings and his acclaimed collaboration with Apollo’s Fire—culminating in the release of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on Avie Records—earned him praise from BBC Music Magazine for ‘revealing Vivaldi’s poetry with effortless refinement.’

His passion for working with youth orchestras inspired Francisco to found Fortissimo Youth Initiative, through which he has led residencies with the New York Youth Symphony and Spain’s JONDE National Youth Orchestra. He is also Co-Founder of the San Antonio’s Classical Music Summer Institute and serves as Artistic Director of the city’s 210 Festival.

Francisco received the 2023 Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize from Festival Napa Valley and first prizes at the Johannes Brahms, Julio Cardona, and Japan’s Munetsugu Angel Competitions. He is also a laureate of the Pro Musicis International Award and the Pablo Sarasate Competition. An active chamber musician, he performs with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has appeared at the Marlboro, Music@Menlo, La Jolla, and Newport festivals, collaborating with Mitsuko Uchida, Nobuko Imai, and members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, and Cleveland quartets.

A graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Madrid, The Juilliard School, and USC’s Thornton School of Music, Francisco studied under Manuel Guillén, Donald Weilerstein, Masao Kawasaki, and Midori. He performs on the 1735 “Mary Portman” ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù violin, on loan from the Stradivari Society of Chicago.