Born in 1949 at Longiano (FC), Ricci studied at the Pesaro Conservatory with Piero Luigi Zangelmi and with Franco Donatoni at the Accademia Musicale Pescarese (Pescara).
He received his first important affirmation in Rome in 1984 by winning the prestigious “Valentino Bucchi” Prize with the chamber piece “Sentieri nel canneto”, a prize that he won again in 1988 for his string quartet “Recuperi dal silenzio”.
During the time that his works were beginning to be performed in various important musical events and festivals (Unione Musicale of Torino, Gaudeamus Musicweek of Amsterdam, Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte of Montepulciano, Aspekte Neue Musik of Salisburgo, Boston University, Stagioni Sinfoniche RAI of Milano and Torino , Presencia de Italia en Mexico, Festival Risuonanze of Udine ecc.), acknowledgements in numerous international competitions were growing: Poliphonic Composition Contest “Guido d’Arezzo” (1986 – 1992), “G.B.Viotti” (1984), the Leuven Concours Européen Musique et Poésie {B} (1986), the “Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis” at Bydgosch {PL} (1986) , the Contest “G.Savagnone” of Rome (1987).
Ricci appeared as seminar guest in 1990 with the prestigious Ensemble Modern of Frankfurt, where his work “Après le sommeil, avant le réveil” was object of rehearsals, performances and round table discussions.
That same year he was invited by the Foundation “Nieuwe Muziek” of Middelburg (NL) to give a lecture about his own music. On that occasion several works of his were performed, among which the clarinet quartet “Il risveglio, la danza, il grido” was a world premier.
In 1996 the monografic book cured by Renzo Cresti and prefaced by Gianmario Borio “Il linguaggio musicale di Paolo Ricci” was published by Miano Editore, Milan.
Ricci is also present in the anthologic book “Autoanalisi dei Compositori Italiani” (Napoli,1992) and there is a biografical profile of him in the “Enciclopedia Italiana dei Compositori” (Pagano Editore,1999).
In 2003 his composition “Cinque piccoli pezzi” for marimba and double bass quintet was recorded by the RAI TV under his own direction, and broadcasted during “I Concerti di RAI TRE”.
As passionate connoisseur of Contemporary Art in the last years Ricci has dedicated his interests to the multimedia art experience and to the images researches for his music producing many digital experimental videos. In 2015 Ricci created with Anna Soudakova-Roccia the documentary film about an important Milan sculptor and artist Paolo Schiavocampo with his own music soundtrack which was born from colours, lines and constructions of the artist works.
His new composition “Toy Fantasy” for Toy Piano was performed during the last International Udine Festival ”Risuonanze” in June 2015.
In the same 2015 Paolo Ricci was selected as “Composer in Residence” by the New MADE Ensemble of Milan. In this rule several of his works, including new special commissions, will be performed in different European cities and published in a discographic CD.
Ricci’s compositions are published by BMG-Ricordi, Tonos Verlag, Suvini-Zerboni, Edi-Pan among others and are present on several CDs.
The Agenda Edizioni of Bologna had published (in three folders) in 2015, with precious and rare editorial care, the full cycle of eight compositions for string instruments which title is “Memoriale”.