Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini (February 19, 1743 - May 28, 1805) was a classical era composer and cellist from Italy, whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is mostly known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 13, No. 5, and the Cello Concerto in B flat major (G 482).

Antonio Janigro was an Italian cellist. Janigro was born in Milan and began studying piano when he was six and cello when he was eight. Initially taught by Giovanni Berti, Janigro enrolled in the Verdi Conservatory of Milan, where he was instructed by Gilberto Crepax. By 1934 Janigro was studying under Diran Alexanian and Pablo Casals at the École Normale in Paris.

Vito Paternoster is an Italian cellist, recording for Musicaimmagine. He has served as principal cellist for I Musici (Rome). Paternoster is the first cellist to record the complete Bach sonatas and partitas for Solo Cello (orig. violin), after locating an anonymous transcription, from Bach's time, next to Bach's own manuscript of the violin masterpieces. These works, transcribed for cello, are now available from Amati Music.

Giovanni Sollima is an Italian composer and cellist. He was born into a family of musicians and studied cello with Giovanni Perriera and composition with his father, Eliodoro Sollima, at the Conservatorio di Palermo, where he graduated with highest honors. He later studied with Antonio Janigro and Milko Kelemen at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart and at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.

Francesco Zappa was an Italian cellist and composer. He is known for his virtuosic cello playing.

Giovanni Battista Cirri (1 October 1724 - 11 June 1808) was an Italian cellist and composer in the 18th Century.

Giacobbe Cervetto (1682-1783) was an important cellist and composer of music for cello in 18th century England.. Giacobbe Bassevi il Cervetto was born into a Jewish family in Livorno in 1682. It is unclear how he acquired the nickname Cervetto (i.e. "little deer" in Italian). He moved to London in 1739 and was a leading musical figure there for decades, an excellent cellist, and a dealer in musical instruments and strings. He was a regular in the Handel's orchestra.

Andrés Rodrigo López is an Italian cellist and conductor, He started studying cello at a very young age under the guidance of Giuseppe Martorana. After specialising under the guidance of Amedeo Baldovino he studied chamber music under the guidance of Franco and Bruno Mezzena and orchestra conducting with Michele Marvulli e Mario Gusella at the Accademia Musicale Pescarese.

Enrico Mainardi was an Italian cellist, composer, and conductor. At the age of thirteen, in 1910, Mainardi had already begun his career as a cello virtuoso who toured the concert halls of Europe. He later taught at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and also held summer classes in Salzburg and Lucerne. Pupils of his who later became distinguished included Siegfried Palm, Miklós Perény, Michael Steinkühler, …

Giovanni Ricciardi (born 1968 in Genoa) is an Italian cellist. Ricciardi began to study the cello at the age of six with Nevio Zanardi in Italy. He studied at the Nicolo Paganini Conservatory in Genoa under Nevio Zanardi, where he attained the highest grades. When Ricciardi was twenty years old, his mentor introduced him to Michael Flaksman. Ricciardi has appeared with many of the major orchestras of South America, Europe and Asia, …

Gaetano Braga (June 9, 1829 - November 21, 1907) was an Italian composer and cellist. He was born in Giulianova in Abruzzi and died in Milan. Braga's works include compositions for the cello (two concertos, a quintet, a quartet, works for cello and piano) and the operas: *"Alina" or "La spregiata" (1853, Naples) *"Estella di San Germano" (1857, Vienna) *"Il ritratto" (1858, Naples) *"Margherita la mendicante" (1859, …

Carlo Alfredo Piatti (January 8, 1822 - July 18, 1901) was an Italian violoncellist. He was born at Borgo Canale, near Bergamo and died in Mozzo near Bergamo. The cellist Alfredo Piatti made his concert debut at 15 and started touring at 16. No one doubted the young virtuoso's skill on the instrument, but he did not draw large crowds. As a result, when Piatti fell ill during an engagement, he was forced to sell his cello to cover the medical costs.