Francesco Calcagnini was born in Pesaro and graduated in 1985 in set design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino with the highest possible honours. Mr. Calcagnini combines his activities as a designer and director for spoken theatre, opera and ballet with his position as lecturer in design at the Sassari and Urbino Academy of Fine Arts.

He has collaborated with directors including Lorenza Codignola, Raffaella Giordano, Giorgio Rossi, Stefano Vizioli, Pino Micol, Federico Tiezzi, Gabriele Vacis, Antonio Calenda, Dario Fo, Emilio Sagi and Luca Ronconi, Guy Montavon and Davide Livermore.

  

Collaborations in latest productions include: Yvonne Princesse de Bourgogne at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo (director Cilla Back); revival at Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and at Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao of L'Equivoco Stravagante with the direction of Emilio Sagi, Passage to India, Federico Tiezzi directing, at Teatro Metastasio di Prato and set and costumes for El laboratorio del Dr. Fausto at the Teatro Real in Madrid. With director Guy Montavon he designed Stiffelio at Teatro Regio of Parma and Verdi's Otello at Theater Erfurt.

In February 2016 he created the illustrations for the production Il barbiere di Siviglia at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (director Davide Livermore).

  

He teaches Set Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino.

Plans include: Stiffelioin Bilbao; Romeo e Giulietta and Luisa Miller in Erfurt.