Rocco Filippini was born in Lugano. His father was the painter Felice Filippini, and his mother, who was a pianist, started him off to music when he was just a child.
In 1964, after his musical studies under the guidance of Pierre Fournier, he won the International Competition in Geneva , which immediately opened the way to his career. Beeing open to all musical experiences, he has put together a vast repertory which varies from eighteenth century music to contemporary music.
In 1968 he formed the Trio di Milano (with Bruno Canino and Cesare Ferraresi - after his death with Mariana Sirbu, leader of I Musici) and more recently the Quartetto Accardo. He regularly plays with the pianist Michele Campanella. In the last few years he devoted himself a great deal to conducting.

He has performed hundreds of concerts in the major capitals of Europe, America, Japan and Australia, playing in the most famous halls (La Scala of Milan, Albert Hall and Festival Hall of London, the Théatre des Champs Elisées in Paris, the Philharmonie of Berlin, the Musikverein of Vienna, the Herkules Saal of Munich, the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, Lincoln Center of New York, the Opera House of Sydney, etc..) as well as famous festivals (Lucerne, Spoleto, Marlboro - where he was invited many times by Rudolf Serkin - Edinburgh, Stresa, Pesaro, Salzburg - where he has performed with Maurizio Pollini - Ravenna, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Helsinki etc..). He also dedicates a great time to recordings.

In addition to teaching cello at the Milan Conservatory, he instituted with Salvatore Accardo, Bruno Giuranna and Franco Petracchi the courses of the Accademia Stauffer at Cremona, is a member of the Prague Mozart Academy and holds a great number of masterclasses (Hindemith Foundation in Blonay, Banff University, Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée, Aix-en-Provence, Sermoneta, Città di Castello etc.).

His violoncello is the "Gore Booth" of Antonio Stradivari (1710).

In 1997 he has been awarded by the Foundation of the Swiss Italian Bank for his contribution to the development of the cultural relations between Switzerland and Italy.