Francesco d’Avalos was born in Naples, the descendant of an ancient and aristocratic family.

He studied music from the age of twelve - composition with Renato Parodi and piano with Vincenzo Vitale. He later studied Philosophy at the Univesity of Naples.

He started his professional career as a composer after he was awarded the diploma in composition at the Conservatory of San Pietro a majella of Naples, graduating with the highest honours.

He attended courses on conducting at Siena’s prestigious Chigiana Academy under the tutelage of Paul van Kempen, Franco Ferrara and Sergiu Celibidache and was soon conducting in Italy and abroad.

He was the guest of various orchestras: Rai orchestras of Rome, Turin, Naples, Radio Hamburg, Radio Frankfurt, Gerusalemme Philarmonic Orchestra, Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, Philarmonia Orchestra of London, etc. He also conducted in Copenhagen, Lugano, Zurich, Stuttgart, Cologne, Lyons, at Teatro Comunale in Florence, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and Milan’s theatres, Teatro alla Scala and teatro Nuovo, and elsewhere.

He dedicated most of his time to Composition; although his first work was composed at the age of twelve, he regards his first composition as "Psiche" written at the age of 17. He prefers the symphonic genre and has produced a number of notable orchestral works. He also composed chamber music and piano music. His "Simphony n1" was performed at the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Hamburg) and Hans Werner Henze conducted D’Avalos "Himne an die Nacht" with the Hessischer Rundfunk (Frankfurt). Qumran, study for orchestra, was conducted by Eliau Inbal at La Scala, Milan.

D’Avalos has dedicated his time and iterest to teaching since 1972, when he was appointed by Nino Rota (the director of the Conservatory of Music at Bari) to teach Composition at the Bari Conservatory (1972-1979). After he was teacher of Composition at the Naples Conservatory (1979-1998).

Since 1987 he has recorded regularly in London, with the Philarmonia Orchestra. He recorded works of Bruckner, Chausson, Franck, Liszt, Raff, Schubert, Smetana, Wagner, the Complete Orchestral Works of Brahms, Mendelssohn, Clementi and Martucci.

He received the Composition Prize "Premio Selezione Marzotto 1958", the "Grand Prix International du Disque Academie Charles Cros - Paris 1990" for the recordig of Martucci Orchestral Works, "Mra Award 1991" for the recording of Raff’s Symphony n3, "Compact Discotèque idèale 1991" for the recording of Franck and Chausson Symphonies.