Was born into a family of musicians and began his studies with Maestro Renzo Brancaleon at the Conservatorio "G.Verdi" in Turin. He graduated with top honors and continued his studies at the Conservatorio Superiore di Musica in Geneva, where he was awarded the Primo Premio di "Virtuosite' " as well as a special prize naming him the best graduate of the year. As such, he performed Schumann's Concerto together with the Orchestra della Suisse Romande, which was subsequently broadcast by Radio Svizzera.
Thanks to a scholarship the "De Sono Associazione per la Musica" granted him, he participated in several specialization courses, studying with Maestros A. Janigro, M. Brunello, D. Grousgurin, A. Baldovino e D. Schafran.
At the age of sixteen, he made his debut performing "Variazioni rococo" as soloist with the Orchestra Filarmonica di Sofia, and later performed as soloist with the Orchestra da Camera di Mantova, Camerata Bern, Orchestra del Teatro Regio in Turin, Orchestra Cherubini, Filarmonica della Scala.
As cello soloist for the Camerata Bern, a position he held for five years, he performed together with artists such as H. Holliger, A. Chumachenco, T. Zehetmair, R. Lupu, A. Schiff and with them he has recorded for Philips Decca, Berlin Classic and ECM and has given many concerts appearing in the most prestigious concert halls throughout Europe and the United States. During this same period, he was full professor at the Music Conservatory in Freiburg, holding the chair of cello. Currently, he teaches at the Gustav Mahler Academy (President Claudio Abbado).
Massimo Polidori is one of the founding members of "Trio Johannes" and with whom he recorded the entire collection of Trios with piano by Brahms (for the magazine Amadeus). This chamber music group was awarded prizes at the Concorso Internazionale di Musica da Camera di Trieste and at a chamber music competition held in Osaka. Moreover, they won the "Concert Artists Guild Competition" in New York. The trio recently made their debut in New York's "Carnegie Hall", and was widely acclaimed by both the public and the critics.
In 2000 Maestro Riccardo Muti chose Massimo Policari for the role of Principal Cello in the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala.
Since 2001, he has been the cellist in the chamber music group, "Quartetto d'Archi della Scala".