Fabio Biondi

• Name — Fabio Biondi • Born — 15 March 1961 • Birthplace — Palermo, Italy • Occupation — * Classical violinist • Conductor

Born in Palermo, Sicily, Biondi had a late start, having never even held a violin till age 11, but by the following year he had advanced so quickly that he played a concerto with the RAI Symphony Orchestra. When he was 16, he performed Johann Sebastian Bach's violin concertos at the Musikverein in Vienna. Since then, he has performed with a number of baroque ensembles including La Capella Reial, Musica Antiqua Wien, Seminario Musicale, La Chapelle Royale and Les Musiciens du Louvre. In 1990 Biondi founded Europa Galante, an Italian ensemble specializing in baroque music, that he directs. Biondi's recordings include Antonio Vivaldi's Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione including The Four Seasons and the opera Bajazet, Arcangelo Corelli's concerti grossi, works of Alessandro Scarlatti and George Frideric Handel, from the 18th-century Italian violin repertoire (Antonio Vivaldi, Francesco Maria Veracini, Pietro Locatelli, Giuseppe Tartini), as well as sonatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann. Biondi also performs in duos with keyboard (piano, harpsichord or fortepiano). In 2005 Biondi became artistic director for baroque music of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. He plays a 1766 Carlo Ferdinando Gagliano violin lent him by the Salvatore Cicero Foundation in Palermo, an Andrea Guarneri (Cremona, 1686) violin and also a Desiderio Quercetani violin for recording and play. Biondi is married to Ana de Labra; they have one child. He also has three children with a former wife.