Violoniste, Altiste, Chef d'orchestre

Luigi Alberto Bianchi first gained recognition as a viola player of international reputation, as soloist and chamber music player, before beginning his career as a violinist.

Born in Rimini, Italy, of a musical family, he played his first violin recital at the age of 7. He obtained his diploma at nineteen years old at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome with a performance of the Bartok Viola Concerto.

Invited by Yehudi Menuhin to play at the Bath Festival in 1968, he subsequently performed in London with him the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante K. 364 with Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.

Luigi Alberto Bianchi played many recitals with pianist Hephzibah Menuhin all over Europe during several years.

In 1970, Bianchi won the first viola prize at the Carl Flesch Competition in London with a performance of two Paganini Caprices and the Walton Viola Concerto in the presence of the composer. Among the Members of the Jury were William Primrose, Joseph Szigeti, Yehudi Menuhin and Yfrah Neaman.

Among Bianchi's noteworthy viola recordings are Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, K.364, with Sir Yehudi Menuhin playing the violin and also conducting the English Chamber Orchestra, for EMI International.

He also recorded The Viola Virtuoso with selected pieces for violin transcribed for viola by Paganini, Kreisler, Bloch, Sarasate, and the three Max Reger's Suites Opus 131d, These recordings, originally on Vinyl support are beeing digitally remastered and will bereleased on two CD by Dynamic Records in 1999.

Since 1983, Bianchi started a new career devoting himself to violin.

In 1986, he made his debut in London playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto Op. 61 with the London Philharmonic, under James Loughran at the Royal Festival Hall.

The concert was followed by other successful performances with leading orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Washington National Orchestra, the Royal Scottish Orchestra, the Santa Cecilia Academy Orchestra in Rome, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the English Chamber Orchestra.

Luigi Alberto Bianchi has played several times at important Festivals like Gstaad, Spoleto, Pompei, Ravenna, Istanbul, Vienna, and Marlboro (Vermont, USA). He has also given Master Classes for the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland, the Verdi Conservatory in Milan, the Paris Conservatoire Superieure de Musique and at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York State, USA.

Luigi Alberto Bianchi is considered an authority on Paganini and has also written a book on Alessandro Rolla (1757-1841), Paganini's only teacher.

In August 1993, Bianchi made his official debut as conductor beeing invited by the Philharmonia at the Adelburgh Proms, with a programme which included Mozart, Rolla, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 Op. 21.

Since 1987 until Luigi Alberto Bianchi played a 1716 Stradivari called the "Colossus," previously owned by Viotti, Baillot and Thibaud. On November 3, 1998, this remarquable violin was stolen from his apartment in Rome.

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