Roberto Regazzi


Roberto Regazzi is a notable contemporary violin maker and scholar who received his initiation in the craft from Otello Bignami. Regazzi lives and works in Bologna.

Biography

The debut was at an early age; when he was 14 years old started to be involved with passion in the construction of musical instruments, at that time mostly classical guitars, under the guidance of Alan Wilcox and :it:Renato Scrollavezza|Renato Scrollavezza in the mid 1970s.
Later, the possibility to become a home pupil of Otello Bignami was crucial for his decision to stop the studies at the Bologna University to become a professional violin maker.
Established and well known worldwide for the high quality of his instruments, he has been president of a number of specialized organizations including the European Association of Violin and Bow Makers.
His violins are examples of the Italianate sound and in demand also in countries.
Just before the advent of the new millennium his production started to be inspired by Guarneri del Gesù, with the achievement of a rich and full sonority.
His work is also inspired by Ansaldo Poggi and Otello Bignami.
In 2006 the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna conferred on him an honour in recognition of his work.
In 2018 the Fondazione Cologni wanted to have him in the Golden Book of the MAM, a sort of Grammy Award for handicraft activities.
Performers and musicians who have bought and play his instruments, including Boris Belkin, Franco Mezzena, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Ruggiero Ricci, Salvatore Greco, Giovanni Adamo, Uto Ughi, :it:Franco Gulli|Franco Gulli, Anastasiya Petryshak, Riccardo Brengola, the :it:Quartetto di Venezia|Quartetto di Venezia, Peter Fisher and many others.
The Regazzi Library is a large collection of books and documents about musical instruments.
He has been on the jury of a number of contests for luthiers, including the 10th International Competition of the Violin Society of America at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Freiburg Baden-Wurttemberg Internationaler Geigenbauwettbewerb Jacobus Stainer, the 5th Baveno Violin Making Competition, the 2nd Concourse in :Image:Santa Maria della Neve Pisogne 1.JPG|S.M. della neve of Pisogne and the prestigious 10th Henryk Wieniawski Violin-Making Competition, the oldest event of this kind in the world.
He also made several classical concert guitars starting in the 1970s, up to the end of the 1980s, mostly made out of top selected quality rosewoods.
Every instrument is labelled and branded with iron from the beginning of his artistic career.
He has written books, lectured around the world and organised cultural events relating to his art and profession.
Regazzi is the first luthier from Bologna having been chosen as an official testimonial for the Craft of Traditional Musical Instrument Making at the Bologna Shanghai 2010 Expo.

Publications