Paganini's 24 Caprices for solo violin served as the definitive early career showcase for Salvatore Accardo, who emerged as a prominent Italian musician following his 1958 victory at the Paganini Competition in Genoa. His professional trajectory spans decades of international performance, rigorous academic instruction, and the systematic preservation of virtuosic violin traditions through various ensemble leadership roles.
Early Career and Paganini Repertoire
Born in Turin in 1941, Accardo initiated his formal training in Naples during the 1950s. At age 13, he delivered his first professional recital featuring the challenging works of Niccolò Paganini. This focus on Paganini remained a constant throughout his career; he holds the distinction of being the first violinist to record all six violin concerti by the composer. In 1999, he revisited the 24 Caprices for a fresh recording cycle, further cementing his association with the repertoire.
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Education played a pivotal role in his development at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. Beyond his time as a student, he returned to the institution to teach from 1973 to 1980 and resumed his pedagogical duties there in 2004. In 1986, he co-founded the Walter Stauffer Academy. His efforts to cultivate talent extended to the creation of the Orchestra da Camera Italiana in 1996, which recruits the top graduates from his academy, including musicians such as Alessio Bidoli, Franco Mezzena, and Anastasiya Petryshak.
Orchestral Work and Recording History
From 1972 to 1977, Accardo served as the leader of the chamber orchestra I Musici. His studio output is extensive, comprising nearly 50 recordings released through labels such as Philips, DG, EMI, Sony Classical, Foné, Dynamic, and Warner-Fonit. Notable projects include recording the complete violin and piano sonatas of Mozart alongside pianist Bruno Canino. Furthermore, he provided the violin performance for the soundtrack of the 1989 film Kinski Paganini and produced a 1995 album using Paganini's own Guarneri del Gesù violin, known as Il Cannone.
Honours and Instrumental Collection
Accardo maintains a collection of significant instruments, including the 1727 Stradivarius known as the Hart ex Francescatti and the 1718 Firebird ex Saint-Exupéry. His contributions to the arts have been recognized through multiple state decorations. He received the title of Grande Ufficiale dell'Ordine al merito della Repubblica italiana in 1965, followed by the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1982. In 1999, the government of Monaco awarded him the title of Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit.
Fast facts
- Born: 1941, Turin
- Primary Instrument: Violin
- Notable Competition: Paganini Competition winner, 1958
- Notable Ensemble: I Musici (Leader, 1972-1977)
- Academic Affiliation: Accademia Musicale Chigiana
- Notable Decoration: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1982)
- Notable Decoration: Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (1999)
Questions readers ask
Which violin does Salvatore Accardo play?
Where does Accardo teach?
He is an instructor at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, where he also studied and previously taught during the 1970s.
Achievements
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit — 1999
- Instruments: violin
- Genres: classical music
