Tiziano Bissolotti

Born in Soresina (Cremona province), 26 June 1959, he died in Cremona on 5 July 1995.
Of all the Bissolotti brothers, Tiziano was the youngest when he expressed an interest for carving and violinmaking. When he was ten years old he already frequented his father's workshop where he used to amuse himself with carving small objects, using many of the tools of the violinmaking trade.
During this period he studied music and piano with the Polish violinmaker Jan Kundanowsky, a pupil of his father and a graduate of the Music School of Warsaw.
He showed an excellent predisposition towards musical studies but he was very inconsistent in his playing; moments of immense enthusiasm alternated with others of total disinterest for the instrument.
He abandoned his studies after a few years.
In 1974 he enrolled in the Cremona Violinmaking School which he frequented for three years. He did not complete the school, preferring to establish himself in his father's workshop where he perfected his working technique. In this period he built the entire range of string instruments: violins, violas of all dimensions, violoncellos and double basses.
He also specialized in classical guitars, some made with a personal model, designed with the help of his father and principally characterized by a very ample shape.
From 1983-84 he moved to Paris to work with the violinmaker and restorer Renè Quenoil where he studied the techniques of instrument set-up, particularly for the violoncello.
After his stay in Paris he returned to his father's workshop where he worked until his premature death.
Tiziano Bissolotti always used his father's models for the construction of his instruments, models which his father reproduced from the original instruments or given to him by Fernando Sacconi.
He used the family varnish, a spirit varnish made from shellac with the addition of various natural colorants extracted to obtain the tonalities desired.
The purfling of his instruments was always hand-made, composed of two strips of dyed pear wood and a central strip of poplar wood.
Like all of the family members he never participated in exhibitions or competitions.
His favorite makers was Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù with whom he felt a certain inner affinity.
Tiziano was a tormented violinmaker with a turbulent life, and it was only in violinmaking that he succeeded in finding a certain amount of equilibrium and tranquillity.
His work is balanced, harmonic, elegant and precise. It is also decidedly full of personality which is revealed in the carving of the scroll that displays great sculptural character and elegance.
His instruments are owned by players all around the world.
Although the precise number of his instruments is unknown, it may be approximated to about one hundred.

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