Franco Mezzena

Franco Mezzena born 4 November 1953 in Trento, northern Italy, is an Italian violin virtuoso and conductor. He studied with Salvatore Accardo.

• Guest soloist at concert halls and festivals in Europe, Japan, Africa, Martinique, South America, U.S.A and Mexico.
• Played Mendelssohn Op.64 at Carnegie Hall in New York.
• Toured with "I Musici" and "I Virtuosi di Roma".
• Performed with Salvatore Accardo, Bruno Battisti D’Amario, Julius Berger, Bruno Canino, Roberto Fabbriciani, Rocco Filippini, Severino Gazzelloni, Stefano Giavazzi, Bruno Giuranna, Johannes Goritzki, Jacques Klein, Alain Meunier, Bruno Mezzena, Andrea Noferini, Antony Pay, Franco Petracchi, Claudio Piastra, Ruggiero Ricci, Eros Roselli, Massimo Scattolin, Hariolf Schlichtig, Rohan de Saram.
• Concerts for RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, Radio Vaticana, BBC, ABC, NBC, WSKG, WGBH Boston, NHK Television Japan, KBS Corea, etc.
• Gives Master Classes in Italy (Conservatory of Mantua, Messina and Perugia, CMT Academy, S. Antioco-Sardinia, "Musica Riva Festival", Alghero-Sardinia, Naples,) and abroad (Royal College and Trinity College-London, Hertford College-Oxford, Chetham's School of Music-Manchester, Conservatory of Rotterdam, Académié d'été d'Andé, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyushu, Sapporo, Barcelona, Ticino Musica Festival-Switzerland, University of Mexico City etc.).

• He recorded more than 70 CD for Dynamic (record label), Brilliant Classics, Newton Classics, Corrado Productions, Wide Classique, Symposium, Rivo Alto, Ricordi, Nuova Era, E.M.S. Arcobaleno.
• Recorded for Dynamic the 29 concertos for violin and orchestra by Giovanni Battista Viotti (world premiere recording - 10 CDs), where he appears as soloist and conductor of the "Symphonia Perusina" and the Chamber Orchestra “Milano Classica”.
• Recorded for Wide Classique label the complete works for violin and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven with the pianist Stefano Giavazzi (4 CDs).
• Recorded for Wide Classique label the complete works for violin and guitar by Mauro Giuliani with the guitarist Umberto Cafagna (Vol.1).
• Recorded for Corrado Productionsl the complete works for violin and guitar by Mauro Giuliani with the guitarist Umberto Cafagna (Vol.2).
• Recorded for Corrado Productions the complete works for two violins by Giovanni Battista Viotti with the violinist Nancy Barnaba (Vol.1).
• Recorded for Brilliant Classics the complete string quartets by Giovanni Battista Viotti with Quartetto Viotti (world premiere recording - 4 CDs).

• Has conducted the Lublijana Symphony Orchestra, the Pescara Symphony Orchestra, the “Teatro Regio of Turin” Symphony Orchestra, the “Milano Classica” Chamber Orchestra, the “Interpreti Italiani” Chamber Orchestra, the Jalisco Philarmonic Orchestra etc.

• Professor at Conservatory "Niccolò Piccinni" in Bari-Italy
• Artistic Director and founder of the Advanced Accademia Mezzogiorno Musicale in Taranto-Italy.
• Founder and principal conductor of the Orchestra da Camera di Taranto and member of the Jury of Italian EUYO (European Union Youth Orchestra) Auditions since 2005.
• He is Artistic Director for Teatro G.B. Viotti in Fontanetto Po (Vercelli-Italy).
• In 2011 he formed a duo with the violinist Nancy Barnaba.
• In 2015 he founded the Quartetto Viotti with Nancy Barnaba, Luca Ranieri and Maria Cecilia Berioli.