A multifaceted figure in the landscape of contemporary lutherie: Alberto Giordano combines artisan practice with a solid historical and artistic background. A graduate of the International School of Lutherie in Cremona under the guidance of masters such as Vincenzo Bissolotti, Wanna Zambelli, and Stefano Conia, he subsequently enriched his path with international experiences and university studies in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Art History.
Today he is the Conservator of the celebrated Il Cannone, the violin built in 1743 by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù and once owned by Niccolò Paganini — an identity symbol of the city of Genoa.
From the Workshop to Aesthetic Reflection
In the interview, Giordano retraces his years of training in Cremona, recalling the enthusiasm and dedication of his masters, and recounts the fundamental experience alongside Joseph Curtin and Gregg Alf, lived in a climate of shared study and constant reflection on the beauty and personality of instruments.
For Giordano, lutherie is not merely a craft, but a cultural act: the instrument is a living object, embedded in the history of Italian art and society. His university studies broadened his perspective, allowing him to interweave practice, research, and critical thinking.
The Experience of the “Cannone”
Being conservator of Paganini’s violin means, above all, responsibility towards a civic memory. Giordano describes his relationship with the museum-housed instrument as an exercise in respect and slowness: every gesture is measured, every intervention calibrated so as not to disturb the “biorhythm” of an object that lives in a time different from the everyday.
Stradivari and Guarneri: Two Opposing Visions
The interview reveals a fascinating reading of the great Cremonese masters. Antonio Stradivari emerges as a conscious innovator, capable of combining functionality with antiquarian taste and drawing inspiration from classical art. Guarneri del Gesù, on the other hand, evolved towards a freer, almost expressionist language — especially in his final instruments, where the line becomes raw and personal, distant from Stradivarian formal perfection.
Contemporary Lutherie: Innovating Without Copying
Giordano also addresses the present: modern diagnostics have expanded our structural understanding of the violin, but there is a risk of excessive dependence on a handful of iconic models. His invitation to young luthiers is clear: interpret tradition, do not copy it.
An important signal also comes from the Premio Paganini, where the young winner triumphed on a contemporary instrument, demonstrating that today’s lutherie can compete at the highest international levels.
A Look to the Future
The future of Italian lutherie, according to Giordano, depends on the ability to keep tradition alive without turning it into a cage. Studying instruments first-hand, touching them, understanding them in their three-dimensionality is essential to prevent photography from supplanting direct experience.
A thought that well summarises his vision: to build instruments that are living, authentic, rooted in history yet capable of speaking to the present.
