Federigo Fiorillo Biography

Federigo Fiorillo (baptized June 1, 1755, Brunswick, Germany – died after 1823) was a German violinist, violist, mandolinist, and prolific composer of the Classical period.

Born into a musical family, Federigo's father, Ignazio Fiorillo, was a Neapolitan composer and conductor. Federigo's early musical training was overseen by his father, and he initially developed exceptional mastery of the mandolin. However, recognizing the limitations of the mandolin's popularity and resources at the time, he soon expanded his focus to other stringed instruments, primarily the violin and viola.

Fiorillo's career was marked by extensive travels across Europe, performing and conducting in various royal courts and musical centers. He served as Kapellmeister in Riga for two years (1783-1785) and achieved success as a violinist at the Concerts Spirituels in Paris. In 1788, he moved to London, where he famously played the viola in the quartet of the celebrated violinist-impresario Johann Peter Salomon. He made his last known public appearance in London in 1794. While the exact circumstances of his later life are somewhat unclear, he is believed to have resided in Amsterdam and Paris, where he was reportedly ill in 1823.

Though Fiorillo composed a wide array of works, including concertos, duos, trios, quartets, and quintets for various string and wind instruments, he is most renowned for his Thirty-Six Caprices for Violin, Op. 3. These demanding études remain a cornerstone of violin pedagogy, widely studied by aspiring and professional violinists for their technical challenges and inherent musicality, ranking alongside the works of prominent

Federigo Fiorillo (baptized June 1, 1755, Brunswick, Germany – died after 1823) was a German violinist, violist, mandolinist, and prolific composer of the Classical period.

Born into a musical family, Federigo's father, Ignazio Fiorillo, was a Neapolitan composer and conductor. Federigo's early musical training was overseen by his father, and he initially developed exceptional mastery of the mandolin. However, recognizing the limitations of the mandolin's popularity and resources at the time, he soon expanded his focus to other stringed instruments, primarily the violin and viola.

Fiorillo's career was marked by extensive travels across Europe, performing and conducting in various royal courts and musical centers. He served as Kapellmeister in Riga for two years (1783-1785) and achieved success as a violinist at the Concerts Spirituels in Paris. In 1788, he moved to London, where he famously played the viola in the quartet of the celebrated violinist-impresario Johann Peter Salomon. He made his last known public appearance in London in 1794. While the exact circumstances of his later life are somewhat unclear, he is believed to have resided in Amsterdam and Paris, where he was reportedly ill in 1823.

Though Fiorillo composed a wide array of works, including concertos, duos, trios, quartets, and quintets for various string and wind instruments, he is most renowned for his Thirty-Six Caprices for Violin, Op. 3. These demanding études remain a cornerstone of violin pedagogy, widely studied by aspiring and professional violinists for their technical challenges and inherent musicality, ranking alongside the works of prominent violin composers like Rodolphe Kreutzer and Pierre Rode.