Camillo Camilli

Camillo Camilli (1703—c.1754), also Camillus or Camilus di Camila, was a prolific Italian luthier from Mantua. Alongside Tommaso Balestrieri, Camilli secured this city's fame as one of the last "outposts" of renowned Cremonese tradition in the XVIII century, established in the region by Pietro Giovanni Guarneri of Casa Guarneri's fame circa 1679. It's unclear if Camilli was Guarneri's disciple only "in spirit" or whether he immediately apprenticed with Pietro di Mantova in his youth (especially as evidence of Pietro's last years is scant). Most researchers agree Camillo was more likely [I]Antonio Zanotti's student. He worked productively for decades, with large quantities of surviving violins, mostly dated between 1730 and 1751. There are, however, practically no C. Camilli's violas or cellos in existence. Praised for an elegant combination of "grand Amati" and Guarnerius styles, Camilli devoted his career to perfecting craftsmanship and meticulously selecting materials for each build. (In contrast to Balestrieri, who favored acoustic and performance qualities over visual aesthetics.) Today, the best examples of his work auction in the range of $140,000-258,600. Notable 'Camillus Camilli' players ⎖Quintetto Chigiano owned a 1737 violin ⎖Anahit Kurtikyan, the Gringolts Quartet's second violin, plays a 1733 violin ⎖Aldo Ferraresi ⎖Alina Pogostkina ⎖Alicja Śmietana