Guido Bizzi
Il presidente
STUDIES AND JOBS
He was born in Vercelli in 1940 and now lives and work at VILLA BOSSI, Bodio Lomnago, (Varese) near Milano. Villa Bossi is the headquarter of a family group where different activities take place and where he works with his wife Luisa and with their two sons, Vittorio e Lorenzo.
1954/1959 – Liceo Scientifico di Vercelli. At the same time GB attends the painting classes in the Studio of a famous painter, Francesco Rinone and is part of the FIAT Swimming Team of Torino. FIAT was the winner of the Italian Championship during 4 following years..
1966 – He graduates in Ingegneria Meccanica al Politecnico di Torino. During these years he carries out in Torino some fundamental musical experiences.
1966/1968 – He does the Military Service as a lieutenant, complementary officer in the Genius: Roma, Rovereto, Torino.
1968/1970 – Responsible of the foreign Countries after sales service for the company CEAT Pneumatici, later Pirelli group. He travels regularly in all European Countries, Balkanic nations and Middle East. In these years he learns and fluently speaks English, French, German and Spanish. During his traveling he makes friends with renowned musicians and instruments makers. Among them, Guenter Körber in Berlin and Friederich Von Huene in Boston.
1971/1975 – He is marketing and sales director of the Italian-American Group GCR Corporation (steel cables and engineering, with 1000 employees in Italy). He continues to travel frequently and particularly in the USA where he has the opportunity to meet with more musicians and personality who will enrich greatly his experience and working life.
1975/1979 – Together with his best friend, Michele Torpia, they bring back in good health and eventually acquire, one of the group companies in difficulty: OZ – CAMS S.p.A, with the idea to launch in the market the new design of a steel wire drawing equipment, world patented and sold in all major industrial Countries, including China, in 1980, beating the international competition with the innovating high-speed system TRB-220.
1979/1982 – The company grows and becomes part of a financial holding company COFIMAC S.p.A. He’s executive vice president of the group which controls different companies, including OZ – CAMS and OFFICINE MECCANICHE DI LESMO.
1983 – Together with his lifelong friend Michele, they decide to sell their shares of the company to entirely devote themselves to the artistic and cultural activities in which they had both been committed for many years.
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
1960/1970 – He enters the Corale Universitaria di Torino conducted by Roberto Goitre.
He studies “canto da camera” with Chiarina Fino Savio (already 83), whom Confalonieri described as “la più grande Cantatrice del secolo” (she used to sing in Duo with Enrico Caruso, accompanied by Francesco Paolo Tosti). He will study with her till her death.
He establishes with M. Uberti la Camerata Polifonica di Torino, formed by 5 singers “a cappella” or with harpsichord and performs an intense concerts activity
1967 – he studies the ancient popular songs from Piedmont, after the transcriptions by Leone Sinigaglia, and founds I Cantastorie (G. Bizzi, M. Granata, A. Ternengo, with G. Camarca, guitar). A first recording of these songs is made in 1968 with the historical record label FONIT – CETRA.
1970/1980 – He moves to Milano for working reasons and starts a new musical itinerary together with four friends, founding the Studio di Musica Antica . Most critics acknowledge this Studio the innovating role in Italy of performing with historical replicas of medieval and Renaissance originals instruments. The Studio uses more than 50 woodwind, double-reed and keyboard instruments, many of them manufactured by the musicians themselves and performing in an extraordinary friendly and live atmosphere. He is the singer of the group.
1977/1979 – He attends the specialization class in “Canto da Camera” at the Conservatorio G. Verdi of Milan, with the famous singer Mo. Petre Munteanu. He mainly sings works by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and other lieder composers.
1979 – In October of this year, the Studio concludes its concerts activity with a tournée of 4 concerts in Japan, Tokyo and Kyoto, which are officially presented by the town of Milano, with the presence of the vice Mayor of Milano and the Italian Ambassador in Tokyo.
1976/80 – He designs and realizes, on behalf of the Comune di Milano, the Violin Making School (Scuola di Liuteria) of the city of Milano”. The school is still existing and considered one of the excellences of the City. After so many years, he is still in charge of R&D.
1980/1987 – He organizes, always on behalf of the Comune di Milano and with the financial support of important Milanese companies, a large number of initiatives. Among them: l’Estate Musicale di Premeno, l’Accademia di Canto di Milano, Musica, Macchine... Magia, le Stagioni di Concerti a S. Maria delle Grazie. And many other events and exhibitions in Italy and abroad, in cooperation with il Museo del Teatro alla Scala of Milano. He writes and publishes with L. Girodo e F. Odling the book “Musica e Scienza”.
1988/1989 – He organizes “Musica in Viaggio”, a traveling exhibition of historical instruments which has been traveling throughout Italy and abroad for a few years.
1989/1991 – He creates, designs and the realizes the first organic restoration work in Italy on a complete collection of historical musical instruments: the Collection of the Museo del Teatro alla Scala of Milan. He writes, designs and publishes the Museum catalog.
1992 - He realizes a similar restoration work, “Nuove Antiche Note”, on the Vivaldi violin Collection and other historical instruments of the Museo Correr of Venice.
1992/1998 – Continues and intense cooperation with different towns and Italian “Regioni”, for the creation of events, specialized teaching courses and performances.
1996 – He founds the company “BIZZI - Historical Keyboard Instruments” which acquires in only a few years an important position in the international market. BIZZI harpsichords are selected by some of the most important musicians. In 2019, BIZZI has made his harpsichord number 1000, after having sold instruments in 49 Countries of 5 continents, a unique record in the harpsichord history.
2007 – In this year there is an important change that gives the family business a new direction, being the year in which Villa Bossi has been purchased with the intention to make it become an innovative center fora large number of musical activities.
Among them, the restoration of romantic pianos in cooperation with Edwin Beunk, the organization of master classes in cooperation with the most important Conservatories in Europe, great artists and professors and the recording Studio.
The official agreement with the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the projects carried out in cooperation with “Stati Generali del Patrimonio Italiano” are just some examples.
2012 - At present the whole family is strongly committed to continue this fascinating musical and business experience which is hoped to be continued by the next generations.
2022 - At this time, his two sons, Vittorio and Lorenzo are perfectly involved in the family business which is composed with five different branches:
1) Bizzi - Historical Keyboard Instruments
2) Liuteria Bizzi - Stringed Instruments
3) Villa Bossi - Weddings and Events
4) Accademia Europea Villa Bossi
5) “Il Matto” Recording Studio.
REVIEWS
Hereafter, a few reviews after the concerts of the Camerata Polifonica di Torino in 1968/70 and the Studio di Musica Antica of Milano in 1976/77, which we prefer to leave in Italian. We just want to outline the regular presence to our concerts of important musicologists, among them, Massimo Mila, one of the most outstanding personalities of the last century.
Camerata Polifonica di Torino (1967/1970)
Voice ensemble (5 singers)
- Massimo Mila (La Stampa): “… La Camerata polifonica di Torino ha acquisito ormai quell'autorità sicura nel porgere, quel tantino di grinta concertistica ch'era l'unica dote di cui si lamentasse la scarsezza ai suoi esordi. Per il resto fusione, omogeneità, proprietà di stile già andavano bene in principio ed ora vanno anche meglio…”.
- Ennio Bassi (L'Unità): "… ci hanno fatto ascoltare, con il loro ormai noto affiatamento, con le virtù su cui ci siamo ripetutamente espressi in passato, brani sorprendentemente vivi…”
”…riescono anche, in misura eccezionale, ad entusiasmare il pubblico”.
Studio di Musica Antica (1974 - 1977)
Voice and ancient music instruments
- Mario Pasi (Corriere della Sera ): "… i flauti, i cornamuti, le bombarde, gli archi, i tamburi, le tastiere offrono agli eclettici e preparati artisti una vasta gamma di combinazioni… Il risultato è quello di provocare un dialogo, di fare musica viva, di suscitare non gratuite curiosità… A fine concerto molti sono i bis e può accadere che qualcuno del pubblico (Nota: Pasi stesso!) si unisca allo Studio per un piccolo, animato happening sonoro”.
- Lorenzo Arruga (Il Giorno): "… Fa spettacolo la musica d'altri tempi… Quattro esecutori…. Ferratissimi, hanno letto quasi tutti i trattati, trascritto ed analizzato i manoscritti…Sono i più rigorosi esponenti di quel modo di intendere la musica antica che caratterizza il nostro tempo…
Chi vuol capire cosa stia avvenendo nel gusto delle generazioni giovani, chi vuol scoprire meglio chi siamo e chi stiamo diventando nella nostra civiltà, specchiandosi in un passato ritrovato, faccia un salto al Teatro Verdi, si diverta e ci pensi su. Si replica fino…".
- Massimo Bruni (La Gazzetta del Popolo): “… un'esperienza d'arte che richiede particolari virtù di intelletto e di spirito…Festosissima serata, seguita da un magnifico pubblico che ne ha applaudito con gran calore gli artefici”
”…serata di vivo interesse, grandemente applaudita a onore dei suoi simpatici e bravissimi protagonisti”.
- Giorgio Pestelli (La Stampa): "… gli applausi ed il pubblico foltissimo sono stati la miglior prova della loro bravura e della gioia che ci hanno saputo dare”.
- Elsa Airoldi (Il Giornale): "… Rivolta ad aprire orizzonti nuovi con una formula semplice e piacevole, la serata è volata via tra canti e danze con successo crescente…".
- C. Maria Cella (La Notte): "… Concerto da non perdere…Chiunque ami la musica o anche soltanto la suggestione dello spettacolo insolito non si lasci assolutamente sfuggire il concerto che lo Studio di Musica Antica tiene al Teatro Verdi… I Magnifici Cinque suonano, cantano saltarelli, ballate e canzoni… Alla fine, per accontentarli tutti, un bis di Stockhausen".
- Elsa Airoldi (Il Giornale): "… Rivolta ad aprire orizzonti nuovi con una formula semplice e piacevole, la serata è volata via tra canti e danze con successo crescente…".
