Giacomo Bisiach

Giacomo and Leandro (II) ran a company together and put joint labels on their instruments, so they are often mentioned together as makers.

Giacomo, the third son of Leandro Bisiach (1864-1945), was born in 1900, and his youngest son, Leandro (II), was born in 1904.

Leandro, who had the same name as his father, was called "Leandrino" by his family to distinguish him from his father.

At the time, the Bisiach family lived in Siena, and his older brothers Andrea (1890-1967) and Carlo (1892-1968) were also engaged in string instrument making, so Leandrino also began making string instruments at the age of 15.

Their father, Leandro, asked Igino Sderci (1884-1982), who was living in Siena at the same time, to help Giacomo and Leandrino with their craftsmanship. Igino Sderci, who had originally assisted Leandro and Carlo in their work, would go on to have a long relationship with the Bijacchi family.

Giacomo initially studied cello playing, but after completing his military service at the age of 18 and returning to Siena, he began helping out with string instrument making.

The brothers remained in Siena from 1921 to 1924, studying under Zudelc, and Leandrino returned to Milan in 1926 when his military service ended.

Giacomo and Leandrino started the company together in 1932. In 1934 they opened a store in Corso Magenta 27.

*In 1943, due to the war, the company was temporarily moved to his father's villa in Venegono.

Giacomo and Leandrino each had their own role to play.

In addition to making instruments and supervising the craftsmen he employed, Leandrino was also responsible for customer service, appraising, buying and selling old instruments, and repairing them.

At that time, their company was supplied with instruments by Igino Sderci and his son Luciano (Luciano Sderci 1924-1945), Camillo Mandelli (Camillo Mandelli 1873-1956), Piero Parravicini (Piero Parravicini 1889-1957), and later by Giuseppe Stefanini (Giuseppe Stefanini 1908-1992).

The jointly produced instruments provided to us were labeled with a joint name of [Giacomo & Leandro Bisiach]. *The paper quality and font style changed depending on the period.

Giacomo worked as a varnisher and was well known for his acoustic tuning of instruments. After their father retired, the brothers continued to appraise the antique instruments they had collected through trade.

The company closed in 1972, and Leandrino moved to Venegono, where he continued to produce his products until his death. *During this period, Leandrino's own label was used.

There is no doubt that the wide-ranging activities of the Bijacchi family were a driving force behind the revival of not only the Milanese school, but also the Cremonese school, and the subsequent development of Italian string instrument making.

1982 (age 78) Leandrino dies.

1995 (age 95) Giacomo passes away.

Quotations《The Brompton's Book of Violin and Bow Makers》《Liuteria Iatliana II》