Gio Batta Morassi

He was born in 1934 in the province of Udine in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region into a family of woodworkers.

He was awarded a special scholarship to study at the National School of Luthiers in Cremona, graduating in 1955.

At the time, Parma violin maker Pietro Sgarabotto (1903-1990) was also teaching at the school, but Gio Batta was particularly influenced by Giuseppe Ornati (1887-1965) and Ferdinando Garimberti (1894-1982).

Both men were well-known Milanese violin makers and taught repair at the Cremona School of Violin Making.

Under their guidance, Gio Batta gained a deep understanding of the styles of Nicolo Amati and Antonio Stradivari from the Golden Age of Cremona, and further improved his violin making techniques.

These experiences later laid the foundation for Gio Batta's revival of Cremona string instrument making.

Gio Batta went on to win countless awards in competitions around the world and became known as a master of modern violin making.

Shortly after graduating from the Cremona School of Craftsmanship, he began teaching at the same school, where he spent many years mentoring the next generation of artists, producing many outstanding pupils including Lorenzo Marchi (1950-), Corrad Belli (1960-), Primo Pistoni (1957-), and Nicola Lazzari (1961-).

He has now served as a judge for competitions not only in Cremona but also in other parts of the world, including Poznan (Poland), Sofia (Bulgaria), Budapest (Hungary), and Prague (Czech Republic).

Died in Cremona on February 27, 2018 (aged 83).