Tommaso Balestrieri

Tommaso Balestrieri (* 1720 ; † 1788 or 1790 ) was an Italian violin maker who lived and worked in Cremona from 1720 to 1750 and then in Mantua .

Little is known about his career. It is believed that Balestrieri first received his training in Cremona, since he described himself as a Cremonese master. However, all of the instruments he received were made in Mantua. His instruments are based on models of the great Cremonese masters such as Antonio Stradivari or Pietro Guarneri and have an excellent sound quality. He mostly used a golden brown or golden orange violin varnish of the best quality. His instruments are coveted by soloists for their powerful and sustaining sound quality and belong to the category of the best concert instruments. In addition to violins , he also made cellos . His best instruments date from between 1750 and 1780.