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Achille Simonetti | |
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| Born | 12 June 1857 Turin |
| Died | 19 November 1928 (aged 71) London |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist and composer |
| Instrument(s) | Violin |
| Years active | Circa 1880–1928 |
Achille Simonetti (12 June 1857 – 19 November 1928) was a prominent Italian violinist and composer, mainly resident in England and Ireland. He was mainly known as a chamber musician and teacher.
Born in Turin on 12 June 1857,[1] Simonetti left his family in Bologna (this can be gleaned from his letter to Mr Hill (of Hills and Sons) written in 1922,[2]) and completed his studies under Francesco Bianchi, Eugenio Cavallini, Giuseppe Gamba, Charles Dancla (regarded as the last exponent of the classical French school of violin playing),[3] and Camillo Sivori, the last pupil of Niccolo Paganini.[4]
Simonetti died aged 71 in London on 19 November 1928.[5]
Simonetti came to England in 1891,[6] embarking on a career as chamber musician. He became part of the first London Trio, an endeavour which occupied him from 1901 to 1912,[7] along with cellist William Whitehouse and pianist Amina Goodwin.[8]
From 1912 to 1919, he was a professor of violin at the Royal Irish Academy of Music,[6] and served as a teacher for many distinguished violinists, including Walter Starkie.
Simonetti was also an early champion of the Brahms Violin Concerto, and wrote a cadenza for the work.