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 their two sons, Vittorio e Lorenzo.
1954/1959 – Liceo Scientifico di Vercelli. At the same time he attends the painting classes in the Studio of a famous painter, Francesco Rinone and is part of the FIAT Swimming Team of Torino. With the team of FIAT, although not being one of the top swimmers, he wins the Italian Championship during the 4 following years.
1966 – During these years, he studies singing at the Conservatory and privately and graduates in Ingegneria Meccanica at the Polytechnic University of Torino.
In this period, he he carries out some fundamental musical experiences.
1966/1968 – He does the Military Service as a lieutenant, complementary officer in the Genius in Roma, Rovereto, Torino. He also performs as a singer in several concerts.
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 like Guenter Körber in Berlino 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 and partner, Michele Torpia, they bring back in good health, and eventually acquire, one of the group companies: OZ – CAMS S.p.A, with the idea to launch in the market a new design of a steel wire drawing equipment, world patented and sold in all major industrial Countries, including China, in 1980, beating the strong international competition from Germany, USA, France and UK, with the innovating high-speed steel-wire-drawing system TRB-220.
1979/1982 – The company grows and becomes part of a financial holding company COFIMAC S.p.A. He is 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 - including also the practice of sailing - 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 studies 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 concert activity.
1967 – He studies the ancient popular songs from Piedmont, after the transcriptions by Leone Sinigaglia, and founds the ensemble 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 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.
1976/82 – He designs, creates and runs, on behalf of the Comune di Milano, the Violin Making School of the city of Milano (Scuola di Liuteria di Milano). The school is still existing and considered one of the excellences of the city.
After so many years, he has recently been appointed for the school R&D.
1979 – In October of this year, the administration of Milano organizes an exhibition in Japan for the presentation of the “Scuola di Liuteria” considered as one of the innovative initiatives of the town. The “Studio di Musica Antica” accompanies the exhibition and concludes its concert activity with a tournée of 4 performances in the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto.
The presentation of the “Scuola” and the concerts of the “Studio” have been attended by the Milanese and Japanese authorities.
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. He organizes 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.
This is a unique results 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.
Recently, a new important initiative has been established, a foundation called fondazionebizzigranata which organizes concerts and master classes with the purpose of helping young musicians to enter their professional careers.
2022 - At this time, his two sons, Vittorio and Lorenzo are perfectly involved in the family business which is composed with 6 different branches: 1) Bizzi - historical keyboard instruments; 2) Liuteria Bizzi - string instruments; 3) Villa Bossi - Weddings and Events;
4) Accademia Europea Villa Bossi; 5) “Il Matto” Recording Studio; 6) Fondazione Bizzi-Granata.
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.
TORINO - CAMERATA POLIFONICA DI TORINO (1967/1970) – Voice ensemble with 5 singers “a cappella”: Anna Maria Ferrari, Maria Granata, Mario Mesini, Guido Bizzi, Sandrino Carenzi and Mauro Uberti conductor.
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…" -
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."-
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."-
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.
MILANO - STUDIO DI MUSICA ANTICA - Early Music Ensemble, 5 musicians, 50 instruments, Guido Bizzi singer.
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…"
La Repubblica: "…che un complesso di musica medievale e rinascimentale replichi per ben undici volte lo spettacolo è fatto assolutamente nuovo e fuori dalla norma e lascia sperare in bene… A garanzia della correttezza filologica e stilistica c'è uno studio accurato sulla prassi esecutiva e sui problemi storici connessi…"
Re. G. (L'Unità ): "…Intanto i nostri musicisti - giullari vanno riscuotendo un grande successo, soprattutto da parte dei giovani, nello spettacolo al Verdi. Esecutori bravissimi, virtuosi ragguardevoli, si cimentano in queste musiche, talvolta non facili, alternandosi a mo' di giocolieri ai vari strumenti ed instaurando col pubblico un simpatico dialogo…"
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…"
