Annibale Pio Fabri

Annibale Pio Fabri (1697 in Bologna – 12 August 1760 in Lisbon), also known as Balino, from Annibalino, diminutive of his first name, was an Italian singer and composer of the 18th century.

His dramatic career began in 1711 in Rome, and during the course of the decade he sang at Venice, Bologna, and Mantua, creating, among others, the title role in Vivaldi's L'incoronazione di Dario.

[1] During the 1720s he reached the upper echelons of the Italian singers of the time, singing in works by Leonardo Vinci and Domenico Sarro (for whom he created the role of Araspe in Didone abbandonata) at Naples (1722–1724) and by Alessandro Scarlatti (Bologna, 1724).

In 1729 he joined Handel in London for two seasons, making his début in Lotario and creating roles in Partenope and Poro.

In his time in London, Fabri also performed in revivals of Giulio Cesare, Tolomeo, Rinaldo, Rodelinda,[2] and Scipione, in which Handel transposed for tenor the originally castrato title role.