Antonio Vandini

He was one of the foremost virtuoso performers of his era and spent the vast majority of his career as the first violoncellist of the ″Veneranda Arca″ at the Basilica del Santo in Padua, where Tartini was first violinist and concertmaster.

In Padua he worked with a number of other notable musicians in addition to Tartini, including the Oboist Matteo Bissoli and the organist and Maestro di capella Antonio Vallotti.

His only prolonged absence was a three year period from 1723 to 1726 where Vandini, along with Tartini, left Padua to join the service of Count Kinsky in Prague.

However, I give them credit for great abilities, as they are highly extolled by their countrymen, who must, by the frequent hearing of excellent performers of all kinds, insensibly become good judges of musical merit.

By examining his seven surviving works and the concertos written for him by Tartini it is clear that he had formidable technical ability, being one of the first composers to write music requiring the use of thumb position.