Federigo Fiorillo

Federigo Fiorillo (baptized 1 June 1755 Brunswick, Germany, died after 1823) was a mandolinist and composer, who wrote thirty-six caprices for violin, also called études.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Ignazio was appointed conductor at the Court Opera House at Brunswick and settled there, where his son, Federigo, was born.

[1] As a mandolinist he performed at most of the royal courts of Europe, but the resources of the instrument at this period were limited, as was also the demand for mandolin players.

Bone felt that the "thirty-six caprices for the violin, rank equally with the classical studies of [Rodolphe ] Kreutzer and [Pierre] Rode, and, apart from their usefulness, are not without merit as compositions...they have been edited by innumerable violinists of repute, and [Louis] Spohr wrote and published an accompanying violin part to them.

[1] In 2023 the Italian violist Marco Misciagna recorded the world premiere of Fiorillo's 36 Caprices op.3 for violin, transcribed for viola by himself.