Tommaso Balestrieri was an Italian luthier in Mantua, primarily active from 1750s to 1780s.
[1][3] Balestrieri was one of the last masters of the Cremonese violin-making tradition – a tradition which had been established by four generations of the Amati family.
Other luthiers in Mantua whose works were rooted in the Cremonese Amati tradition were Pietro Giovanni Guarneri, Camillo Camilli, and Antonio Zanotti.
[3] Balestrieri's early works were delicate and in line with the Amati tradition, but soon he started to incorporate more muscular and robust features in his designs – in line with Stradivari's designs.
[2] According to instrument maker John Dilworth, Balestrieri's works have a "full sound and forceful appearance (...) they may not be the most refined of violins in craftsmanship, but rival the very best in performance.