Fabio Bonardi

Luthier

©Fabio Bonardi

Strings of passion

Fabio left engineering to become a luthier
He builds and restores plucked strings instruments
Falpius is the name he signs on his creations

Now a well-known luthier, Fabio Bonardi discovered lutherie while studying engineering. He decided to quit university and enrolled in the Civica Scuola di Liuteria (School of lutherie) in Milan, where he graduated as a master luthier under the guidance of masters Tiziano Rizzi and Lorenzo Lippi in 2007. He also received a degree in the restoration of plucked instruments, taught by masters Gabriele Negri and Tiziano Rizzi. Passionately devoted to his craft, Fabio loves being immersed in the enchanting environment of his workshop, where he builds mandolins and traditional steel string guitars inspired by old Martin models. As a restorer, he is specialised in historical Italian mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos and in 19th century Italian guitars.

Interview

©Fabio Bonardi

fasi©Fabio Bonardi

Why are guitars and mandolins your chosen instruments?: As a child, I needed my guitar fixed, so I did a bit of research and decided to do it by myself: later, I thought I could also build them. My native town, Brescia, is the capital city of fretted instruments, so working on mandolins was natural.
What is your most unique project?: I recently had the chance to design and build a new mandolin for a string orchestra, commissioned by a composer who needed an inspiring instrument, with a different sound, to write his music. It was very challenging and brought a great source of fulfillment.
What do you like the most about your craft?: I love when I see musicians, both players and composers, able to express themselves at their best, using the instruments I’ve built. Also, I love working on historical instruments created by great masters: I learn a lot from them during the restoration process.
What is a memorable moment in your professional life?: It’s really satisfying when my guitars and mandolins are appreciated in important international fairs, such as the Music China in Shanghai. As an Italian luthier, I am a proud ambassador of an illustrious culture. I love to know that instruments that I made or restored are around the world.

Fabio Bonardi is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2011