Matteo Carcassi Italian classical guitarist and composer. Country: Italy

Biography of Matteo Carcassi

Matteo Carcassi was an Italian classical guitarist and composer. He began studying piano at a young age and later switched to the guitar, earning a reputation as a skilled performer by the age of twenty. In 1820, he settled in Paris, where he engaged in concert and teaching activities. His performances, marked by brilliant virtuosity and elegance, gained immense popularity among the French audience. Carcassi frequently performed his own compositions, mostly consisting of fantasies and variations on the themes of operas by Weber, Herold, and Rossini.

The guitarist successfully toured in London and various cities in Germany. Carcassi was one of the representatives of the classical Italian guitar school, alongside Ferdinando Carulli and Mauro Giuliani. Many of his compositions, including sonatas, rondos, capriccios, and waltzes, are still part of the repertoire of contemporary guitarists.

His pedagogical works, particularly his studies (Op. 26 and Op. 60) and the three-part "Complete Method for the Guitar" (French: Méthode complète pour la guitare), published in Paris in 1836, have great significance. They have become one of the most popular instructional materials for learning the instrument. More than a hundred compositions by the composer remain unpublished.