FRANCO PETRACCHI

Born in Pistoia (Tuscany) in 1937, Maestro Franco Petracchi studied in Rome at the Santa Cecilia Academy of Music and graduated summa cum laude in 1958 with Guido Battistelli. He also studied Composition with Di Donato and Margola and Conducting with Franco Ferrara.
In 1960, at the Contemporary Music Festival in Venice he performed the world premiere of “Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra” by Firmino Sifonia. Critics from all over the world unanimously described him as a new born star in the art of this instrument. In 1960 he became first double bassist with the Turin Rai Symphony Orchestra and moved to Rome 1962 where he held the same position until 1980.
As a full time soloist he has performed with artists including: Bern-stein, Karajan, Celibidache, Kubelik, Jochum, Sawallisch, Giulini, Muti, Abbado, Metha, Maazel, Barbirolli and Munch. This great wealth of experience is conveyed to his numerous students all over the world.
In the tradition of great Maestros such as Dragonetti, Bottesini, Caimmi, Mengoli, Bill, Prunner, Findeisen, Édouard Nanny, Simandl and Streicher, Franco Petracchi is credited to having revolutionized the technique of the instrument.
His method to interpret, synthesize and formalize the double bass technique, bringing it up to the level of other string instruments, is reputed to be unique. By personal choice, Franco Petracchi has refused to record in studios. However, there are numerous live concert recordings available on Compact Disc (see discography).
 

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
 
Gran Duo Concertante for violin, double-bass & orchestra (Sony)
Giovanni Bottesini: Bottesini Volume Three with Thomas Martin, Franco Petracchi
Dvorak Quintet Op.77/Terzetto Op.74 (Dynamic)
Accardo & Friends with Salvatore Accardo/Franco Petracchi/Margaret Batjer/Ida Levin/
Toby Hoffman/Peter Wiley (Dynamic)
Firmino Sifonia (Edipan)
Rossini: 6 sonate a Quattro, Un mot à Paganini, Duetto per violoncello e contrabbasso „une larme“ pour basse with Salvatore Accardo/Sylvie Gazeau/Alain Meurier/Franco Petracchi/Bruno Canino (Novalis)
Franco Petracchi in Tokio I: Invito alla musica italiana N.Rota/G.Rossini/F.Mendelssohn
Schubert: Quintet in A D667, Op114 (Novalis)
Sconcerto – Live novembre 2003 Roma, Orchestra e Coro dell‘Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The Four Seasons, 2 Concertos Salvatore Accardo/Franco Petracchi/I Solisti di Napoli (Dynamic)
Julien-François Zbinden Bernhard Schenkel/Franco Petracchi, Radio Suisse Romande Espace2 (Claves)

„Il Paganini del Contrabasso“
 IlMessaggero, Roma