Gaetano Pollastri

Gaetano Pollastri was born in Bologna in 1886. He began his career as a violinist, studying as a young man and eventually playing professionally. His brother, Augusto, was a violin maker and Gaetano spent many hours in his shop learning the skills of a luthier. Towards the end of his 20s he began to shift his focus to violin-making as his primary profession. Augusto died in 1927, and Gaetano took over the shop. He was a talented businessman and he managed to maintain the strong customer relationships Augusto had established. Years later, Gaetano opened a new shop, where he made and traded stringed instruments. He had built a strong reputation around his profound knowledge of the history of Italian violin making, and his workshop was very successful.

In 1927 he received the Diploma of Honor from the Contemporary Violin Making Exhibition-Competition in Cremona. In 1930, he built a violin with the papal coat of arms for Pope Pius XI. He won the Diploma of Honor in Cremona again in 1949. In 1954 he recieved Diploma of Honor in Rome. Pollastri also helped to found the Associazione Nazionale Liuteria Artistica Italiana. He trained many talented luthiers during his career, including Franco Albanelli.